A chaotic Saturday

 If you have doubts about visiting the local markets the hospitality of people will change your mind. How sellers would  address and make me feel comfortable  like I have known them my entire life made me see local markets differently and gave me the feeling of home. When I visited the local market in Gjilan  I entered the nostalgic and chaotic world of the local markets , where you could smell the fresh aroma of the fruits and vegetables and you could hear sellers shouting to grab the attention of the customers.

Even someone as me who clearly looked like someone who is not going to buy something they made me feel welcomed and not as an outsider. The sellers would inform me in details about the products which made me feel assured because for the first time in my life I knew exactly what I was buying, even if it was just fruits and vegetables. What really made an impression on me was that they did not have a strict return policy which is great because I always  forget to return products that I don’t like because the return policy is very short.

The other two things that were very impressive were the clean and organised environment and the diversification of the products.

Before entering the local market there was the parking lot for cars which was considerable in size and had free spots even in the busiest day of the week  and that made me happy because I get frustrated when I cant find a free spot to park the car. As I entered the market I noticed that it was very easy to navigate because there were tables which oriented me in the sectors that I wanted to visit. The temperature was normal neither hot or cold due to the windows around the market which made it look sophisticated because in the past if you visited the local market in March you would freeze  but also from the way the stores and the products were lined up it gave me that nostalgic feeling when I visited the local market when I was a child.

What really impressed me was the diversification of different products. It had different sectors with a lot of production each and every one of them. As I entered from the main entry first I saw the textile sector which had many traditional clothes for men and mostly women and children .If you are planing to get married this summer you should definitely visit because you can find all the traditional clothes for brides. It also had everyday clothes for adults and kids and they were affordable so if you are planning to save money you should give it a try, you might find some hidden gems  and make your wardrobe more interesting.

Overall it was a great experience because I got to experience the local market in a more sophisticated and modern condition but also in a chaotic atmosphere because it was the busiest day of the week but in the meantime also felt nostalgic because I remembered the times when I used to visit it with my grandparents, so in a way it was a trip down memory lane.

                                           Enesë Grabovci