The Market

A few weeks ago a group of us living and visiting at the guest house made a trip to the Petionville market to buy some clothes. So many colors, people, smells (you take the bad with the good), and sounds that one can be overwhelmed. All the merchants want you to buy their stuff so they try to entice you by saying you are beautiful and you'd look beautiful in their shirt.  I was rebuked when I tried to take a picture of a display of wares because I wasn't buying anything from this merchant. So, I tried but I didn't see a need for a single burner or more kitchen utensils.

As a Christmas gift this year all of our kids received money to buy an outfit for church, dress shoes, and tennis shoes. I made a trip to a different market with our girls, some visitors, and a few of our staff to purchase their items. Amidst the singing Christmas tree lights, we moved from vendor to vendor to find the right shirt, skirt, jeans, or shoes. Fritz, one of our awesome Haitian staff members, was in charge of the money. I quickly realized that either these girls don't know how to barter or are so desperate to get what they have picked out that they are fine with the prices they are quoted. Each girl would desperately seek out Fritz to pay for their clothes or shoes, so that we could hear above the music playing and the crowds, "Fritz, Fritz, Fritz! Achte pou mwen (buy for me)! The merchants got in on the action too, pulling on his shirt and yelling his name. The girls often got mad and walked off in a huff when Fritz wouldn't buy their finds right away. Nevertheless, each kid made out with a bag full of nice clothes that made us look filthy in our clothes in comparison.

Petionville Market