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A unique shopping experience
by Irene C. Posted on January 22, 2012, Sunday
UNIQUE EXPERIENCE: Imagine doing your Sunday morning shopping under towering rubber trees.
WHAT is a vacation without a shopping spree or two?
In Perlis, visitors are spoilt for choices of both Malaysian and Thailand wares due to its close proximity to the Thai border. As the northern state is near the Songkla province, the retailers can speak both Thai and Malay since they have to cater to shoppers from both countries.
It was a bit startling and disorienting to witness a sweet-looking local shopkeeper,
wearing the traditional headscarf or tudong, greeting shoppers in Thai, and deftly switching to Malay when realising the customer is actually Malaysian. It’s easy to mistake a Chinese or those with pale skin and cat-shaped eyes as Thai nationals. Likewise, some of the Malaysian-Thai offspring.
With business dealings between the borders, inter-marriage is common, thus the population of Perlis includes Siamese. This is beneficial to the business community as the cultural mix creates a new special community conversant with both countries’ cultures and languages, thus strengthening bilateral relations.
Back to the shopping spree, the best place to experience the eclectic mix of Thai and Malaysia shopping is Padang Besar, a border town in the northern part of Perlis, and situated on the border with Songkhla province, 35km northeast of Kangar and about 70km southwest of Hat Yai.
Shopping paradise
Padang Besar is popular for purchasing items from both countries and is a bargain hunter’s heaven on earth for clothing, leather goods and household items. The bazaar there sells goods ranging from traditional to the high-end market. It is spread between a two-storey Padang Besar Arcade and a market-like area and opens from 9am to 6pm.
Another special shopping venue is the rubber plantation nat — or morning market — in the heart of a rubber plantation (as the name indicates) at Simpang Empat.
What you can get at the market are similar offerings from our Sunday market at Satok, except that it has a huge selection of second-hand or bundle goods. Incidentally, a public road runs through the plantation — so the market is on both sides of the road.
FOR KIDS: A vendor selling balloons for children.
Shoppers can even look at the ceramic cups at the bottom of the tree trunks, used to collect latex, and if lucky, a rubber seed or two can be spotted near the table or stall legs. Harmless red ants can also be seen crawling around the goods and trees.
Some stalls have canopies to keep out the morning sun while some just spread their wares on a piece of canvas on the ground. Shoppers have to rely on their sense of measurement or make calculated guesses when purchasing clothings as there isn’t a single changing room around. If the clothing fits, lucky you, or if not, then it would be money wasted, or your purchases would end up as giveaways.
There is a mind-boggling array of local products — cakes, fruit juices, fruits, vegetables, fish, pillows, headscarves, traditional medicines, costume jewelry, clothes, hardware, flower seedlings, toys, makeup kits, bags, nightwear, handicrafts and even underwear.
The racks of second-hand and bundle items are displayed under the shady trees. The items dangling from hangers and sandwiched between each other, waiting for the perusal of shoppers. These items are for those who want cheaper alternatives for the outdoors that are priced from as low as RM5 apiece. Some look barely used.
There are shirts, jeans, overalls, jackets, office shirts, khakis, and even winter wear for sale. However, the items are single pieces and must be properly checked for holes, working zips and missing buttons before purchase.
Makeshift kopi tiam
For those who are famished after shopping, they can have breakfast at makeshift coffeeshops while watching the crowds go by. There is even a vendor who makes umbrellas, swords and flowers out of bendable long balloons.
After spending time shopping and burning a hole in the pocket, it’s time to have a relaxing walk in the padi field where the locally produced Chinese movie Great Day was shot for last year’s Chinese New Year. It was directed by Chiu Keng Guan, senior manager of Astro Chinese Language Business.
Though there is no sign the padi field was used as a movie location, it would be a great topic to bring back home to friends and families.At the vast fields, feast your eyes on the padi stalks gyrating slowly in the breeze blowing in from nearby hills. The air is very fresh and cooling, perfect for flushing out the metropolitan air mixed with vehicle exhaust fumes and dust from factories and building construction sites.
The loud chirping of swallows could also be heard, but this was just an artificial bird call emanating from loud speakers in swiftlet houses dotting the padi fields. The birds slowly circle the house before settling in to build their nests. They are kept from demolishing the young padi husks with nets suspended above the stalks.
