When I was seven, my parents took my Australian-born brother and I for a holiday to visit their native former-Yugoslavia. On a visit to my mother’s hometown of Drvar, Sarajevo, I experienced what is now one of my most treasured memories. In the town’s night market, gypsies called us over to their wagons for a tea-cup reading. Scarf-clad babbas sold us piping hot gibanica or cheese pie, whilst at the same pinching my cheeks and flirting with my good looking father.  I was entranced. What was this magical place? Could I come back again? Have we got one of these back home? Now years later and working as a humanitarian worker, I have travelled and continue to travel the world, yet no matter what country I may visit, I make it a point to stop in the town’s market. To me, the market is more than just a place to sell food, it’s the heartbeat of the city, a virtual story of the town’s history, culture and state of development. A market can quickly tell you what is going on.  I’m sharing my stories from markets near and far.  Enjoy.