You can get anything you want . . .



Monday is tiangues day. Everyone heads to Armeria for the weekly street market. This is where I usually buy all my fruits and vegetables for the coming week, plus things like garlic, beans, shrimp, perhaps a chicken if they look good (cleaned but not dressed). There is a big new and used clothing section here, too, plus tools, plants (no oregano today), music CDs and DVDs (pirated and not always compatible with US-made machines), needlework supplies, and underwear. These colorful, perky little goodies are all laid out on tables for the admiration of the passing crowd. They appear to be all the same size and shape. Here is the chicken man who elegantly chops, slices, hacks and generally "orchestrates" his preparation of chickens. Chicken feet are in great demand for the gelatinous quality they provide for soups.

Those of us who love this weekly treat are concerned that the two big super mercados that have moved into Tecoman, La Bodega and Sorianas are going to kill this way of shopping. True, those who shop at the tiangues are usually folk who do not have cars and cannot get to the other markets. But the scarcity of fruit/veggie stalls (there are now about 6 where there used to be at least a dozen) does not bode well for this tradition. Perhaps they've all gone to Talpa to worship the Virgin and will be back next week.