My day starts at 5:00 AM while the city/town is still asleep. The streets are quiet, but my kitchen is already busy. I cook, wash, chop, and pack everything I’ll sell. Every skewer, every sauce, every small bag has to be ready before sunrise. If I’m late, I miss the morning crowd and that means fewer sales.
By 6:00 AM I’m pushing my cart out. The wheels are heavy and the air is still cold. I choose my spot carefully — near schools, offices, or the public market where people rush past with coins in their hands. “Fresh and hot!” I call out with a smile, even when I’m still half asleep.
The morning rush is fast. Students buy a few pieces before class starts. Workers grab something warm to eat with their coffee. I count change, wrap orders, and shout my sales pitch again. My back aches from standing, and my hands smell like oil and vinegar all day. But when a customer says, “Thank you, that was delicious,” the tiredness feels lighter.
Afternoon slows down. I find a bit of shade, rest my feet for five minutes, drink water, and refill my stock. The heat from the pan and from the sun can be intense. If it rains, I have to cover everything with plastic. No customers come when it pours. On good days, kids crowd around my cart after school and I’m busy again until evening.
I head home around 6 PM, sore and exhausted, but with cash in my pocket. I count my earnings, set aside money for tomorrow’s supplies, for food, and for bills. I clean my cart, prep for the next day, and sleep early.
It’s hard work. There’s no air conditioning, no fixed salary, no paid leave. But I’m my own boss. Every peso I earn is honest. And every day, I’m building something — one sale, one customer, one sunrise at a time.. and that's is my daily routine in life
