Saturday, December 02, 2006

How to say 'no' (part 2)

Well your advice (and my Bahasa) was too slow. I’ve done it. I’ve eaten dog!

I guess the voyeuristic among you might want to know what it tasted like… I understand that most random meat (frogs, snakes, snails’ etc) taste like chicken, but this was dark meat – more like beef. I guess the closest thing I’ve tasted is goat. It was kinda gristly, but that’s how they seem to like their meat here (nothing wasted etc). It was beautifully seasoned, so on the whole quite pleasant.

And morally (or whatever), how did I feel? Fine. I disengage myself from the animal I was eating (I mean do you really think about the cow, sheep or pig when you are eating?) I feel mildly guilty now, but to be honest after a week of eating strange bony fish it kinda made a pleasant change! People here don’t keep dogs as pets (since a bad outbreak of rabies a few years ago), so really it is just like eating any other animal… unless I am gonna become veggie I don’t think I can criticise.



(Sorry Zoe!)

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

I reckon snails are actually more like a cross between a tough prawn (mainly the texture), a mushroom (texture and taste) and er, dirt. Altogether quite nice when mixed with copious quantities of garlic butter. Did zoe know you'd eaten dog when that picture was taken? She looks a bit dissaproving.

Anonymous said...

Oh, sorry, it's Kerry again. I'll get a login, right now...

Anonymous said...

Don't think you've made it clear that your fellow volunteer Zoe is not the one pictured with the sad and greying face, but your dog from back home !!
Don't think I'll ask for a 'doggy' bag in a restaurant again.

Anonymous said...

'dog food' can have more than one meaning then.....liked you're description though, and much my impression with a French version of the same dish! Liked the pics, might yet plan a trip....Anyway, KT's right (oh, how wierd does that feel!), bit of two-way education should be the order of the day - andlearning the clickerty click will help the medcine go down!
dt

Anonymous said...

Hi Karen

Gemma passed on your blog site details after I'd read of you eating dog. Having travelled around the world before coming to the NFER, I can appreciate the cultural shock that you're experiencing. Whenever the going seemed tough in my travels, I always used to say to myself 'This will make a good story to tell in the future!' and so it always proved. And it'll all go quicker than you ever believed so grab hold of the welter of experiences that come your way and will always remain with you.

We're now deep into the party and panto season here at NFER!

Best wishes and hope that you have a great Christmas out there.

JLG