Every Saturday morning, a traffic island in the Parap village becomes something more: Parap Markets. Explosions of colour and flavour ripple out from the food stalls, while the crafters showcase their market wares. At least a few Saturdays a month will find me at the Parap markets, chowing through my favourite morsels of (mostly) Asian goodies, washed down with icy cold fruit juice and a wander through the stalls. In terms of starting the weekend, it doesn’t get much better than this.
When I was 18, I wrote a 100-word story for an ABC writing competition. It was during a time in my life when my creative energies were very much focused on flash fiction, or micro fiction. A short time earlier I had been published in two small collections from the (now sadly defunct) 6S community, where six sentence stories poured in from across the globe. When asked to write a 100-word story with a ‘Territory twist’, I wrote about the Parap Markets:
“If you consumed the Parap Markets, I imagine it would taste like my childhood. It’s in the flavours of spicy beef curry that burnt delicious holes into plastic and tongues, until I felt Malaysia rush through my veins. And it’s in fights over fruit ice-cream to nourishing hot mouths, when sticky hands slipped to spoon in the last morsels of perfection. But it’s also be in the way I would secretly count as women skinned pineapples at speed and people around me chattered in all the dialects of the world, converging here on this small, safe corner of the planet.”
Just 100 words, but the Parap Markets perfectly summed up all the same.
Tips For A Better Parap Markets Visit
- Get there early! Parap Markets is 100% better earlier in the morning when the weather is cooler, and the crowds have not yet arrived. The market starts at 8am, so get there for then (or even a little earlier) to make sure you will have an opportunity to find a place to sit and enjoy the experience of the market moving around you.
- Don’t Eat Before! Whatever you do, don’t eat before visiting the Parap Markets! This place is absolutely overflowing with amazing food choices, and the last thing you want is to be full when you arrive. My recommendations include Malaysian laksa, lemongrass chicken satay, Thai sticky rice sweets, Cambodian savoury pancakes, cold brew coffee, ice-cold fruit juice, French crepes, and Lebanese food. Ok, that’s basically everything at the market, so more than one trip is certainly suggested!
- Go Shopping! Whether you’re looking for a present for a friend (or yourself), or for a new plant or some fresh local fruits and vegetables, Parap Markets delivers! Bring a shopping bag so you can easily move your purchases around, and really take the time to see what is on offer at the market.
No Comments