Wedding is a big thing in Kerala, India. It is one big feast of love with family members from near and far and of course almost all the neighbors in the community are all invited from the engagement party to the pre-dinner party up to the wedding day. Almost three (3) days of celebrations and lots of foods.

For a big wedding of those who has a big budget, especially thosewho are getting married and working abroad they serve Sadya, a food feast.

One of the components of a Sadya is Papadam, the crispy, deep-fried cakes from South of India, including Kerala. It is a must to serve Papadam in ever meal. In every meal that I ate in every home that I was blessed to have visited, they served me Papadam even there is already rice.

Here is how they cook Papadam in bunches for a big wedding feast in Allepey, a district of Kerala.

Wet Markets are called Palengke in the Philippines, particularly in Tagalog dialect. This is where almost all housewives, cooks and those assigned to cook go when they want to buy the foods they want to cook. Some are even ready-cooked foods or ready-made foods.

When we were young, our mother brought as along when she goes to the Palengke which is just walking distance from our house. Visiting these Palengke again brings back happy memories of days gone by.

This is one of many places I miss living in Germany. The visit to our Palengke in the Philippines is a joy. Joy to meet vendors, to meet other buyers and make friends. It is a visual feast. I am adding this series of Philippines Palengke for you to also see a part of everyday life in the Philippines, my home sweet home

Pictures of the Meat Section selling Beef, Pork, Chicken, every part of it from head to foot including the innards (liver, lungs, intestines, etc) which is used for culinary purposes, blood (for making Blood Stew called Dinuguan) and skin (for making Chicharon)

The hanging things on the upper left side are Longganisa, traditonal savory sausage from the Philippines. They are always available at the Meat section of the Palengke so it is hard to miss them.

The Chicken section. All parts of chicken from head to feet (made as the famous "Chicken Feet") are also used in the Philippines, including the innards (lungs, liver, etc)

This is the Beef section, not very much is there because Beef is very expensive in the Philippines. The best part of beef, though is available in big supermarkets in the country

Section for sausages, hotdogs (pork hotdog, chicken hotdog, hotdog with cheese, of various brands, sizes and and flavors and also Corned Beef

I have presented to you in a gallery my everyday heroes in the Philippines, the roaming food vendors. Now, it is time for me to show you another part of Asia where food vendors also roam around to bring food on the table .. rain or shine.

I was blessed enough to visit South of India, particularly Kerala and Tamil Nadu. I hope that you will get to enjoy this part of the everyday scenes in India.

the 2 pictures below were pictures made inside the train from Alleppey to Chennai. This old man was selling hot tea carrying a traditional tin container of hot tea to train passengers on a train station stopover

In Chennai, on my first day of city walk, I met this friendly lemon juice vendor. Just see how nice he were no matter how hot it was. Fresh lemons are squeezed right in front of the customers. He was so gracious to make a photo with me even though I did not buy.

The picture above was taken in Munnar, Kerala. The old man is selling red onions from his mobile shop along the main street of Munnar

Picture below is in Kanniyakumari in the heat of the night. This young boy is selling Kulfi (ice cream) and cold Badam, almond milk

The 2 pictures above were taken in Kanniyakumari, Tamil Nadu, where mobile stores are set up in the night selling assorted fruits and snacks, like boiled corn, slices of fresh watermelon and green mangoes. I go for boiled corn as always.

Below is a roaming fish vendor complete with umbrella- like cap to protect him from the rain and heat of the sun just to bring his goods around to the waiting people.

I call them my everyday heroes because they work so hard to bring food to our tables everyday... rain or shine. The heavy food containers they carry on their heads, on their shoulders... food they push from their cart or long hours of manual pedalling of their bikes everyday to earn a decent living ... make them my everyday hero. Their work is hard and yet I see smile on their faces.

I was able to interact with most of them and their enthusiasm for work is contagious and inspiring because no matter how hard life is, they can still be warm and friendly to everyone they meet. To meet these kinds of people makes life so meaningful. Here is my tribute to these awesome workers... decent and respectable people I met along my way collecting memories.

In the Philippines, my home country....

These two (2) Taho vendors... present daily in our lives since we were children shouting Tahooooooo everyday to provide us healthy breakfast. (see related article on Taho). I always try to listen to their calls whenever I am in the Philippines. This is a typical scenery early morning and I love and miss it.

Please see more pictures in the continuation of this article Part 2 and Part 3 and Roaming Vendors in India, Thailand and other countries

This man is carrying packs of Kesong Puti, native fresh white cheese made from Philippines. Everyday, he roams around Sampalok Lake in San Pablo City, Laguna

The last three (3) pictures, show the strength and courage of a woman whatever comes our way. Just see how this woman carries heavy fresh vegetables (Talong or Eggplant and Sitaw of String Beans) on her hear and still carry some more

This woman roaming around the streets in my province with heavy Bilao (native container of food made of bamboo) on her head while carrying another heavy plastic container that contains sweet and savory snacks (Bicho-Bicho, Carioca, Banana Chips, Shrimp Chips or Kropek and a lot more.

This man brought me my favorite ice cream everyday while I was on vacation in the Philippines. His cart has this special music that I always here even if I am back to Germany.

Another kind of brandless ice cream, which we call "dirty ice cream" when I was young. These Mamang Sorbeteros (Ice Cream Man) are very creative, they put a garden umbrella to protect their ice cream and themselves from the heat of the sun

This is my favorite guy... he brought me hot and newly cooked Nilagang Mani or boiled peanuts every other day during my vacation in the Philippines. I can not ask for more.

Please related Photo Gallery what snacks these roaming vendors are selling in Philippines. This was taken infront of San Pablo City Cathedral in Laguna, Philippines

After a 6 kilometer walk around Sampalok Lake, Laguna, Philippines, this was a very good diet breakfast, boiled Corn on the Cob (Nilagang Mais) and below, there was also someone selling our traditional bread called Monay, stil fresh and hot from the oven in those sealed Stryoform containers

These roaming vendors earn their living through decent and hard means and yet, they are always present in daily lives of many Indians day in and day out come rain or shine

Here are the pictures of these hard-working people. So many of them are really so enterprising and will do whatever they can to bring their goods around to more customers.

Above is a mobile Mosambi (variety of orange fruit) juice vendor. (Please see related article on Mosambia) complete with the squeezer attached to his mobile store.

Below is a young boy selling sugar floss or cotton candy in Allepey Beach, in Allepey, Kerala, India. He announced his coming with his pink-colored, individually packed cotton candy by ringing a bell

In one of the main streets in the city of Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu. mobile fresh watermelon vendor on a wheel cart.

Above is a street scene in one of the main streets of Coimbatore. A mobile shop called Thukkada selling Porotta, Chappati and assorted curries as toppings

Above is my favorite vendor in Allepey Beach. He is selling newly fried Masala-flavored peanuts with lots of Curry leaves topped with finely chopped red onions. The peanuts are served as usual in a cone-shaped newspaper

I just got a small talk with the owner of this wheel cart selling 2 kinds of Badji during night time in Allepey Beach. He sells Banana Pepper and Pakora Badji. Both looks so delicious, but I did not try

Meennnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn, this is how the roaming fish (Meen) vendors in Allepey announce their arrival. This man is roaming various streets in Allepey, selling fresh fish and other seafoods, such as Kakka Erachi and Shrimps.

More pictures of Meennnnnnnn (Meen is fish in Malayalam) roaming vendors below:

His mobile store is his bicycle with a tied plastic container full of fish and other seafoods.

No matter how diffucult it is to sell because of the hot weather, they can still manage to smile for me when I request them for a photo. Amazing people!

Below is a fresh fruit roaming vendor complete with a garden umbrella attached to his mobile cart which he pushes to go around town

They roam the streets of the Philippines, to bring food to our tables, no matter how heavy it is to paddle their crats, carry heavy weights of assorted foods, rain or shine. They are forever present on the streets and some became like families knocking at my door to bring me delicious foods whenever I am in the Philippines. This was my everyday scenery in my country where I grew up until I resided in Germany. These pictures bring back happy memories

Here is Part 2 of my article about them. Enjoy viewing how it is in my country.

The guy below is carrying 2 tin containers of Rice cakes called Puto in the Philippines and Kuchinta, another snacks made of glutinous rice topped with freshly grated Niyog (mature coconut meat). One of the everyday small, but beautiful things you can see in my country.

This is an old woman selling boiled quail eggs Nilagang Itlog ng Pugo) with small pack of salt, fried corns we call Kornik in the Philippines, savory friedn peanuts (Adobong Mani), sweetened white beans, and local look alike of M&M's all in small plastic packs in a jeepney station in the Philippines. Of course, I bought my favorite travelling snacks, boiled quail eggs and Adobong Mani. I actually pity her, at her old age, she must be enjoying somewhere else in her retirement

Selling boiled banana (Nilagang Saging na Saba) and boiled yellow corn (Nilagang Mais) around Samplaok Lake in San Pablo City, Laguna

This guy with a very heavy load is selling freshly harvested vegetables around my community. he is carrying 2 full baskets on his shoulders under the heat of the sun.

Freshly harvested Talong (eggplants)

This man is selling deep-fried Fish Balls and Squid Balls. His cart is complete with his cooking pan, oil , sticks and 3 kinds of sauces (sweet, sweet and spicy, spicy). Amazing!

I need not say anything, every snacks seems to be available in this street cart, including cold juices we call Samalamig in the Philippines and savory and sweet chips and soda in bottles

So many kinds of street snacks to choose from, fried savory peanuts in several varieties with garlic, without garlic, spicy, non-spicy, spicy fried Dilis (fried Anchovies), sweetened white beans, and Kornik (fried savory corn)

The last 4 pictures below is an example of a Talipapa, a temporary market and this is called Talipapang Gala (roaming temporary market) using a wooden cart called Kariton in Tagalog (Filipino) : They are selling assorted fresh vegetables, such as Sitaw , Upo, Talong, Ampalaya, Patola, Kalabasa, Okra.