Sunday morning is a perfect time to relax with family at home. Some people would also go jogging on this day. One of the most favorite places for physical exercise in Yogyakarta is the front yard of Grha Saba Pramana (GSP) of Gadjah Mada University (UGM). Every Sunday this spot is crowded by people jogging with friends and family. After working out, people will usually have breakfast at the booths nearby. Over the time, hawkers and sellers in GSP increase in number. They are not only the food booths, but also booths of sellers of various commodities. There are those who sell slippers, shocks, clothes, toys and complexities. The increasing number of sellers consumes wider spot, now the sellers are not only at Lembah UGM (UGM Park), but also in the front of UGM Mosque, and the Economics Diploma campus.
This periodic market is run only on Sunday from 5 a.m. to 12 p.m. West Indonesian Standard Time (WIST), thus it is called Sunday Morning, abbreviated as Sunmor (the word ‘market’ is omitted). It is unknown, however, when the term was begun to be used nor who created it. It got popular just like that. Local people and newcomers have already been familiar with this market. It is as if there is a common understanding which says that visiting Yogyakarta is incomplete without going to Sunmor.
To anticipate the flooding sellers and to create a healthy rivalry among sellers, three associations were established to run Sunmor. Sinar Pagi and Notonagoro Associations manage the non-culinary sellers while the Fajar Wiradigama manages the culinary sellers.
If you go to Yogyakarta, spend some time visiting Sunmor. You can jog while enjoying the morning air around UGM and taste various culinaries or buy complexities at low prices.
Working out and at the same time shopping is one of the features you find nowhere else but at Sunday Morning. At around 5 and 6 a.m. you can enjoy your time jogging at GSP area. Moreover, you can run, play basketball, or just hang around under the shady trees watching the crowd passing by. After exercising, go to one of the food sellers lining along UGM area. They are many of them selling different cuisines perfect for your breakfast. Some of the cuisines are gudeg, ketupat sayur, (rice cake and vegetable in coconut milk), of fish meat), and more. The culinary sellers are located at the north block, at the passage between Lembah UGM and the Faculty of Philosophy.
After having meal, stroll along the passage and find many unique complexities sold at low prices. Although it is only a periodic market, the commodities are in fact varied. There are clothes, batik products, bag, slipper, shoe, purse, hat, accessories, complexities, bedsheet, folded table, household utensil, ornamental plants, and pets.
Bargaining system applies here. If you a good bargainer, you can get as many stuff as you want yet still save a lot of money. However, you must prepare youself to jostle in the crowd because this market occupies only one of UGM passages that is quite narrow. It is already jammed by sellers on its left and right.
Those who come to Sunmor are mainly for working out. No wonder there are people in sport outfit. Some even come without taking a bath first, still with their messy look. That is just what special about Sunday Morning.