It finally seems as though spring is here. Skies are blue, birds are chirping (Mia is sitting in the window, fascinated by the birdies in the trees right outside), flowers are beginning to bloom, and the little corner stores are selling popular springtime treats for kids: chicks. Yes, as in baby chickens. While I will admit that chicks are adorable peeping yellow fuzzballs, the problem is that even under optimal circumstances, eventually they grow into large, not-cute-at-all chickens. Of course, optimal circumstances are rather lacking over here:
Yes, ladies and gentlemen, that is a very small plastic bag into which this girl's newly purchased baby chick was placed by the store-keeper. (This chick was sold at a stationary store, of all places.) The store had several crates packed full of peeping chicks, ready to be sold to girls like this one, who were all oohing and ahhing over how cute they were. These spring "toys" don't have a long life expectancy - although given the preferred plastic bag method of transport, that's not surprising. On my way home from work last night, I passed a trashbag with several dead chicks poking out of the top and one tossed on the ground next to it. I took a photo and juxtaposed it with the one above. It's rather disturbing, so I didn't post it here. However, if you're interested in seeing it, click here.
11 comments:
Gross!
And +5 points for using juxtaposed in a sentence. :)
Welcome to Korea...shudder.....
When I saw the mountain pics, I was going to say, I sort of miss it, but seeing this, I know why I don't ;)
But my next stop on the world's map will be Kuwait, so I guess I'll bring home some shudder pics again too ;)
Great Daegu from me anyway, sigh ;)
Nicole
Matthew - give me *some* credit; I *am* an English teacher, after all :-)
Nicole - I don't suppose you're the Nicole who is currently at the AH? Either way, I'm thinking about going to Kuwait in 2008 - we should talk!
I remember as a kid being able to purchase baby chicks at the local grocer's. And my mom said when she was a kid, they were even dyed different colors like Easter eggs! (Poor things.) I remember stopping to pet them, but we never got one. Still, in rural Tennessee it's way more likely that they often do grow up to roam about as the not-so-cute adults they're destined to be... I never heard of them being put into plastic bags, though!!!
Brooke: Agreed, you can always get chicks at the local feed store.. but then I live out in the boonies, so I guess that's a bit more commonplace than elsewhere.
Jane: Fine, only +4 then ;)
I'm pretty sure my family got chicks from the local feed store when I was a kid. I *know* we hatched chicks at least once. Of course, we lived on 5 acres in the boonies and got more eggs than we could ever possibly need from these birdies. I also remember places selling baby bunnies around easter time, although I was never allowed to get one.
That's a great photo!
Hi jane
I lived in Kuwait for three years earlier this decade. If you want to chat, I would be happy to answer questions or whatever.
Guano Island
Guano Island -
Awesome! If I do decide to make Kuwait my next destination, I will definitely have plenty of questions for you :-)
I have been looking for something on this. My Korean friend (she is fourteen) Was talking about how a man would come twice a month to her school with a cart selling baby chicks, quails, and ducks.
Chicks and quails were 1.00, and ducks were 2.00.
She remembers buying them, but they would all die within one day.
She bought her mother three quails for her birthday, all died that morning. One was frozen in its water dish, completely upright and wings expanded, beak open. She was definatley scarred.
She bought a duck once, and it lived for two months.
Part of me finds this very sad, disturbing and cruel. I have been boycotting KFC for treating chicks so badly for many year.s
But then, part of me wishes that when I go to Japan this year, there will be someone selling these chicks. I wish to buy one, and try and give it a good home.
Something must be wrong with me.
I guess I just want to save them.
Thanks for this ^^
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