Hello Friends!
I love to people watch. Love it, love it, love it. I find beauty in all people and feel that everyone has a story. A great place to people watch is the Laney College Flea Market in Oakland.
When I first moved to the East Bay my then boyfriend (and now husband, aka: Mr. Other Half) and I would go there. I loved it! Back then (ten years ago -gulp!-) it was small in size and a true flea market in that the items sold were primarily used/antique items. Over the years it has gotten larger and has developed into quite an attraction with both sellers selling used/antique-ish items and sellers selling new things. Parking is difficult to find if you get there later than 10:00 a.m. but totally manageable and definitely worth the hassle. Again, because it's all about people watching for me.
I love to sit down and have a pupusa (best described as thick tortillas stuffed with beans or beans and cheese) and watch people walk by with their new-to-them purchased goods. It's like a United Nations of flea market attendees. I wish I had more courage to ask people to let me photograph them. So many intriguing faces and clothing. So incredibly beautiful.
This past Sunday, my family and I went to Laney College Flea Market and unlike previous visits, this time I brought my camera. I was tempted to bring my film camera but opted not to since the manual focus requires a little more time and attention. My three year old likes his independence a bit too much and I had nightmarish visions of my child running off to do his thing while I tried to get "the shot". Yeah, so digital it was!
Here are a few images from our outing.
Such pretty colors in the fruit and veggie stalls found on the periphery of the flea market grounds.
Fancy a massage?
The woven colors in this woolen coat caught my eye. I feel the need to craft something in these colors and shapes!
My youngest knew exactly what he wanted to drink when we stopped for pupusas.
The lady who runs the food stall agreed to let me take photos of the pupusas and insisted I also take a photo of her because it's her stall after all! She was very kind and proud, which she should be because the pupusas we enjoyed were delicious indeed!
I was intrigued by this couple we kept crossing paths with in the flea market. I really liked everything about them-- their clothing, their faces, the melodic language they spoke, but especially the regal way they carried themselves. They both had a subtle natural elegance to their movements that I found fascinating and beautiful.
If you happen to have a few free hours on a Sunday and are near Oakland, give Laney College Flea Market a chance. You won't regret it. It's a great place to people watch and to meet people. I've met people (usually sellers) from Uzbekistan to El Salvador. If you go with little ones make sure you take a stroller to give yourself and the child/children a break from all the walking.
Where is your favorite place to people watch?
Until next time!
--Carolina
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