When conducting research one must be prepared to get out of one’s comfort zone in order to get data that may be essential for one’s study. On the morning of the 1st of May the group in charge of the Fresh Food Value Chain woke up really early in order to conduct observations in two different markets around the town of Labuan Bajo. Two students woke up at 4am to go to the fresh fruits and vegetables market while the other two woke up at 4.30 to go to the local fish market. For the first time we didn’t mind the very loud “call to prayer” from the Mosque next door that will go every morning at 4.30am, for what would seem an endless 10 to 15 minutes, and which would disturb us from our much needed beauty sleeps.
So why was it essential for us to do observations around this time of the day and not any another time you may ask. The answer is very simple; it is at this time of the day that the farmers bring their fresh fruits and vegetables, grown in other towns, to the market of Labuan Bajo. It is also around this time that the fishermen sail with their boats to the dock of the fish market to bring the freshly caught fish from the night before, where these will be bought by intermediaries to be sold further to restaurants and/or hotels.
Speaking further of “getting out of one’s comfort zone” we must also mention tolerating the oh-so-pleasant smell around the fish market – and I’ve been to other fish markets before in my life. However, the smell of waste and rotten fish together will, most definitely, stick with us for quite some time. I mean, everything for a first-hand authentic experience, right? It is not every day you get to experience how local people start their day and get to know the insights of local markets. So waking up at 4am and smelling rotten fish for a few hours are only minor things when one can experience such beautiful landscapes in the morning with the friendliest local people one will meet.
Written by: Eunice Semeleer
