Bird and Flower Market

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Two weeks ago I went with Katie and her two bosses to the Bird and Flower Market a few kilometers north of campus. It was beautiful, and heartbreaking all at the same time. Not only were there beautiful plants and flowers for sale, but all kinds of birds and various other animals. Small turtles and fish were stacked in buckets being sold for three kuai a piece (about 45 cents), rabbits, gerbils, hamsters, guineapigs...even chipmunks were crammed into small cages and being sold for hardly anything to be kept as pets...or to be served for dinner. On the way in and out of the market I passed rows of cages of kittens and puppies. I have wanted a kitten for years now (especially since Chuck and Dye are getting quite old. I somehow managed to convince myself that I should buy a kitten, and without consulting with my waiban, or the manager of the apartments we are living in, I went for it - and bought an adorible Calico kitten that I have named Meimei (which means very beautiful in Chinese). She's a rascal, and there are times when I question my patience for her youth and playfulness. She is picky, and had ear mites, fleas and worms when I bought her. It has been surprisingly expensive (by Chinese standards) to buy her, feed her, and get her vaccinated. I still need to get her de-wormed, and fixed...but for the time being, I am simply enjoying having someone to come home to. She curls up in my lap and purrs, and I know that I am the reason she's happy, and not on someone's dinner table. I have started saving to pay for the fees to bring her back to America with me.

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Photos

Puppydog Eyes
I wanted so badly to buy them all, but I limited myself to one.

Puppy for Sale
These puppies cost about $17, and they looked so hopeful all the time. My heart just broke every time I reached down to pet them. It was about as cruel as my trips to Petland with Danielle.

Tea Pot
a handmade teapot made in the shape of a boar. I love these single-serving tea pots.

Bird and Flower Market
It is better described as a "plant" market. The twisty maze of streets that makes up the Bird and Flower Market is lined with small stalls selling all kinds of plants and animals.

Bicycle Built for Two
A rooster and hen perched themselves on the back of a rusty bicycle in the market.

Caged In
There were hundreds of birds shoved in cages all over the market.

Aaaaalllviiiinnnnnn!!!!!
I guess I didn't quite expect this. It would certainly make for an interesting job. Chipmunk catcher...whole-sale vermin.

Browsing the Selection
A wall of birds and other smaller animals in small cages at the center of the market.

Sometimes I feel like a bird in a cage
The "bird" portion of the Bird and Flower Market

Meimei
The new love of my life...my kitten Meimei

Comments

[Xin]

Cat tips
HI, Just in case, make sure give enough FRESH water to the cat, and changed it one time per day if possible. Better only feed the cat Cat's food. In case, play as much as possible with her, it's important. Enjoy! Xin