Dog on the Conversational Menu.

We broke into small groups today in class to practice a new grammar construction. I was teamed with Jai-song and Chong-mi from Korea and Ri-sho from China. Naturally, after we'd each come up with a few examples of the grammar construction we turned to other topics. Often, the other students in my class like to ask me questions about where I'm from (understandable as I'm the only American in the group). Today they asked me about trains in America, and I explained about their not being as widespread there as they are in Europe and Japan.

Then the conversation turned to food, and the boys began regaling me with stories about how dogs are slaughtered for food in both Korea and China. Jai-song and Ri-sho both described - in glorious, if grammatically unsound, detail - how the dogs are bred for food, cut open at slaughter time, shaved of their fur (which is apparently burned), and hacked into various pieces. Ri-sho also assured me passionately that dog is very tasty, and Jai-song was at pains to let me know that there is a restaurant that serves dog in the area.

They then asked me if there were any foods particular to America, and I was somewhat at a loss. The mighty hamburger is known practically all over the world (after all), and I couldn't think of anything at first that was really American that wouldn't seem old-hand in this globalized world. Then it struck me! And I spent the last few minutes of conversation trying to explain grits to my group-mates - much to their apparent amusement.

It wasn't nearly as edifying as the discussion on dog meat, though.