EXPO WP STALLHOLDERS

It's the weekend once again and shopping at the EXPO WP is hectic. Today there was a car-sound-off in the parking area with several car owner / contestants showing-off the loudness of their respective car audio systems. This was just part of the count down towards the official opening of EXPOWP or should I rather say the build-up toward the shopping cresendo of the official opening at Easter.

Friday past I believe, that EXPO-WP had their first JUMU'AH on site since its management made available SALAAH facilities on a permanently basis for both vendors and shoppers to perform namaaz. Amaizingly few other EXPO's have done this for their stall-holders and their shoppers. Kind of reminds of the souks in Saudi Arabia. Mind you, I saw a stall named the ARABIAN inside somewhere.

At this very moment, I'm busing chatting to Luyiso and Malcolm at a stall named LAPHUMILANGA (SUNSINE) LEATHER HANDCRAFTS and discovered that Malcolm is an amaizingly talented painter who will do your portrait from a photograph for around R500.00 on canvas. You can have your photo taken at PhotoJani at stall C49. Have a look at a sample of Malcolm's work. Personally I think he is the "Picasso" at EXPO WP, untapped talent waiting to be discovered. They also specialise in manufacturing hand crafted shoes & sandles and leather ladies handbags.

Coming back to the event of the day, Preggy Govender at the stall named CAR ZONE sells all the gadgetry that was on show today. They are so numerous, amongst which are amplifiers with massive shiney heatsinks ranging in colour and huge CALIBRE speakers, as well as high current silicon wires with their inline 200Amp fuses and SONY, ALPINE, MARANTZ, audio decks etc.. and supplies those large speaker boxes that produce that ever ellusive bass. All I can say is "that its the price of their toys that separates the men from the boys".

Whilst browsing, I found that a stall called BILTONG BOX sells my favorite delicacy... no, its not Bully Beef but "dices glaced ginger", twas awesome. BILTONG BOX specialises in Game Biltong and Dried Sausage but not exclusively. Whilst busy with my purchase, several shoppers lined up to get some "Halaal Black Pepper Biltong", seriously, no kidding, even though Biltong Box sells wild game biltong they do cater for Muslims and has a valid Halaal Certificate to proove it.

Enough said, I dont want to make it sound as if EXPO WP's demographic is a certain religious minority because EXPO's are for everyone. Race, religion and ethnicity really has no part or place in "fleamarkets", so I best keep it that way. Whilest walking past a stall, I saw a banner with "coziest place at EXPO WP" written on it. Unfortunately they were closed but after peeking through the windows, I saw Koi fish swimming in a pond alongside which were green plants with a wooden foot bridge passing over it. My first thought was that its a Japanese Tea Garden then I looked for its name and lo and behold, the stall was called MING's, so I think I may have been right. I'm planning to have breakfast there in the morning to confirm my thoughts about MING's.