Black Market Los Angeles

After a long day of shopping in chinatown, my mom wanted to stop at a market to pick up some rice before we headed home. It was the typical shopping experience I have every time we go to any asian grocery store.. weird looking foods, funny smells, words I can’t read on packaging, and side eye stares thrown at me from the elders that translate into, “what are you doing in here whitey?” It’s definitely not your average Trade Joe’s run.

When we got to the fresh seafood section in the back of the store, I tried to hurry past the sickening sight and smell of the dead fish behind the glass counter. I HATE seafood. (I know, I’m a dysfunctional 1/2 asian.) I scurried past it all quickly, only to be stopped dead in my tracks by the sight above.

Turtles piled high on top of each other in cages without any room to move, food or water. What are turtles doing in an asian market? They’re on sale for turtle soup. Yep, you get to choose from neglected & confined small size turtles or stressed & battered large size ones. Oh and you also get your choice of hard shell or soft shell. The most f*cked up part was when I noticed a turtle with his shell cracked and bleeding.

A delicacy to some but painful and disgusting to me. Proposition 貳- let’s get it started.

Posted by thuy