Chickens and the Super Bowl

Chinese Street Sign

On Sunday I went for a walk through Old Town. I walked through little lanes where people are selling everything from plastic toys to stereo equipment to fake Viagra. I know how to order these steamed buns that have meat in them so I can stay fueled up while I walk. Sometimes my ordering skills deteriorate to pointing but the meat muffins are so good I have to persist until I get them. It is best to not think about what the meat is or where it came from.

I found a street that must have been the meat market because there were chickens, geese, fish heads and eels all hanging from the power lines. There was also a lot of laundry hanging from the power lines and the trees.

I found my way to the Yu Gardens where I was still a little hungry. Everyone was happily chowing down on little birds on a stick. Head, claws and everything. I decided I better try one. For about 75 cents, a guy dipped the bird in a vat of grease, then threw it on a grill and sprinkled some pepper on it. Since it was fried, it was actually quite tasty. The weird part is trying to get a good piece of meat and having the little bird staring at you. I’m pretty sure they are pigeons.

As I was walking back to the subway, some guys suddenly pulled a chicken out of a box and started slaughtering it right there on the sidewalk. Luckily I had a bag of muffins so I stood there and watched them drain chicken blood into the gutter while I had a snack. One chicken wouldn’t die so to the delight of the kids standing next to me, the guy grabbed it by the neck and started whacking it on the pavement. Wow.

The next day I went to a local pub with some co-workers to watch the super bowl. Kickoff was at 7:30 AM. When I arrived, some friendly Germans asked me what I would like to drink. I said coffee but got beer. The pub did not have the full commercial feed so at halftime, they hired an extremely attractive Chinese girl to dance on the bar.

I thought it was a bit surreal when I went from eating pigeons to drinking beer and seeing girls dance on the bar at 9:30 in the morning. My co-workers assured me that this is normal in Shanghai. Where am I?