My favourite market places

     I have been shopping at some of the most expensive high-end shopping cities in the world as well as the lower end. These days, I am no longer attracted to those high-end fashionable stuff that are not too practical. I strongly believe this has to do with the fact that I am growing old and my current life style has changed to more "down to earth" than ever. However, since I am not willing to settle for second best, my challenge now is to find good qualities stuff at lower prices.
     So follow me and I will recommend you to those shopping places that might be at the lower-end but if you are lucky, you will find really good stuff at reasonable prices!

XiangYang Market

XiangYang market was one of my favourite places in Shanghai but is now closed!

Ben Thanh Market

Ben Thanh Market in Ho Chi Minh City is a great place for sandals, bags and souvenirs. I have been there numerous times, great for shopping but do not expect good service. They make you feel obligated to buy if you ask for prices. So, do not speak unless you really want to buy. Otherwise, you hear them talking in Vietnamese that sounds like this: #%$*^(&6!!.

Causeway Bay Night Market

Lately in Hong Kong, I do not suggest anyone going to "女人街 ", just go straight to "花园街" night market. They sell almost the same things but you get better service from the local people than those experienced foreign workers that can speak Cantonese but with the worst attitude that you can ever imagine. If you think Vietnamese talking #%$*^(&6!!. is bad then you should listen to how the foreign workers swear at you in Cantonese that goes like this: TMD扑街&^$^%#**)_)(^($扑街72)&(^*!!死未，八婆！

Nambo

In Osaka, besides Nanbo, Senichimai is my all-time favourite place to shop. This interesting shopping alley sell electronics, fashions and food. Don't forget to try the Tako-yaki, pizza and the seafood baked rice at the food alley.
In Japan, Tokyo especially, nothing is cheap and all prices are fixed, you must get ready to burn a hole in your pocket.

Kyoto

Kyoto is more of a traditional city but you can still do some shopping for souvenirs besides sightseeing. Please bring your camera to capture the memorable scenery of  many traditional houses and temples.

Semong Shizhang

If Singapore is my second home then South Korea is my third. I cannot speak the language very well but I can get by. I have been to about 10 cities in Korea, Daegu is the city that I like best. Shopping at "Semong shizhang" as seen in the picture is in my agenda whenever I visit the city. There are modern and traditional items suitable for all ages such as fashions, shoes, handbags, accessories, household items and food. You can also find dried and fresh fruits, vegetables and seafood at the wet market. Oh man...I think the only thing that you cannot find in this market is the "wooden box". (Can you guess?)

Bali, Indonesia is an ideal place shopping for wood carvings and Batiks but mind you though, they can be quite expensive at selected shops at the mall but at least you know for a fact that you did not pay machine printed batiks for the price of the handmade. So for good batiks, I will go to a renowned shop but for small wood carvings and souvenirs, I prefer Ubud Art Market. It starts at 0800 to 1800 everyday.

Bugis Market

Singapore is a shopping paradise! You can shop from low end to high end fashions, from one street to another, all in one city. Bugis Street is my favourite place in Singapore for food and sightseeing. Seriously, I do not really shop in Singapore but I enjoy going to Bugis street because there are a lot of interesting people and things to look at, indeed.

New Delhi

I have gone to New Delhi, India in June, 2009 for a weekend getaway shopping. If you are interested in gemstones and Pashmina...you go girl. I am sure you can shop till you are broke because I did, luckily, I have a return ticket to get home!

RaoHe Night Market

Taipei, Taiwan is one hell of city to shop and eat. Taipei is definitely on the top of my suggestion list to go shopping for any kind of goodies except that you can't bargain too much since the prices are already reasonably good and they do not marked-up their prices like the other cities such as in Thailand, Vietnam, China and India. Also, do not miss any chance to try all kinds of snacks you can find at the night market. I usually started eating from the beginning of the alley, but got so full before I reached half way through it that I did not managed to cover all varieties. So be smart, be selective but also be adventurous at the same time, dare to try them all if you can or else you will regret for not listening to me.

Bangkok in Thailand is also an awesome city to shop especially at the Chatuchak Weekend Market which is possibly one of the biggest and most famous shopping market in the world. Beware of pick pockets at the market place because the place is swamped with people at any time of the day. Thai are generally very friendly people so do not be afraid to haggle prices with them. At least, I do not think they will swear if you do not buy.

Chatuchak Weekend Market

LuoHe

At LuoHu in ShenZhen, China is not a bad place to shop so long as you know how to haggle prices at least 50% off the tagged price. If you do not like the hassle to haggle or you are bad in doing so then I will suggest that you shop at departmental stores where prices are fixed. As for me, I enjoy doing so because getting a good bargain is the way to reach maximun satisfaction in shopping. I found lots of knockouts in this shopping mall at good qualities and prices, so much so that I was tempted to order shipments to ship the goods back and start my own little business. Ha...just a thought but no action. How I wish someone would hire me as a buyer!