“Bok segitu, kasih pianyi titik laa, nanti ta’bawak dulur-dulurku sak kompi borong di sini.” I don’t know how many grammar and vocabulary mistakes have collided here, but these bargaining haggles that contain a vernacular hodgepodge of Mandarin, Javanese and Malay are very common ways to bargain at Pasar Atom.
When we mention “Pasar Atom”, sometimes just shortly called as “Atom”, many people will immediately think of a shopping center in the northern part of Surabaya. Atomic Market was founded in 1972, long before the first modern mall in Surabaya, Tunjungan Plaza, was founded in the 80s. Not many people know why the majority of shop owners here are Chinese people. Some say Atom was founded in the 1970s by offering rent that was reasonably priced, while its location is adjacent to the trading center inhabited by many Chinese.
I don’t know which one is the real version, but clearly the activities and life on Atom are identical to some of the Chiinese traditions in Surabaya. Almost all of its stores have been owned and managed by Chinese families for generations. Some even refer to it a little Chinatown, a small, compact Chinatown in one building.
Mixed language
Don’t be surprised if you hear the language used here as a mixture of Surabaya Javanised-Malay, mixed with a bit of Hokkien and Mandarin. The usual deal runs like this, “Langganan looo, Ce, mosok ga dipotong blas, potong ceban lagi laaa.” Although the difference is only ten thousand rupiahs, bargaining becomes a necessary task. There is a certain satisfaction to be able to get a cheaper price though it is relatively negligible compared to the original price. Perhaps it is the art of bargaining which is part of the uniqueness and appeal of the Pasar Atom, especially since the transactions are done directly with the shop owners or their families.
Meet the owners
I can’t help going to the Pasar Atom every day. My parents are the owners of one of the jewelery shops in Pasar Atom. Our shop has been there since 1980, so you can say I was one of the children who grew up and raised in Pasar Atom—some call them Atom kids. When you visit Pasar Atom, you are likely to see a lot of these Atom kids, because the shops in Pasar Atom are still largely maintained by the owners and their families. It is not a strange sight to see little kids sitting on the counter, counting changes, serving customers and weighing sweets, chips or nuts.
Chaotic, with VIP Parking
There are some people who would insist that Pasar Atom is barely a mall. The building was constructed in the 1970s without air-conditioning and with relatively more pandemonium than the usual modern malls. Of course, we have the newly-constructed Pasar Atom Mall that is more ‘modern’ and ‘neat.’ And although the old Pasar Atom is not as modern as other new malls, it is still visited by crowds of people every day, despite being open until only five in the afternoon (other malls are usually open until 10 pm). Pasar Atom can absorb roughly 20,000 people on weekdays and 50,000 on weekends.
So yes, people still flock to the Atom, even though they complain of being hot, dense, and so on. Especially on Saturday and Sunday, shoppers will pack the complex. Long snaking queues for parking jam the street outside. Usually we can see the mothers coming out of the cars, while the driver, usually the husband, patiently waits to look for any empty parking slot. To provide additional services to the customers who cannot stand the wait for parking, Atom provides a reserved section for VIP parking.
This is not a valet parking like the service provided at other malls where we can leave our car keys and have it parked by the parking attendant. But here, there is a specific place in the front of Atomic Market, for Rp 25,000, you can enjoy VIP Parking. This VIP parking lot is always full. The Atom does not require the luxury interior and air to attract the general public. People are even willing to pay a premium to improve their experience there.
Atom and Mall: They’re different!
My friend, Lilie, is one of the people who like to hang out at malls but she also likes going to Pasar Atom. She said, “Atom and other malls are different. Atom is like a one-stop shopping complex that is really for shopping, buying and selling, not to hang out or entertain.” She continued, ”So if Atom closes in the afternoon, not until the evening, it’s okay, because well … in the minds of people, especially young people, Atom is just not the place to hang out (at night). We hang out at other malls, not in the Atom. If we go to malls, it is often for entertainment, window shopping, hanging out, karaoke or watch movies.”
Personal interaction
But, from what I observe every day in Atom, there are also some people who come here almost everyday, to hang out, though probably not until the evening. One of them is Ce Aling. When I casually asked her what brings her to the Atom, almost everyday, she responded that Pasar Atom is very complete, everything can be found here. Funny thing is, since she comes here everyday, she has many friends in the Atom.
Well I guess, on regular weekdays, Atom is not too densely packed. While enjoying the banter during the bargaining, we can also chat about a variety of topics with other shop owners and employees, ranging from business plans to daily gossip. Perhaps the youths hardly regard Atom as a good hangout. However, quite a lot of older people enjoy hanging out here.
Take a look at the fourth floor, where we have a bunch of suksuk or old men playing chess, Xiangqi, which is the traditional Chinese chess. They’re having fun playing the game, and sometimes there are chess tournaments. In fact, in the front area of the game there are a few trophies on display.
Food
Moreover, there are many restaurants, depots, and food outlets with legendary names in Surabaya. The Atom market has become one of the major culinary sites in Surabaya. We can have heavy meals to snacks, from bakwan Kapasari, lontong mie, pastries like pukis, pastel, manju, srabi solo, cakue and super jumbo fried bread (Cakue Peneleh), to chips, nuts and preserved fruits. Often Madurese traders are lined outside, selling Madurese porridge starting at two in the afternoon. Queues of people who buy these foods can be very long. Lanny and her family told me that nearly every Sunday she visited the Pasar Atom family with the ultimate goal of having lunch and also buy food to take home.
From swimming pool to feng shui professor
These are just a few memories I have about the Atom market. There are many unique things here. At the center of this pembelajaan, every year there is a flag ceremony to celebrate Independence Day on August 17. This Pasar Atom also has a swimming pool where I learned to swim as a child. I learned the breast stroke. I have not visited the swimming pool recently, but sometimes I still see little kids wet hair coming from the swimming pool.
Profesor Feng Shui?
Despite having spent nearly 30 years in Pasar Atom, I still continue to discover new things. For example, there is a feng shui expert who set up his practice in one of the shopping area. The name in his business card is affixed with a title “professor”. His equipment is only a table, a couple of red plastic chairs, a large thermos either to provide a beverage or cocktail. But I was not aware of his existence until a friend told me. You never know what you will find in Pasar Atom!
English translation edited by Martine Randolph.
This post is also available in: Indonesian