It's noon at the Grand Fresh marketplace and I have been selling bananas for 4 hours. I give another pleading look to my boss and he finally signals me to take my lunch break. I merrily start my journey to the food stands. Finding one's way in this maze of stands can be a nightmare, this is the biggest marketplace in the country. However, after working here for five years, I know this place like my back pocket.

I make my way in between the endless rows of fruit and vegetable displays. The organisation of each stand is often a reflection of the vendor's personality. While some vendors have each fruit and vegetable neatly ordered by category and price, others simply throw their goods in bulk haphazardously on the table. A lot of the fruits and vegetables are out of season because they are imported. Moreover, it is almost impossible to find an imperfect-looking fruit or vegetable here. Whether you wish to buy apples, oranges or tomatoes, they all come in a standard size and a glossy finish. The fact is that the non-aesthetical ones are unsellable and we have to donate them to livestock farmers.

The merchants give me a quick wave. I return the gesture. It's a busy Saturday. The clients are going from stand to stand, trying to bargain with the sellers. In turn, the sellers justify higher prices due to 'scarcer crops than usual.' The irony is that every year the yields get more abundant and their shelves get larger. Nevertheless, the merchants always bring forward the argument of scarcer crops. I don't blame them though, they have to earn a living too.

Although the market is crammed with people, I know that only half of them are potential clients, the other half are bored children. The smaller kids follow their parents miserably, forbidden to play because of the risk of getting lost. The teenagers are absentmindedly walking, their eyes glued to a phone screen. Posting on social media is way more important than bringing food to the table. As for the parents, going to the marketplace is mostly a chore after an exhausting week of work. The only people who enjoy themselves here are the elderly. They take time to befriend the merchants and choose the best varieties. They are the only ones who manage to get discounts.

I pass by the flower stands. The sweet smell of roses, daisies and orchids drifts in the air. I buy a single rose, that is as much as I can afford. It's already 12:45 PM. I hasten my pace. There are hundreds of food stands in the marketplace and there is a myriad of choices, from noodle bowls to french cheese. But, I have only one stand in mind, the one where the girl I like works. After buying one of her mouth-watering sandwiches, I hand her the rose. She blushes. I glance at my watch, 13 PM! My boss will be furious if I'm late. I hurry back.