One Last Trip to the Market

On the Thursday before we left we squeezed in a quick trip to the market for some last minute souvenir and gift shopping. As usual we took the micro-bus and used the "Kennedy overpass" to get to the right side of the road.

Maintenance on the overpass is slack and this thin spot in the metal deck  right here is going to send someone falling through to the street soon! We should alert the safety inspector in Siantar! 

Unlike previous visits when we were in search of food, this trip took us to the fabric section. It smelled a lot better than the chicken, pork or fish areas. The downside was it is tucked away in a maze of little shops upstairs and there is no air circulation at all. If you need thread of any color, this shop is the place to be.

We felt welcome as we walked through. It was definitely a slow business day. Of course we're quite a sight where ever we go in Siantar. Sort of like the white elephants on parade. 

This is the sister of Andi, a Nommensen friend of ours. Her shop could fit in the free throw lane of a basketball court, and was jammed with literally thousands of fabric products. Most of them are the Batak traditional ulos.

Jacob had his heart set on a black ulos to go with the hats Andi gave to us. This one met Jacob's approval, and features intricate stitching and a nice contrasting color scheme. As you can see in the picture, it is very different from the rest of the ulos. 

Local people tend to carry things balanced on their heads, even in very tight quarters. The students all used backpacks for their educational materials, however, and  did not balance them on their heads.

Nancy got into the shopping mode and we all helped her pick out this beautiful blue number, consisting of an ulos and a matching wrap around skirt, a sarong. Despite the sweaty environment, Nancy toughed it out and gave the outfit a full modeling. 

The ulos includes some incredible detail and tassels at each end.

There are many ways to wear the ulos and Ester modeled one option.

Jacob also wanted some palm sugar (dark brown sugar compressed into a large disc) and after tracking that down we headed off in the micro-bus. We said goodbye to Ester and continued past the Ramayana towards the Miss Khim's English Course for our next teaching gig.

Our driver was working on his cool image, with the backward ball cap, dangling cigarette and tight t-shirt. He "horned" a proper amount and we appreciated the fact that he didn't bother to actually pick up anybody else.