Raw Material Preparation Mission: Revitalize Our Shop

Hello, my lovely friends

After having to temporarily close our shop for several days so I could care for my mother, who was not feeling well, I can say that I'm feeling much relieved now. My mother's condition has improved so much that she's starting to get back on track. My husband and I enthusiastically decided to reopen our shop this morning. Resuming our normal routine while caring for our mother has been a truly energizing challenge.

Trang Old Market: Lessons from Being Late

Yesterday evening, we set out on a major raw material procurement mission to prepare the shop for a bustling return. This journey began with our trusty pickup truck heading to Trang Market, an old market and a center for a wide variety of raw materials located next to the train station.

When I arrived at the market, the evening atmosphere was still bustling, but I quickly realized an important lesson. I began exploring, taking photos, and carefully purchasing items from my list. However, it seemed that many of the ingredients I needed weren't as readily available as I had hoped. The vendors told me that the most comprehensive and complete inventory was only available in the early morning. This was crucial information I had to keep in mind: if you want a full range of ingredients at this market, you need to arrive early.

We started in the nearest section, with eggs and onions, followed by wide noodles for various noodle dishes. Then we moved on to the fresh vegetables and fruits section, which had everything the market lacked. I picked up plump carrots, fresh mushrooms, spring onions, coriander, and a few fresh fruits. We didn't hesitate to head to the meat section to stock up on protein, including pork and chicken. Once we were done, it was time to explore the frozen section, which was full of options. I picked up frozen strawberries and mixed vegetable seeds for side dishes or smoothies.

Next to frozen items is the beverage and supplement section. I picked up orange juice, frozen strawberries, and various types of cherries to garnish or mix into drinks. And of course, fresh milk, which is also available in this section.

Although not complete, we still managed to get a fair amount of essential ingredients. We started at a dry goods store to stock up on various seasonings. Then we went to choose fresh vegetables like kale, Chinese kale, long beans, and of course, some beautiful limes. After checking the items we had, it was time to change the battlefield.

Makro: The One-Stop-Shop

From the old market, we drove straight to Makro, a vast warehouse of ingredients that guaranteed to be fully stocked. As soon as we entered the mall, I quickly grabbed my camera and captured the impressive sights before pushing my large cart towards our first designated area.

The almost-final zone is the dry goods and household goods section, where you'll find basic supplies like rice, vegetable oil, and other essentials. And then we come to the final, most important zone for our shop: the beverage and coffee section. I purchased coffee powder, coffee beans, condensed milk, and honey, completing this ingredient shopping spree perfectly.

When everything was finished, we headed to the checkout counter. While my husband was calculating the bill, I noticed that the ice cream stall was still selling ice cream. We couldn't resist celebrating this small achievement by ordering a cone each for just 8 baht. After paying, we pushed the cart out of the mall and began unloading all the ingredients we'd purchased into the back of our pickup truck. It was a difficult but exciting process! Before driving back to the store, I didn't forget to take another photo of this success as proof! Shopping for today's opening. I hope you enjoyed the atmosphere and the ingredients we prepared today to welcome the reopening.

For today, I must say goodbye to prepping the shop. See you in the next update. 🥰😘❤️🙏🏻.