Eat Street

Sketches in ink – 2

Eat Street is the name of an open-air food market in Brisbane. We went there for early evening dinner. The place was teeming with consumers of this markedly consumer society. Numerous stalls were selling dishes from many different nationalities, and there were a few arts and crafts stalls. It seemed crass, basic, and somewhat lacking in the joie de vivre I have experienced at similar markets in Portugal.

While in search of the perfect kebab, I came across a woven cotton scarf I really liked. My body language and facial expressions must have improved, because a split-second after telling me the price, the seller knocked 25% off the total. I did not beat her down further because, apparently a refugee from Myanmar made it. I wore it for two minutes, as incongruous as a vest and short skirt made it look. The intense heat compelled me to take it off, roll it up tightly and stuff it into my very small handbag. I shall wear it in Lisbon in a fortnight’s time.

I found the perfect kebab, too.

© Allison Wright, 2015