So, recently, I went to the Richmond Night Market.
Those from Vancouver would already know this but for those who are thinking of visiting, the Richmond Night Market is a large Asian summer market which occurs every year running from usually May to October in the City of Richmond. It imitates the street markets seen all around Asia and is a great and fun place to hang out and to get some pretty cheap Asian goods (mostly because there’s no tax! And boy, do Vancouverites get fleeced with tax!).
In any case, the group of us were hanging around in the City of Richmond before the market opened (usually 7pm from Friday to Sunday) and we walked past a really famous fountain just outside the President Plaza.
For those unfamiliar, this is what it looks like.
And of course, having been pumped full of sugar…
To clarify, yes, that is a fish spitting water into a dolphin’s mouth. It’s quite possibly the weirdest fountain ever. What did they smoke when they thought this was a good idea?
We managed to get to the night market in one piece. It was packed, as usual despite having only just opened at around 7pm. We walked in and the first things that we always head for are the food stalls. There are four long rows of stalls offering just about any cuisine you can think of. Korean fast food, Taiwanese fast food, Chinese dim sum on a stick, candied fruits, etc. Here’s a few photos so that you’ll have an idea of what is offered there.
A general idea of what it looks like
A popular favourite, potato that has been cut into a spiral and skewered on a stick before being deep fried in oil and dipped in your favourite flavours. The chart is there to helpfully suggest
what else you could do with their “Rotato”.
Deep fried cheesecake with strawberries.
The same place that deep fried your cheesecake also offered this Chuck Norris approved product.
One of the food stalls even offered roast pork hock!
In any case, one of other reasons why I go is for the socks. Yes, I know, socks are a dime a dozen anywhere but I really, really, really like Korean manufactured socks and I go every year to the night market to stock up on socks for the year. A lot of people make fun of me for it, but you know what… erm… I really, really like socks? I also love stationery, especially those manufactured in Korea. I’m a bit of an addict but I’m also a big fan of fine tips (as in pen tips). It’s mostly the Japanese and Korean brands that have manufactured pens with a 0.38mm tip. So here’s a photo of my swag.
Would you believe that I got all that for less than $30CAD in Vancouver (voted the most expensive place to live in Canada)?
On another note, I had a surprise when I ran into a close friend of mine. Turned out he was working at one of the booths selling Pandora-style charm bracelets for a friend of his. Seeing that they had a Canadian flag charm, I figured I might as well roll my sleeves and get a bit into the patriotic mood before I leave and get a bracelet made. After quite a bit of fussing about with which five charms I want, I finally made a decision and reached for my wallet.
“Put that away,” he told me and I stared at him.
“But… you’re broke!”
“That’s why I’m working here.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah, it’ll be a farewell gift from me to you.”
I gave him a really big hug afterwards and started tearing up right then and there. It was hard to say goodbye (for now) to him. I’m pretty sure I’ll be sporting this bracelet for longer than I originally thought I would.
Counting down: Four more days to take off.
~JGM
Canuck Across the Pond 