American Cow
It was another rainy night in Baba and I was sitting in Yoshinoya, figuring out what to order. I decided to order beef bowl. It came in two minutes. It didn't take me long time to enjoy the easy meal, when somehow, I started feeling ill. I started wondering where all this meat comes from. Ofcourse, it comes from America. I remembered the times I spent in the dairy farm in Finland, milking the cows, watching the fence in those hot summer days. Green meadows. A gentle breeze touching my cheek. And I remembered that I did form a special relationship with each of the cows. I remembered their names. And each time, when the cow's time came I did feel some sorrow in my heart. That's how the life in the farm goes. I guess most of the farmers never send the cow to slaughterhouse with an easy heart. Neither my father did.
It's invevitable, ofcourse, if you are on dairy business. You cannot keep cows just because you like them. Eventually you have to say goodbye to them.
Nonetheless, now that I was enjoying this easy, cheap, fast-junky-american beef, I suddenly started to feel sorry for the cow, who had to die just because I wanted to eat cheap and easy meal. I could suddenly taste the pain and suffering. And well, I couldn't quite finish the plate.
The Yoshinoya site says: Thin juicy slices of USDA choice beef simmered with fresh onions in a special sauce of herbs and spices, heaped on a bed of steaming, fluffy rice.
Between the lines you can hear the silent cries of cows in slaughter house, waiting the bolt gun to come. I wonder if they use bolt guns in american slaughter houses, or whether they use another method to execute their inmates. They say that if the cow feels stress in the last moments of his death, the meat doesnt taste as good, because of adrenalin and those things. I know, my father's a hunter, and he hunts moose. He says the bullet must hit the moose's heart or neck where the moose dies instantly. If it keeps running and suffering, the meat will taste horrible.
I have to say, I don't quite as easily go to Yoshinoya after visualizing this. Maybe, it could be that the cows live happy live there in America. Yes, and it could be that Saddam Hussein or Elvis are still alive. Maybe I'M THE ONE WHO GOT IT ALL WRONG.
Instead, I think I pay little more for my food next time, and enjoy some delicious tonkatsu. But even in those places, I don't really know where the meat comes from. How can I avoid the US BEEF? Well, here in Finland I guess the meat doesn't come from US.
What a world.
Hello,Jaakko.How are you? I have read this article(but,understood halfly..). In my book,I refered to the eating meat;Human cry for peace,and pigs are kept eating,still.(I don’t have confidence in this translation..sorry to my poor English.
junichiro - 11 02 07 - 01:00
Glad to see you here! I’m glad I could meet you in Japan and hear your insights about Japanese society.
I only wish I could understand Japanese more to read your book.
ヤーッコ (Email) (URL) - 12 02 07 - 13:22
hey, jakko.Aren’t you in Finland now? Are you in Tokyo now?
tara - 13 02 07 - 10:41
Now Finland
ヤーッコ - 17 02 07 - 14:50