Key words : laden chit-chat natives

A. Look at the picture and talk about it.

1. Can you guess what this could be?
2. Where do you think this place is?

B. Read the text and answer the questions.

It was Sunday. Mita, Zara, Jhuma Islam and Mazharul Islam woke up very early. They quickly got ready and started for Tha Kha floating market. They planned to have breakfast at the market. They reached the market place sharp at 7. The canals were surrounded with coconut palm trees. They hired a boat. The boatman started to row slowly taking them to the centre of the market.

There were boats everywhere. The sellers were mainly elderly Thai women. Their small boats were laden with bundles of lotus flowers, farm-fresh coconuts, fruits, vegetables, local food, and delicious sweets. The sellers and buyers rowed their boats slowly. The sellers displayed their goods for sale and the buyers chose their pick. They could have a little chit-chat as buying and selling was going on.

1. What kind of market was it?
2. Why did the boatman row slowly?
3. Who were selling goods? How were they selling their goods?
4. What were they selling?
5. What was the atmosphere at the market?

C. Read more about the Tha Kha river and Mita's experience.

The Tha Kha floating market is more traditional with a few tourists visiting than other floating markets. Originally, the Tha Kha floating market used to sit only six or seven days a month depending on the phase of the moon. Nowadays, the trade takes place on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays too. The main buyers here are the Tha Kha natives. People seem to know each other very well. Everyone was seen smiling and calling each other by name. The locals did not notice Mita and others much. They were all busy buying and selling.

D. True or false? If false give the correct information.

1. Tha Kha floating market is a tourist place.
2. It sits only six or seven days a month.
3. The buyers and sellers are the local people living near Tha Kha river.
4. They all knew each other.

E. Read the text further and write the answers to the following questions.

1. Why is Tha Kha floating market 'traditional'?
2. How many days a week does the market sit?
3. Why do you think people at the floating market know each other so well?

F. Read the text and answer the following questions.

They passed an hour and a half at the market and enjoyed the business. Then all of them were hungry. They rowed near the boat of an elderly woman, who was selling food. She welcomed them with a smile and showed them the foods. They bought the traditional and very popular food called 'Pad Thai', a kind of noodles with shrimps, tomato and some vegetables, with freshly roasted crushed peanut. The food was served in a bowl made from banana leaf. After Pad Thai, they ate 'Kanom Krok'. It is a coconut pancake which is very sweet.

The Tha Kha people are simple and easy going. They are very friendly and polite. They do not understand English or any other language. Yet they have a way to communicate with Mita and others.

Mita was delighted to see a traditional Thai floating market. She took a lot of pictures with the elderly sellers.

Questions

1. Who were hungry?
2. How did the elderly woman know that Mita and others want to buy food?
3. What does the phrase 'easy going' mean?

G. Discuss in groups the following question and write the answer.

Do we have anything like a Tha Kha market in our country? If we have, where can you find it? If we don't have, discuss why we need it.

H. Describe a nearby bazar/market in your locality by answering the following questions:

1. What is the market called? (give its name if there is any)How far is it from your home?
2. When does the market sit?
3. What can you buy at the market?
4. Do you like going to the market? Write why or why not.