Flea Market Wits

Photos: Flea market stalls and finds

I woke up last Saturday with such high expectations, focusing mostly on bargain hunting. It is our city's Bachgassengest (flea market) after all. This is only the second time that I would be visiting because we were always away on a holiday during this event. Not this time, hah!

I promised the kids that they would get their shopping allowances for the day. MC refused, but the youngest, IC, accepted her money-filled wallet. Proudly pocketing it and keeping her hand on it the whole time. (Papa told her to be careful).

Here's what we found:
- Belly dancers in front of the middle east stall. I fell in love with the belt shawl but the only color left is red, nah!
- freebies for kids: endless carousel rides, face painting, hair painting, hair tattooing, toys and sweets all over
- freebies for adults: hair painting, hair cuts, facial treatments, and massage
- loads of second hand children's toys and clothes, esp dolls
- half a dozen stalls selling paintings, home made decors and artifacts
- a dozen food stalls and cake corners and beer booths
- too many waffle stands
- our own opa and oma

Oh we gladly participated in what I term as treasure hunting -- because there are really not so much to bargain for. Disappointing, really. But the kids got their kick because for the first time, they let loose with shopping. Though they had to follow the rules: If the things are dirty, a no-no. If the price exceeds their budget, a bigger no-no. IC got a Barbie doll and a Barbie dress. MC got a Barbie princess. IC got a rag doll, MC got Click Its. Both kids decided to share a set of mini furnitures for their doll house. MC found a pair of princess gloves, IC found pails and a shovel. I got both kids two pairs of second hand pants and I grabbed a real new 'Englisch für Kinder' table game. And the kids won a cup in a raffle. That's that. I was visualizing myself complaining because of my heavy purchases, but at the end of the day, it was the kids who were doing the complaining with their heavy purchases.

Our stomaches were full, too. Gourmet lunch courtesy of the group of Gourmet Chefs; cakes from the Protestant Social Station; beer from the local brewery, waffles from the local DLRG club, and cubes of sugar taken from cafes which the kids stuffed themselves with like candies!

The real winner was our opa. He deserves a standing ovation with his word sorties in the short time that we stayed on their side.

Standing in front of one of the flea market stalls, where MC wanted to buy one of the Barbie's, 'he said in his very loud voice (he's wearing hearing aids already) 'no-no, I am not going to buy these old, used craps for my grandkids.' My husband took off so fast, I had to laugh! MC got her Barbie Rapunzel, though.

And the second one was while watching the belly dancers saying 'Wow, look at that bulging bellies.' Of course, everyone, including the dancers heard him, too. Okay, all of us had to take off urgently with that.

Then again when we were all sitting in the Gourmet Cafe, sharing a table with two young men -- an array of young and charming ladies kept on coming to them and chatting them up. And our opa cant resist, 'aha, and where are you getting these collection of young women from?' Oh yeah, do we go under our table or cover our faces with our paper plates? We just pretended we didnt hear him, as if!

Therein I found my real treasure of the day, opa's wits!