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One chicken please. Live, of course.

First of all I'm sorry. If there is one thing I will not be sad to leave behind, it's the sketchy computers that speak only Chinese. Not long ago I finished one of the finest blogs yet, and after over one straight hour of e-brilliance I tried to review my entry when "blat" gone. Totally disappeared. Worse yet, I understand that by this point, the few friends that might have been following along have certainly given up now. Leaving probably only my mother, bless her heart, that will see this blog. Thanks mom, you were always there for me. Now mom (and if by slim chance there are other readers) let me catch you up to speed.

I believe in my last entry I was in Yangzhou with my friends Andy and Katrina. Well after I demonstrated my basketball dominance, I continued to Beijing-Home of the 2008 Olympics. Here I met up with another friend from AZ, Christina, spent a couple days, and then continued to visit my friends Blue and Gina in Harbin. Home of TIGER PARK!

I would like to warn anyone reading who might be weak of heart or stomach that you may want to stop reading right.....NOW. Ok, now that the pansies are gone, let me tell you about Tiger Park. I had heard from Gina previous to my trip that there was a park in China where you can buy a live chicken to feed to the Tigers. Gina, however, had never actually been to this park herself. So Day 1 in Haerbin, 5 anxious Americans travel to the outskirts of town to settle these rumours once and for all. We walk up to the ticket counter to find that right under the price of the tickets, there is menu, where one can order strip steaks, live chicken, live duck, all the way up to an entire live cow.

I suppose before I go any further, it is important to point out that the mission of Tiger Park is the study, breeding, and eventual release of Manchurian Tigers in an effort to keep these beautiful creatures from going extinct. You all know that I have a very humanitarian heart, and so I felt it was only right that I help contribute to the cause by purchasing a live chicken (and 2 strips of beef, since they were so cheap).

We all pile into a bus and drive bit by bit through the park, when finally our driver picks up her walkie talkie and mumbles something into it. Within 5 minutes an SUV that looked more like a 4x4 cage come driving into the field, opens a door and throws a live chicken onto its roof. The tigers circled the vehicle, as our brave cock stood deathly still on the roof, moving only its concerned head. I need not tell you how the story ends, except for one little cock it ended quickly as one of the tigers jumped up and with one swipe had dinner.

No we didn't see any sheep or cows, but I did learn that day in Tiger Park that ducks live longer than chickens. But not by much. There are a hundred stories to tell you about just in Tiger Park, including me feeding a real life Liger a long strip of meat. That too was intense, especially since Mr. Liger just about killed Mrs. Liger to get it.

Long live Tiger Park.

posted by Travelin' D @ 2:03 AM