Market tidbit

So, on my way to catch a bus today, I got sidetracked again by the central market for about two hours and had buckets of fun walking around the outdoor stalls in the rain, taking photos.  This provoked several stumbling conversations about where I was from, where I was going, and why on earth did I want to take photos of garlic and turnips?  I always ask before taking a photo, and usually the vendors stipulate not to include them in the picture, but one woman teased me and said, i ya?  And me?  Koneshna! Of course!  So she posed proudly with her produce, and then we did a few more so she could see the digital version each time.  This happened with a few other vendors as well, and their neighbors would giggle and tease them back. 

I tried to capture a few of the stalls from a distance, getting more people into the picture, but there are so many I would love to just get candid portraits - the mouth full of gold teeth, the elaborate scarf headwrap, the folds and wrinkles and deep set eyes of an old babushka...  And if I were really bold enough, I would do an entire photo series of Russian women's footwear.  I had forgotten their peculiar talent for balancing confidently in 5 inch patent leather spikes on uneven pavement in rain, snow, sleet and hail, while purchasing a bag of potatoes and onions.  It really is unbelievable the variety and fashion-conscious styles sported by many...and the sexy leather boots!  I saw a pair today that were going for the Pretty Woman prize, and a few others that just have crazy details and fandangles, all with those high, high heels.  The easiest way to tell that I am a foreigner is my sensible hiking shoes - and I think that no self-respecting Irkutsk or Moscow urbanite would be caught dead wearing my chaco sandals!