I ran into my friend, Jacob Woods and I showed him this picture last Sunday. We met in a group two weeks ago in East Central University and now we are friends. We were discussing about our own cultures as he is from the States and I am an international student from Malaysia. This picture is taken by my dad when I was in the 6th grade. I could not really remember where this picture is taken when I showed it to him from my laptop.
Obviously, it is a picture taken beside the street and there are Asian people selling food and buying food. The words are like symbols for Jake and he could not understand what it means. However, we can see the street-sided food stalls are crowded and people are busy selling food. The lady on the right, wearing a black apron, is preparing the squids. The grilled squids and octopus legs are kebab and they look so delicious. They are also selling fried shrimps in the lower right corner of the picture. I told him that the seafood taste good and you will want to try one if you have the chance to go there one day. When he first saw this photo, he thought it was taken in Malaysia and I said no then I made him guess again. He said, “China? Japan?” I was laughing because all Asian places seem to be alike for him. I told him that it was taken in Hong Kong. He thought that they were friends or family because Asians looked a like for him. Well, I used to travel to Hong Kong every year because I have relatives that live in Hong Kong. Anyway, this is a picture that my dad took when we went to Hong Kong travelling and visiting our relatives.
The $175 advertisement in the corner caught his attention. He told me that the advertisement price is so expensive because there is $175 sign advertisement with a guy below. He has no clue but assuming that it might be a male model advertisement. I told him that the dollar sign is not in America dollar but in Hong Kong Dollar. It doesn’t seem to be that much because one U.S. dollar = 7.75 Hong Kong dollars. From this picture, we can see a dirty and crowded environment. The food is sold openly beside the road and they don’t wear mask when they are preparing the food. Also, they hung plastic bags on the wall behind the lady on the left and the man next to her. These plastic bags might be their belongings or food which seems to be so unpleasant hanging on the wall where the public can see. Asian people are busy doing street-sided food business and they don’t seem to enjoy the work because they look serious and they don’t smile while working. They probably are not smiling because they couldn’t find a better job and they have to work hard to cover their family’s expenses. The man standing in the center seems to be doing nothing, but watching towards the crowd. He might be the boss of the food stall as he is not helping sell the food. The picture is taken at night and it’s not winter time. There are bulbs providing some light to the food and the people in the picture are mostly wearing t-shirts. After exploring my photos, we both start looking at his photos that he has taken in Oklahoma which is so much fun.
After we finished watching and discussing the photos, I went back to my room and start doing my paper. I was told to pick a personal photo and describe it using closure and context. I picked this picture because I start recalling the people and the place of where I went in this picture. This picture was taken when I was 12 years old and that’s the only time I went to Hong Kong with my dad, but without my mom. She couldn’t make it because she had to work at home and ended up only two of us went on the plane. The lady on the right selling the seafood is named Jia Qi and she is 40 years old when the picture was taken. I used to help her sell the food when I go visit her. Her grilled squids are so tasty and I always miss it when I go back home to Malaysia. She is hardworking and she works all the time because she wants her son to have a better education. She helps her husband during the night time and in the morning she goes to the supermarket to work as a cashier. She brings me some Hong Kong’s bags and shirts every time I go to visit her. She used to be one of my best friends as I always go to see her when I go to Hong Kong. Unfortunately, my parents are always busy with their business so we don’t travel a lot and I haven’t met her since 2000.
The man stand next to him is her husband and also the boss of the food stall. He is a hardworking man too but he looks fierce sometimes. I think he is having a break and looking towards the crowd because he is usually busy selling the food all the time. The lady standing next to her husband is her sister, Jia Yun. They are not rich so they work really hard to cover family expenses and save money for their children to have a better education. This is a family business and they work everyday from 4:00 pm till midnight along the Temple Street. Temple Street is a short street in the middle of Kowloon, three blocks away from Nathan Road over Jordan Road. Temple Street Night Market is awash with rows of brightly light stalls hawking and it is one of the famous night market street in Hong Kong.
I recalled most of the things in the picture when I saw the orange advertisement hanging in front of the food stall the second time. It is so familiar at first and I remembered the place slowly. This picture is taken at the night market and is famous for its snacks and roadside dining, which serves local street cuisine. They sell a wide range of delicious local food. This grilled and fried food can be perfect for an intimate dinner. I used to go there and have dinner every night because the varieties are so attractive and you would want to have all of them. They are so delicious as well as cheap. All of these represent Hong Kong’s traditional and unique food culture.
The advertisement is about the food menu and the prices. They sell curry fish balls, spicy beef balls, mixed beef intestines, grilled squids and fried shrimps. These are the best for the tourists from all over the world and especially the locals. Oh the food – YUM! The food is kebab because it would be easier for anyone to just have it and when they are finished they can just throw it into the trash can. These markets extend for kilometers and kilometers – as far as the eyes can see and beyond. You can find almost everything from souvenirs to clothing (mostly off brand), toys and snack or dinner after shopping. The $175 is about a gym advertisement, and the guy in the poster is one of the Hong Kong famous actors, Aaron, Kwok Fu-Sing. He has a fit body and he is so famous in Hong Kong so they paid him for using his photo to advertise. They are advertising the Gym, $175 per person, per month. Behind the advertisement poster, it is a Woman’s Fashion Shop. They mainly have items like women’s tops and blouses, dresses and jewelry. The items are all very cheap and nice. The roadside market is really great for inexpensive clothing, accessories, domestic goods, and food!! They are crowded with people even at midnight and there are music and colors everywhere.
It’s an amazing place and I love spending my time to have a walk in the night market.
This is my first english essay paper... lol!!
I make up some stories in the essay to make it easier for me to start my paper..
So not good in writing!
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