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Every so often Americans get upset about people in Asia eating dog. I'm here to say two things: (1) Pigs are just as smart as dogs, and most of us have no problem eating their tortured flesh, and (2) Dog can be very tasty. I've had it in Manado and Saigon (where, when dog meat is in short supply, they will prepare a pork dish called gia cay -- "fake dog"), but the best was in Aru. I was stuck on this desolate atoll for a week waiting for a boat going my way. In Dobo, the princiapl municipality, the main form of entertainment consisted of waiting for tumbleweed to complete the eerily familiar scene; none ever came. The family I was staying with were very poor, so the daily fare was rice and taro. Toward the end of the week, Frangkie (that's how he spelled it) came in all excited: there was a dog at the market... would I spring for it? I did, and Mrs. Frangkie did it up proud. By the way, Frangkie's second son was named Jambris, which he figured was the closest spelling to "Jim Reeves" he could get away with. When I ran into him years later in Jakarta, he told me the daughter they had some time after my visit was named Brusiana. Lucky girl. |
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