Market Friday: bringing my dead electric kettle to Verasu.

I had been wondering how long the old electric kettle could go on working after years in my service. I bought it almost ten years ago at Verasu, an old shop started in Chinatown. It was one of the first shop which imported electrical household appliances and gadgets from Europe about a hundred years ago. I only discovered this shop when I came back to my country after years of studying overseas.

I first discovered this shop during my bus journey around Bangkok. The shop I saw was in Wireless road which was the hub of several important embassies (about 22 embassies). This shop was very modetn and spacious unlike the original shop in Chinatown. Most famous shops with imported goods were mostly founded by the first or second generation of Chinese immigrants who settled down in Chinatown. The children of these immigrant families grew up in Siam where they learned to become more Thai and inherited the family businesses.

These second and third generations of Chinese descendants usually had all the best education they could find and most of smart youngsters would go to study abroad. So, they could become proficient in several languages and had a much wider perspective on life and business enterprises. Most of these shops imported goods to satisfy the demands of foreigners working at embassies, foreign banks and companies, and the rich local customers who used to live abroad.

So, new branches of the small original shops would be opened along New Road, Silom Road and Wireless Road. These roads used to be where local Thais could see Western people walking in black suits with hats and umbrellas. Western ladies would be in their long dresses with hats and high heels. Siamese people took a big leap from walking barefoot, shirtless men to wearing shirts, trousers, shoes and hats. They had learned about ice cream and ice makers, photography and cameras. Life during the reigns of Kings Rama V, VI and VII must have been quite a shock to most ordinary Siamese people.

The results of trying to adapt to Western culture and values have led to many new opportunities and positive changes. On the other hand, the tides of materialism and consumerism have become the norm among new generations. I did enjoy certain pleasures and decadence of the new cultural norms. I did search for shops with high quality goods from European countries and good coffee shops with high quality coffee beans. I found that Verasu became my favourite place for shopping and enjoying coffee breaks.

The shop was quite small with two levels of goods and one floor for restaurant. There were two coffee corners in Verasu. The restaurant on the third floor used to be my meeting place with old friends before the plandemic. The coffee shop served several snacks and delicious cakes, including organic bread. The quality of food was impressive comparing with other more pricey shops. I often had my double choc cake and cappuccino after my shopping session.

Luckily, I had bought all my electrical appliances there when the prices were much lower especially during the annual sale years ago. I couldn’t afford to buy any new items at the current prices. Inflation after the plandemic and higer costs of petrol had taken their toll on businesses. Consumers couldn’t keep up with the rising costs of livings and they stopped spending as usual, so many shops had to close down. I was quite afraid that Verasu would have to close too as I couldn’t see how the shop could remain open without many customers.

The old electric kettle (made in Germany) went dead a few days after I had an inkling of how long it would last. This forced me to make a trip to Verasu on Wireless Road. The repair section of the shop always did a very good job at very reasonable cost, I had a few gadgets repaired there in the past. I went there by bus as I anticipated traffic jam during late afternoon on my return journey. The walk from the bus stop gave me a chance to enjoy the old trees in Wireless Road and take some photos.

Walking inside Verasu, I was surprised by the lastest renovation which started over a year ago. I stopped going to this shop during the renovation as I didn’t find it comfortable to walk around. The shop looked much more spacious as the old displays had been redesigned. It seemed there were less merchandises and some items were discontinued. I went to the coffee shop to greet my old friend who always gave me and my friend extra hot water for the teapot. But my old friend at the coffee shop was gone.

A lady vendor recognised me and asked me why I had disappeared for almost a year. I told her mt reason and asked about a three old staff who I used to know very well. She told me the staff at the coffee shop were at another branch while the old lady with bob haircut was on vacation. I had a good browse of the new items with very expensive price tags. Middle class customers would have to think twice before buying a new item. It would be wiser to get some Botcoin or gold bar and sell them at profitable prices. Then the gains could be spent on luxurious items.

I went up to the restaurant to see the friendly manager. Again, only young staff were looking after customers. I asked if the other manager was still working there. The young staff told me she took a day off. So, next time when I had to collect my kettle, I should drop by the restaurant again. I noted that the price of apple pie had gone up 30%, though the portion looked bigger. Overall prices of coffee and cakes had gone up about 30% since the plandemic. Life and businesses are having a tough time.

The failure of meeting old friends had saddened me and wiped out my desire for cakes or coffee. The new young staff were too eager to ‘sell’ instead of allowing the willingness or inclination to stop for a hot drink. They were like robots being efficient in making coffee but their conversations were dry and metallic. The human sentiments and warmth were zero among the new genre of efficient workers. People are being trained to be steely efficient like unfeeling robots who didn’t have the art of conversations.

Thai people have become coffee drinkers and expensive coffee machines have become popular among the wealthy class. Big grilling sets have also become a new status symbols for those with holiday houses by the sea. Thai people have become meat and beef eaters so their health had suffered as a consequence of abandoning the traditional diet of fresh vegetables and grilled fish. Traditional Thai sweets had been taken over by cakes and bakeries. This shop had free baking classes and a whole section on baking utensils. I was one cake addict myself but I still didn’t know how to bake my own cakes. One of these days, I would have to learn to make some simple Thai sweets and a nice apple or fruit pie for myself.

Wishing you peace, good health and prosperity.

Stay strong and cheerful.

#marketfriday hosted by @dswigle.