Thanks to the January Iowa City team for most of the photos in this and the next post! This morning the Michiagn team is visiting the Pignon market. It is the Haitian version of going to the Super Wal-Mart! It is grocery store, hardware and housewares store and livestock market all rolled into one! There is even a pharmacy and health and beauty section! For many Haitians, this is the social event of the week!!!
The main differance between the Pignon Market and Wal-Mart is that Pignon's is all open air and there are many vendors -- maybe it is more like a flea market or an antiques mall atmosphere! The vendors spread their wares on cloth on the ground or on tables under shades.
And they do their best to arrange their goods attractively. The piles are laid out according to price. When you arrive, you ask how much the tomatoes or okra are per pile. Once you and the vendor agree on the price per pile, then you say how many piles you want. If you are a good client, or give the vendor a particularly good sale, she may decide to "ranje" you -- give you a bit extra! Or you can even ask for a "ranje"! That generally raises a laugh from all the vendors within hearing distance and shows that you are really more Haitian than American!
After market, the team will have lunch in the Snack Bar at the Pignon Hospital. There they will have their choice of spaghetti, hotdog, ham and cheese sandwich and maybe hamburger. None of the above choices are much like the American versions! They all have a Haitian twist and Haitian flavor! The spaghetti is spicy and comes with a hotdog cut up and cheese sprinkled over it. Then you add ketchup! The hotdog is served on a hard Haitain bun with onions and ketchup. The sandwich is on the same hard bun and has a spicy sauce on it. And the hamburger is likewise spiced up and served on the hard bread. But it is all tasty! 
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