Battle Pathum Thani-Rangsit Open Air Weekend Market Seafood Stand is officially over – I win!

I confidently declare to the world that I have won the war that 2.5 months prior, I affectionately named: The Pathum Thani-Rangsit Night Open Air Weekend Market Seafood Stand Battle.

Every Thursday to Sunday night there is a weekend open air market that springs up in the parking lot of a strip mall near my apartment. It has an assortment of vendors selling a smorgasbord of Thai food, cheap clothing, and trinkets. When I’m not exploring Bangkok or some other city, you can be sure that I am stuffing my face here.

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When I first walked through the open air market approximately 2.5-3 months ago, I had noticed one particular stand that was manned by two females and one male. They had a wide array of fresh seafood (shrimp, squid, octopus, and soft shelled crab) on display along with vegetables, spices, and exotic Thai cooking liquids. I watched in amazement as they mixed the ingredients in an oversized mortar and pestle. The smells wafted towards me lingering in my nostrils that left a slight stinging sensation from the chili peppers and garlic.

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The first weekend, I watched at the corner of the stand. I observed Thai customers ordered in their native language or wrote their orders in Thai on scratch pieces of paper which they then handed to the chef’s. I looked at the food pictures dangling from the top of the pop up tent and tried to decipher the Thai language to no avail. I tried to copy the Thai language from the pictures onto scratch paper and that definitely didn’t work. At one point, I tried to talk with one of the chef’s and she ignored me only to speak directly with a Thai customer standing nearby.

I religiously visited the stand most every weekend, edging my way through the crowd waiting to see if they would take my order or hoping someone might have mercy on me and try to help me. Every once in a while I would test the chef’s by pointing to pictures and talking in broken English that I wanted what was on the picture. Still they ignored me, turned to another customer, or stared at me.

What they didn’t understand is that I had declared war on them after three weekends of repeated denials. I had dedicated myself to implementing a battle strategy that employed techniques based in love, perseverance, and not becoming angry or resentful. After serious contemplation, I came to the conclusion I would eat their food before I left their country.

I woke up this morning (Thursday-July 25th) thinking about my war with the food stand; excited by the prospect of entering into battle one more time that evening. My students energized me with their enthusiasm during class time. They were engaged, humorous, thoughtful, and gave me an opportunity to try out many different teaching techniques because of their propensity to grasp complex English concepts.

School ended and dark storm clouds moved across the sky hearkening another rainy night. But I was not going to be deterred. I knew the market was open rain or shine and I was ready. I arrived back at my apartment, took a short nap, changed into comfortable clothing, readied my umbrella, and set off determined to eat from the seafood stand.

Rain misted the area yet there was already a group of Thai’s surrounding the stand. I approached from the side trying to conceal my intent, wary they might see me before I could spring the order on them. I grabbed the food pictures from the top of the pop up tent and repeatedly pointed to the shrimp green papaya salad. I know what you’re thinking- Giuseppe that can’t be the best way to approach the situation. Trust me, I have tried many different well thought out subtle maneuvers (these didn’t work); I tried playing the part of the overly nice stupid looking American (that didn’t work); I tried asking for help (that definitely didn’t work); I tried standing there for extended periods of time (no response).

While pointing at the pictures, a young Thai female standing next to me smirked and one of the female chef’s looked at me devoid of any facial expressions. I again showed her the food picture and in a gentle voice said, “Sa Wat Dee Krap. I want this.” To my surprise she nodded her head up and down, did not say one word, then turned her back. What was happening, I thought to myself. I couldn’t tell if she said “Yes” or did the usual walk away. I looked around and asked if anyone spoke English at which point everyone in line shook their heads side to side. The Thai crowd seized on my indecision by moving around me and continued placing their orders on scratch paper. I waited, watched and noted the chef placed shrimp in a bowl along with the various ingredients (whole garlic, onions, basil, green and red chili peppers, fish sauce, lime, green tomatoes, red tomatoes, some other spices, salt, a little sugar, and green papaya).

My prior experience over the past several months watching them cook raised my hope that she might actually be preparing my food. The first chef then poured the bowl into the mortar and pestle and the other chef pounded, mixed, and ground the various ingredients together. Shortly thereafter, the shrimp green papaya salad was placed into a plastic bag and unceremoniously handed to me. Stunned, I handed the 90Baht over to her.

I had won and no shots were fired. Hell, to the yeah! Winner, Winner chicken dinner.

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I walked away with my trophy in hand. Instead of running back to my apartment to eat my prize, I decided to buy a feast to celebrate. I swaggered around the market buying all my favorite foods: grilled squid in spicy Thai sauce (40Baht), fried pork bits with chilis and crispy Thai basil (20Baht), grilled chicken breast (20Baht), banana filled rotee (crepes) for 35Baht, and two Thai chocolate wafer cookies (10Baht total). The total cost of my winning dinner was 195Baht ($5.90).

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I will never ever forget this day! And yes, the shrimp green papaya salad was amazing. I enjoyed every single bite.