Another Face of D.C.: Eastern Market

The first feeling came to my mind about D.C. is that it was such a western political city, with those white giant government buildings designed in the style of Ancient Greek and those high heels walking on a super fast pace every morning. However, right in the Northeast corner of the Capital Hill, there is a place that is just so unfitted in such a political and formal environment what so ever. It is a farmer market, called Eastern Market, where various food, fruits and crafts are gathered by the local farmers and merchants. Many of them are very special stuffs that originally come from the Non-west. When I first got there, it suddenly reminded me of the market that is filled with the cheapest clothes and accessories in my hometown in China. I was so amazed that how such rural market could have a replication in the Capital of the United States. The Eastern Market reveals another face of D.C. that has not been seen by many people, which is its diversity against its stereotypical fast-paced life, formality and fractious zealotry.

Today was one of my last three days in D.C., and I went to the Eastern Market for my last time. I was thinking about my hometown while walking around that place, including the very similar market I mentioned. However, this time’s feeling was so different from the first time visiting here. Eastern Market appeared to be so special that could no longer resemble my hometown market, and I eventually figured out the real difference is the fact that this distinctive little market is located in a large environment into which it does not inherently fit. This is the charm about Washington D.C. After exploring the city for the past weeks, it seems to me what have always been going on in the city are the dynamic struggles among the diverse elements. Some people struggle for their interests, some for their career ladders, and some for culture and identity just as the distinctiveness of the Eastern Market. Hopefully, I will come back here again someday to fit in an environment that does not seem to be fit in our first glance with my own distinctiveness.