June Starts with a bang

Yesterday Tom was sitting at the desk using the computer when I walked by him and saw something outside the window.  I was not sure what I was seeing so I asked him to take a look.  He confirmed what I thought I had seen.  There was a small circle of people, one of which was Chantha's brother, standing around and looking at the ground.  On our property there was a friendly neighborhood cock fight going on.  Yes you read that correctly a chicken, well rooster, fight.  There were no blades involved just a lot of pecking and jump kicking.  The two would fight and move around until they got out side of the circle of people, then one man,whomever was closest, would pick them both up and put them back in the middle.  They fought until one rooster did a jump kick and knocked the lights out of the other.  It was just like boxing the neck went limp the rooster stumbled then slumped.  I thought something terrible had happened but it turns out after about 2 minutes he was fine and jumping around a little bloodied from the pecking.  His owner picked him up, money was exchanged and then he headed on his way with a rooster still alive but a little worse for wear.  Chanthas brother collected his winning and returned the rooster to the coop.  I am not condoning this by any stretch it was a very shocking and momentarily horrifying thing to see.  When the rooster got back up I didnt feel so bad, not happy but not quite as bad.  This is just one of those things you never expect to happen but in Laos they do.  Hopefully this will be the last one on my porch I see for a while.  Under two weeks till America which seems much more civilized after this post.