Paul has made it clear that he really wants chickens at site not only for eggs but also for meat. This presents a problem. Who is going to kill the chicken? All I know is it's not going to be me.
Paul asked our host dad to show him how to kill a chicken, and he came through. Here is a somewhat detailed description from my journal of what happened:
Paul and I came home to the announcement that Allan had bought a chicken so Paul could learn how to kill it. We were looking for the chicken outside only to find out it was lying in a rice bag on the kitchen floor.
I stood outside, camera ready, but as soon as Allan put his feet on the chicken's feet, had its neck in one hand and a knife in the other, I was done for. I couldn't watch. I snapped a really quick photo without really looking and stepped back into the house, then stepped back out to see Allan holding a headless chicken upside down as the blood drained out, the head lying a few feet away.
Then he put the headless chicken in a bucket and poured boiling water over it to loosen the feathers. He plucked out all the feathers, drained the anus which was another experience in and of itself, then chopped the chicken into bits. The demolished and destoryed chicken was given to Vesta to prepare.
I'm pretty sure my facial expressions teetered between disgust and shock during the entire process. I'm seriously debating going vegetarian in the next two years. Eggs are good protein and don't require headless chickens or anal cleansings.
2 comments:
This post made me smile. We had a similar experience: http://foyupdate.blogspot.com/search?q=killing+a+chicken
We didn't eat meat for most of our time in Panama. We ate a lot of soya (textured soy protien that is sold in light dehydrated form). I also stopped eating tuna because I saw first hand the devistation of over fishing due to consumer demand. We did eat a lot of eggs, I bought enough for an egg a day for each of us. Our host dad raised layers so we didn't have to have chickens of our own.
To this day we still eat very little meat and no seafood. And I can't go back to the crappy white grocery story eggs. I want farm fresh. They taste so much better! That and duck eggs are good. Ah the things you learn in Peace Corps.
Aaaaagh--Peace Corps
Your blog is letting me relive soooo many memories:
Asking Bahru the difference btw. sheep and goats.
Sleeping under mosquito nets--yet always hearing them next to my ear.
Watching a sheep slaughtered in my backyard.It was for B's Graduation and I had named her Cha-Cha.
Becoming a "Developing World vegetarian" after seeing the meat products hanging in the open air with all the flies.
Just know that for the rest of your life you will be telling Peace Corps stories!!
Enjoy the kindness of the people.
God Bless you guys!!
Post a Comment