On Saturday, I entered some Black-and-White photos into the latest SteemitPhotoChallenge. The judges wanted to see "The Soul of the City", and they specifically requested B&W photographs. As soon as I saw the theme, I was inspired to share moments from my exploration of open-air markets in Asia, and I selected photos I'd taken in Myanmar (Burma), Vietnam, and Korea!
Then, 
Growing up in L.A., my family's kitchen was always replenished at the supermarket. Traveling to Asia, I absolutely fell in love with the HUGE open-air markets and bazaars where vendors would come to sell their vegetables, fruits, meats, prepared foods, and other goods. The incredible smells wafting through the air, changing at every stall... which also includes the occasional burst of an overpowering fishy aroma. People buzzing about with a focused energy, haggling for a deal or merely catching up on the latest news and gossip since they last popped in for produce.
Travelers (like myself) undoubtedly make up part of the clientele, but make no mistake: these markets survive because of repeat business from people who live nearby... because unless you're growing and raising your own food, you can't get much more local than these markets:
Above you'll see a row of bulk spice & dried goods vendors inside the Bogyoke Aung San Market (ဗိုလ်ချုပ်အောင်ဆန်းဈေး) in Yangon, Myanmar (Burma). This area is especially known for its flavorful chile powders and medicinal turmeric.
Big thanks as always to
and 
for making the #SteemitPhotoChallenge happen! And thanks to 
for the awesome theme suggestion last week: "The Soul of the City."
All photos taken with my old iPhone! The shots from my Canon are nowhere to be found when I need them of course lol