Published via Ecency

Hello, my lovely friends! It's me again tonight at 10:43 PM. After a hectic day, I picked up my phone and started writing this article to share my thoughts and feelings with you all.
Of course, as a street food vendor selling authentic Thai food, my greatest dream and ambition is to make Thai cuisine known and to let tourists from all over the world experience its unique flavors.

A New Day, and the Kitchen Challenge Begins!
The day started like any other. My mother and I worked together in the kitchen, preparing our best dishes, with several assistants joining in this morning. We spent about 2-3 hours stirring the pot, simmering rich curries, until nearly 30 flavorful Thai dishes were ready to be served. Then it was time to transport all the food to Pantip Market on Koh Phangan, my prime location and main sales point.
Today, we opened our shop and were ready to welcome customers from 10:00 AM, a perfect time to prepare for lunch for tourists of various nationalities and locals alike. Because we were racing against time and wanted everything to be perfect, we were initially tired and exhausted. But that's just physical fatigue; a short break to rest and take deep breaths helped us recover. Once the customers started arriving at lunchtime, our spirits were instantly lifted!

The Red Carpet Idea and the Afternoon Silence
But after the hectic lunchtime, the atmosphere in the market unexpectedly changed. It became noticeably quieter, with fewer locals and foreigners around. At times, the market was practically just the vendors sitting and staring at each other. With so much free time and nothing to do or plan, I came up with a fun idea: to lay down a red carpet in front of my shop.
The red carpet installation wasn't complicated; it simply added a touch of color, attracting attention and making the shop look more prominent. Most importantly, it was a heartwarming gesture that greatly revitalized me as a vendor. With the added color in front of the shop, my husband and I readily greet tourists with sweet smiles and invite them to try our delicious Thai food as they walk by.

🌶️ Diverse Flavors and the Struggles of Food Vendors
Some people walk in, try a dish, like it, and order it right away, or take some home in a box. But others may not find it to their liking; some say it's too spicy, some say it's too sweet, or some find the taste unfamiliar. But for me, I'm very happy and proud that at least those tourists have opened their minds to try Thai food, even if some just tried it and then went shopping in the market before coming back to us in the evening.
As night fell, customers started to trickle in again, but it wasn't as crowded as usual. Today was quite a quiet day, both in terms of weather and sales. This meant I had to put in much more effort and patience than usual, because deep down, I was afraid that a lot of the almost 30 dishes I had prepared would be left over, which would affect the shop and mean a loss.

But as long as the market isn't closed, my husband and I will continue to stand by each other, calling out and inviting tourists passing by without giving up. Today might be a bit quiet, but the heart of this food vendor is still full of hope and ready to fight again every day.
Thank you to everyone who has read this far. I hope you all have a good night's sleep and sweet dreams tonight. Let's cheer me on and support me again tomorrow. Goodbye. This food vendor is going to rest now. 😴🌙