Thursday, December 16, 2010

WTF? Falcon? Really?

After living out here for nearly three years, I don't have too many "WTF" moments anymore. However, the other day I sure had one.

Huyen and I were scouting the hotel my family and friends will stay at when I looked out the window and saw this:


I'm pretty sure that's a falcon but I can't be sure. What I am sure of though is that it is a HUGE bird and it is living in a cage on someone's balcony. This bird brings to mind a lot of questions:
1. Why a falcon?
2. Do they let it free at night to fly around Hanoi and eat the millions of rats roaming the street?
3. Where does one get a falcon?
4. Do the owners hang laundry on their balcony too?
5. Do the owners have to wear one of those huge falcon gloves?
6. Again, why a falcon? What's the fun in having a giant bird who can't actually fly.

I've always said that the worst pet to have is a bird. To me there's something completely strange about having an animal that flies, not be able to fly. It just seems wrong. And sure size shouldn't matter but having a giant bird in a cage just seems a little bit wronger.