Cultural differences

This past weekend I travelled to a new section of Busan to check out the Gupo Market. Gupo is one of the most well known outdoor markets in Busan and has everything from clothing to live fish. You can literally buy everything you need to survive and thrive at the markets and then some. I not only went to peruse the market but also to try out my new camera. I bought a DLSR camera a few weeks back and am now addicted to it's versatility and the phenomenal images it produces. I have found that the markets are a great place to find interesting subjects to shoot (photograph). There was one feature of the Gupo Market that I was unaware of before going but was just a matter of time before I stumbled upon it. I'm sure some of you have heard the rumors that some if not most Asian countries eat dog. I had also heard this before I came here but hadn't really thought about it much until I rounded a corner at the market and came upon one of the saddest, most horrifying sites I have ever witnessed. There was an entire street lined with cages full of dogs and butcher shop windows displaying freshly butchered dog carcasses. After the shock of what I was looking at wore off, I immediately began to get angry at the cruelty I was witnessing. Then I remembered where I was and that this is a part of the Korean culture, albeit a small part that most Koreans don't support. I walked a few hundred feet up the road looking in the eyes of the caged dogs who knew nothing of their fate and for a split second contemplated playing the hero and springing them from their impending doom. I only spent about 5 minutes in that area and that was more than enough. Before I left I whipped out my camera to take a few pictures but was promptly surrounded by a few of the shop owners who were yelling at me in Korean and gesturing with their arms crossed like an X. I am no idiot and knew they didn't want some foreign animal rights activist photographing how they made a living. I did manage to take a few pictures and if you have gotten a good enough mental image from this blog then please don't scroll down any further.