chicken guts

Yesterday I got up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom, and nearly tripped over a bucket filled with blood and innards. Now, back in the states, this would have been cause for great alarm. But here in Guatemala my first thought was honestly "Oh, maybe we'll be having chicken soup tomorrow. My favorite."
Before living with my current host family, I had never had a relationship with any of the animals I consumed. But my family here raises chickens, ducks and turkeys, and they even have a pig and some cows.
And I have to say, it doesn't bother me at all to eat the same chickens that run around our patio, clucking softly and shitting constantly. These chickens have a far better existence than the most expensive "free range" chicken that money can buy in the United States. They frolic all day long about our patio, or on my family's farm a few miles away. They sneak corn kernels from the gunney sack stash. And when their time comes, their death is quick and probably relatively painless. Some people here even give turkeys a shot of whiskey before killing them. When my family bought turkeys to kill for a big birthday party, they were tied up near the outdoor sink where I brush my teeth. As I watched them while brushing my teeth, I would tell them, "Eat, drink and be merry, guys. Eat, drink and be merry." And they were.
A word to those who champion the slow food, eat local, eat seasonal movement: sometimes it kind of sucks. For those of you reading this back in the states, the average distance your food travels to get to your table is about 10,000 miles. Mine usually travels a matter of feet. Sometimes a few miles, if it comes from the market in the neighboring town. And I have to say, sometimes I tire of only eating beans, tortillas and eggs, all of which come from right here and are oh-so-ecologically correct. I miss Spanish olives, California almonds, and imported olive oil. Not only that, but greater variety in one's diet is actually healthier than just eating beans, tortillas and eggs for every meal.
So, enjoy your strolls to the local farmer's market once a week, just ask yourself if you are really ready to move to a diet free of imported wine, Washington apples or Wisconsin cheese.