Bandar Seri Begawan - The fasting month is an opportune time for people to earn a little extra income by taking advantage of the products that are in demand during Ramadhan.
All over the country, food stalls are seen set up by the roadside in the hopes of luring passing motorists to purchase the foods and drinks on sale.
Families, from young children to senior citizens, can be seen sitting under the canvas roof while waiting patiently as the cars go whizzing by, hoping that their display of food and beverage items will attract customers to stop and buy something.
"It gets really busy when people start coming home from work," said Firdaus Mohd Alif. The 24-year-old from Kg Tungku explained that most of his customers stop by on their way home before breaking their fast.
"Some of them do not have time to go to the pasar malam or the (Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium) so they just buy their food here since it is on their way home," he added.
One family in Kg Jerudong recently set up their own stall in light of the fasting month. The stall is tended to by relatives each selling their homemade wares collectively, showcasing a wider array of goods to attract the public to the stall. Satay, cendol, roti john and noodles were among the items on sale at the food stall.
One of the vendors, Suriani Hj Abdurahman, said that there were several advantages to selling by the roadside, instead of setting a stall at a food market. She mentioned that if they were to sell at the markets, they would have to pay for rent space.
She also remarked that the stall is close to their houses, thus making it easier to transport the materials to and fro.
She added that since they were selling in their own village where everyone knew one another, people are more likely to trust the quality of the goods they sell.
When asked on the issue of safety, especially concerning motorists having to stop by the side of the road, she replied that they had chosen a suitable location where drivers could park their cars on the access road away from oncoming traffic.
Another local vendor who wished to remain anonymous told The Brunei Times that Ramadhan was the only time when most of these street hawkers sell their goods.
"There is a lot of food that we (vendors) can make at home and it is what people like to eat and drink during Ramadhan. That is why we only set up (our stall) during Ramadhan," she said.
The vendor sells a variety of mini-cakes, noodle dishes and beverages that are in high demand during the fasting month. She went on to say that her customers prefer her food because they have the comfort of knowing that it was made at home.
"Usually if you buy egg tarts from the supermarket, it does not taste as good as it would taste when the villagers make it," she added.
"We are more generous with our ingredients because it is not really about the profit. It is more about the feeling of Ramadhan." By Ubaidillah Mash
Source: http://www.brudirect.com (September 08, 2008)
