-^-for posterity-^-

there are a number of small, glass and chrome carts that sell smoked pig and duck. various parts of the animals hang from meat hooks and small, old ladies sit in lawn chairs waiting for customers. sometimes they cut the meat up and sell it in sandwiches, sometimes they sell it whole for people to take home and sometimes they sell it to make soup. the skin is crunchy, there is a lot of fat but, if you get a piece of meat, it's really quite juicy.

we saw half of a pig's head one day. it was hanging from one of the hooks and we thought it would be a wonderful treat for the dog. we bought it for about a dollar and took it home. we set it on the floor and watched the dog tear into it.

we found out later that the pig's head is used for prayers. if someone wants to offer a prayer of thanks, they can offer a pig's head. if someone really has a sincere request they can offer a pig's head. they will put it on a plate in front of their alter, light some incense and pray. the pig's head is used for prayer, not for dog consumption.

we didn't know and now we have a fat dog, a pig's skull and we have defiled it's intended use. we are bad people.