Night Market Hero (雞排英雄)

It was a quaint and somewhat predictable melo-drama, yet it brought me to tears on several occasions. Not just tears around my eyes, but tears that actually streamed down my cheeks and to the corner of my lips that I could taste their saltiness.

Set in a (fictional) Taiwanese night market, the Night Market Hero (雞排英雄) revolves around food vendors, whose livelihood depends on their hardwork and the local delicacies they sell. Their beloved night market becomes threatened by the plans of a construction company to build on the land. After a long struggle and winning the hearts of the general public, the future of the night market, and the many mouths that it feeds, are safeguarded.

I guess it was the simplicity of the story, and the stories of the characters that moved me (and mum, whom I could hear was sniffing next to me...) to tears. Every night they come out to make a living, smile and laugh as they tend to the needs of their customers. But behind every stall, behind every stand, is a story of hardship, of real life, of pains and sufferings, of family and complex pasts. These people are all brought together by the foods they sell, by the customers they can attract, and by the fact that every one is simply trying to make a living from what they can do best-- whether it is frying chicken steak, cooking beef steak, selling bubble tea or pirated DVDs.

The night market embodies a colourful and central part of Taiwanese food culture and community life. And street vendors, with their strong work ethic and dedication, with their sweat and bare hands, keeps the many memories alive. The sight and sounds of food and games bring people together, and can also bring people back to their childhoods years, filling not only empty stomachs but also contented hearts with feelings of nostalgia and longing.

Old songs from my childhood, and the comic use of the Taiwanese language and cute hand-puppets (another important part of local life for many here) all touched a part of me, and made me realise that even after so many years of living away from my birth-country, I am still very much very fond of this land, its people... and of course, the many, many mouth-watering delicacies.


.