I am with you on this, Mike. Ngek!
I can remember my first experience of Balut in Cebu when I was younger. My father and I went there to visit relatives and we stopped by a local food stand, I can remember the food vendor yelling out in vocal purity, "Balut, Balut, Baluuuuut, Balut, Bablut, Baluuuuut". My father bought 3; two for him and 1 for me to try, as I foolishly wanted to try it. As I cracked the egg, I saw a duck's eye staring at me. Then I looked at my father, as he was sprinkling salt on the balut and eating it with satisfaction in his eyes. So, respectfully, I dared to test my own. I ate half of it, until my stomach declared me to cease such practice. Father finished my sample.
From that time on, I will never try Balut again. Specially not when a fetus is staring at me like that.
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