I went to a cock fight. That's what "Paleas de Gallo" means in Spanish. I was a bit uncertain about going. Here are some thoughts from before and after.
The Cons for Attending
-It's violence and death for the sake of entertainment. That's a biggie.
The Pros for Attending
-There was an invitation. That meant a lot and I wanted to honor the inclusion.
-It's part of this culture and I want to experience this culture.
-For anyone who has ever spent time around roosters, you know they are pretentious, aggressive, and stupid. If there's one animal that I can stand to watch fight and die, it's roosters. Dolphins are a close second.
What I Expected
Seediness. A dark, smoky back room with a naked light bulb hovering over a makeshift ring. Men of uncertain character leering at each other while betting on demonic birds hell-bent on killing each others. Cock fights of both the avian and human variety.
What I Saw
Women breast feeding infants in the front row of a large, well built arena. The venue had a high ceiling, tons of fluorescent lights, and a concession stand. Men tenderly carried their birds from a spacious waiting area to the well groomed ring with a chain-link fence and separate doors for each contestant. There was a judge. The roosters' owners gave them a great deal of attention. They cleaned their beaks, smoothed their feathers, and spoke calmly to them. When the actually fight began, most of the time nothing happened for a minute or so. The birds were more interested in finding food in the sand than attacking each other. When the mayhem started, there were spurts of activity that often ended in the chickens sitting and panting. Eventually, a chicken would stop moving and the judge called the match. The loosing chicken became dinner.
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