It's Snowing!!!

Here's a little excerpt from an email I wrote to a friend. I had been telling her that I need to go winter coat shopping and had been putting it off because it's too cold! I plan to go to the open market which means I'll be out in the open trying on coats. So, today was the day I had picked to do this and lo and behold, it's snowing!

I live in a city of about 200-250 thousand. Not too big, but lots of people. Most everyone here lives in apartments (like my building is 9 floors high which is pretty average), so lots of people fit in a relatively small area. We are just getting some malls in this year and some big stores that are like Sam's Club and Home Depot type stores. There are still lots of open markets and even in some places where there are "malls" they are more like the market with lots of tiny (like 10'x10') stores. Appliance stores have really come in over the last year as well as more and more people have the money to buy space heaters, computers, washing machines and small appliances. It's pretty amazing, within a few years there will be very few people who still do their laundry by hand and up until a couple of years ago that was the norm. There are two kinds of open markets here: the food markets and the clothing market. Sometimes they overlap and there are little subsiduary markets for tools or furniture and things like that. The food markets are generally more open with some stalls that have permanent vendors, those stalls are more metal kiosks (roughly 6'x10' usually) and can be locked up with the goods stored inside. The other stalls are just long tables with roofs over them that anyone can come too. I think they may have to pay a rental fee, but I don't know for sure. Then there are the people who either can't afford that or there is no space for and they come and stand along the street with their stuff on bags and boxes in front of them. Usually they are little old ladies from the villages selling the surplus of their gardens for a little extra cash and such.
We have supermarkets too here now, and I tend to do most of my shopping there, although I do feel that the open market stuff is generally better quality and better in taste.
The clothing market is almost only the kiosk like stalls and it is big, it covers several American blocks, so you get to do a lot of walking (another reason I use supermarkets for food too because I get tired from walking and carrying all my stuff--supermarkets have carts!). You can buy pretty much any item of clothing in the clothing market, but there aren't typically changing rooms. They've gotten better about it, it used to be you'd just go behind their counter and they'd stand in front of you while you tried on whatever (like jeans), now lots of places at least have a curtain they can hold over you. :) It's always an interesting experience, esp. when the sellers try to sell you something that is two sizes too small, which they do a lot! That is how people typically dress here, well, the women at least. Thankfully, in winter people have to cover up because of the cold.
You can also buy furniture and appliances and plumbing fixtures, curtains, material, bedding, etc. in the clothing market. But paper goods like notebooks and pens, perfume, nicknacks etc. are found in the food market. :D Clear as mud, huh? Oh and flowers are by the food market as well, both plants and cut flowers.
That is of course, here in Rivne, in other cities they have lsightly different set ups. In Kyiv some of the markets cover over a square mile and you can easily get lost in them!