A Pohnpeian Delicacy

I consider myself a dog lover. I have not been a dog owner throughout the entirety of my life, however I have always felt a strong between with canines. I mean they are man’s best friend. My little aussie Dude is my favorite guy in the world and he is utterly devoted to me. He follows my every step and his emotions are intrinsically tied to mine. He holds a very special place in my heart. I also raised another puppy named Cheech. He was the cutest, most rambunctious dog ever and definitely rates among the coolest dogs on the planet. Nonetheless, neither of those dogs are here with me in Micronesia. The dogs in Micronesia are mangy, diseased mutts that wander the streets barking at strangers and fighting over trash. They are not viewed in the same endearing light as dogs in America. In fact, they are valued far below pigs and are merely seen as a nuisance of a wild animal. Another fun fact about dogs on the island, the Pohnpeian name for them is “kidhi” which is pronounced “kitty”. I found this quite hilarious.
So one night, we were sitting around the outdoor kitchen hanging out with family and a neighbor came by and dropped off a bag of cooked meat. This is common occurrence on Pohnpei and I thought nothing of it. However, this was no common meat.
Bottom line…. I ate dog. Yes, I ate dog. And it was tasty. Juicy, flavorful but slightly chewy.
I do not really feel guilty about my digressions, but I cannot say that I am proud either. There wasn’t tremendous pressure on me to try it, however I had the inclination that it was a rite of passage that was necessary to fully experience my world travels. Much of the eastern world happily eats dog meat and I felt it would be ignorant of me not to give it a chance. I probably wont do it again anytime soon, but at least I’ve got another notch in my belt.
One thing that was rather odd was that my chest and stomach were overtaken by a slight warming sensation immediately after masticating the canine cadaver. I was told that it was a common effect of eating dog, but it still perturbed me a little. My friend had a different interpretation, and thought the warm feeling was actually my soul burning.