September 2005 - Bird Market

Sshhh! Don't tell anyone, but I went to the bird market. Not a politically correct place to go these days, but boy is it interesting. One of the best places I've been in Hong Kong yet. Pet birds seem to be of particularly interest to elderly Chinese men. They bring their birds in their travel cages to the park next to the market and hang them up where they can socialize with the other birds visiting the park. When they need a mate (the bird, not the old man) they stroll the street market holding up their bird so they can check out prospective mates through the bars. A few twists of the words and it wouldn't be too much different than humans finding mates.