Day 40: A Sad Sight

So I got my alien registration card today - YAH!!! It took a full week to process and Steven picked it up for me this morning from the Immigration Office. This now means that I can *finally* open up a bank account and start transferring $$$ back to my account in Canada. (Gotta pay off those lovely student loans somehow!) I'm gonna try to open an account before the weekend, but since I'll need Steven to come with me to translate, it probably won't be until sometime next week... Have patience, Scott...have patience...

So the chick was back today. The same boy who brought his new pet/toy to school yesterday brought it in again today. And it was a really sad sight, let me tell you. It was the same chick, but at the same time it wasn't. In just 24 hours this poor little bird has gone from a cute little energetic chirpy fluffy chick, to a quiet, dirty, ruffled and faded little creature that can no longer stand properly, but instead just hobbles around. Most of the time the poor thing can't even stand up and just sorta...rolls...around in its box. I assume that it's because he's been squashed or smothered a few too many times by the kids. It really is a heart-breaking sight. It honestly looks like the bird is dying and I'd be surprised if it makes it to the end of the week.

While watching the kids watch the chick today in class, I was saddened to hear more chirping...coming from the hallway... Yes, another kid had brought in another chick. One of my female students, this time a Grade 1 student, had a cardboard box with a little yellow ball of fluff not-unlike the boy's new treasure that was introduced to our school yesterday. Of all kids though, she's one of the least I'd like to see responsible for an animal's well-being. She was being really rough with the bird and constantly picking the terrified creature up and showing it to all her friends. This bird did not have a second of peace in its box. And half the time when she picked it up, she would grab it by either one of its wings or its downy fur and dangle it in the air. I even caught her squishing the chick into the sides of the box to try and get the bird to chirp more. I tried really hard not to get upset with her (she is only 7 after all) and tried to show her the proper way to handle a baby animal. I also tried to encourage her to give it some peace and let it sleep/be alone for a while, but all of that was to no avail. This student understands very little English, and she's notorious for completely ignoring instructions (as she constantly does in class). It was like everything I was trying to tell her just did not absorb at all cause I'd look back 30 seconds later and she'd be doing exactly what I had just told her not to do. It was really upsetting for me to watch this poor helpless creature being treated so poorly.

THESE CHILDREN ARE NOT OLD ENOUGH TO HAVE PETS!!!

They are far too young to be responsible enough to look after an animal, but at my school I seem to be the only one who thinks so. Trying not to be harsh or judgemental or overly critical, I politely inquired about this unusual phenomenon of very young Korean children coming into possession of these baby animals. Steven told me how vendors will set up shop with a box of bunnies or chicks right in front of elementary schools knowing full well who their market is. I find this behaviour disgusting!!! Steven did not seem to be concerned with it at all, and I watched how all the other Korean teachers reacted at the childrens' behaviour towards the birds. It seemed like they could not care less. This was really disheartening for me. I consider myself to be an animal rights activist and I find myself in an awkward position. I can't just sit and let these kids man-handle these animals to death, but at the same time I'm trying not to be the judgemental foreigner who doesn't always understand the behaviour of the Koreans that surround him. I've been trying to encourage the kids to treat the animals better, and have been giving lessons and demonstrations on what's best for the chick, but the kids just don't seem to listen at all. As I mentioned earlier, I really feel that these kids are just too young to have these animals as pets. I really don't know what to do.