Le Mat Snake Village

Known as the snake village, Le Mat has gotta be one of the most bizarre places I have encountered in my travels.

Le Mat is a village located 15 minutes east of Hanoi and is famous for their snake catching and breeding tradition. In the olden days, villagers of Le Mat were snake experts called in to remove those poisonous serpents from all around the region.
But with the modernisation of Vietnam (and presumably lobbying of animal rights groups), this practice has gradually died down. In its place are snake breeding and the dozens of snake restaurants scattered around here.

A dog meat restaurant at Pho Nghi Tan. I didn’t eat hor! I just watch other people eat only.

Vietnamese people have strange taste buds for dishes not usually found on Malaysian dinner tables. While it may appear to us that eating certain animals is “wrong” or “cruel”; in Vietnam, there’s nothing “wrong” or “cruel” about eating anything that could sustain the body.
As long as its legal, those Vietnamese would savour whatever animals they could lay their hands on.
Snails. Grasshoppers. Cats. Dogs. Snakes. Rats. All the twelve animals on the Chinese Zodiac.
Heck, if the Dragon existed, I’m pretty sure the Viets would eat it too.

Cobras are especially popular in the Vietnam culture, even more so than dog meat. As much as snakes are considered taboo food in our cultures, they are as common as chicken or beef in Vietnam.
Bottles of snake wine, like the one pictured above, are openly sold in markets all over Hanoi and Sapa. They come in various forms and sizes, from tiny little Hennessey bottles costing just 15,000 dongs (RM3) each to 300,000 dong (RM60) ones which have ginseng, scorpions, geckos and even seahorses included as part of the ingredients.
They said it’ll give my kukujiao the extra oomph, but I don’t believe that.

Regardless on your personal beliefs on what types of animals are taboo and what is not, a trip down to Le Mat is guaranteed to be an experience both bizarre and interesting at the same time.
If you can stomach your fear, that is.

We went to one restaurant called Quoc Trieu, which was highly recommended by a German expat we met on the boat in Halong Bay.
The restaurant itself is two-storey high. The main dining area is on the top floor whereas the ground floor is where they rear the snakes.
Walking through the entrance, I felt like I was in some creepy high school Biology lab. On display were hundreds of large jars and vats, each with 3 or 4 poisonous snakes, all neatly coiled and fermenting inside the yellowish rice wine.

Some displays were pretty gruesome. There was one with snakes eggs, freshly hatched with the baby heads just popping out.

Then there’s this hideous bunch of lizards looped together with a stick through their eye sockets. Not a pretty sight,for sure.
When the animals are fermenting inside rice wines, they live and kicking behind glass windows. The restaurant looked like an exotic pet shop. Except people don’t buy those animals to keep as pets.

Being a snake restaurant, there are of course hundreds of live snakes slithering around.

Iguanas making love.

And even porcupines crawling around their cage.
Mind you, these creatures may be considered exotic in Malaysia, but they are all perfectly legal in Vietnam.
The sight of these animals waiting to be made into stew is starting to make me feel a little uneasy. But nothing could prepare me for the most evil, disgusting and repulsive sight of all.


DUCKS!?
What the hell are ducks doing in a restaurant like this?!

Nicole and I were ushered to the top floor. In contrast with downstairs, the decor looks great here and the interior is nicely spiced up with intricate bonsai plants.
If it weren’t for what we saw downstairs, we could well be mistaken for entering a upper-class Chinese seafood restaurant in Malaysia. The difference is, in Malaysia we have live fish, prawns and lobsters swimming in the aquarium tanks downstairs waiting to be cooked. Over here, they have cobras.

We ordered the smallest-sized cobras good enough for two. The bill didn’t come cheap at 700,000 dong (RM140), but I probably should’ve bargained.
A short while later, the man in blue brought out this live, slithering little cobra.

Looking at the multiple bite marks on his arm, it’s not difficult to imagine exactly where he got those wounds from. This villager of Le Mat must be so used to being bitten by cobras, he’s probably immune to the venom by now.
Or maybe he’s mutated into part-human part snake already. I’m pretty sure if he took off his pants, we’d be greeted by the sight of a vicious one-eyed snake.

The cobra was killed instantly with a quick incision down it’s main arteries.
First, he drained its warm blood (or was it cold-blooded?) into a glass of rice wine. Then he removed the gall bladder, and emptied its bitter contents on another glass.
Finally, he cut open the belly of the snake and carefully placed its heart, still beating, on a plate before my eyes.

I looked at the waiter as he poured the organ down the glass mixture of blood and rice wine. I have never been so equally disgusted and terrified at the same time since the last time I pooped in my pants.
“This is it, “ I said to myself as I lifted the glass.

It was like participating in a real life episode of Fear Factor.
In one swift movement, I closed my eyes, opened my mouth, tossed my head back and let the still-beating heart and blood slide down my throat.
“Ewwwww!”

How did it taste like? Very, very strange.
It all happened really quickly. But when I chugged down the vampiric mixture of blood and beating heart, it tasted like a strong shot of Tequila, with a piece of Nata de coco going down my throat.
Maybe its the thought of having swallowed a heart, or maybe it was the alcohol, but I was getting a lil queasy. I felt like puking, but I didn’t want people to think that I puked my heart out.

The greenish liquid snake bile was equally difficult to swallow, literally.
Nicole described it as tasting similar to bitter gourd, or wheatgrass. As weird as this might sound, it was actually quite good.

Luckily, lunch was served soon afterwards.
We were served about seven dishes of the snake cooked in various ways. And to be honest, it wasn’t all that bad.

There were snake soup, snake meat in spring rolls, snake in sushi, grilled snake, minced snake, stir-fried snake (which tasted like octopus), and even deep fried snake skin (which tasted very much like tempura).

Actually if you didn’t think about it, they pretty much tasted like chicken.
I would’ve enjoyed the feast quite a lot if I wasn’t still so shaken up over what just happened. The rice and cucumber were the only two dishes I was comfortable eating.

We left Le Mat feeling disturbed and a little strange in the stomach. This definitely isn’t something we’d like to repeat again. But one thing for sure, that was one helluva experience.
At least for once, we can now tell people that we had snakes for snacks.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Before I end this entry, I think I probably owe some people an explanation as to why I did what I did in my last video.
It’s always easy to condemn when you don’t understand. So please, put down your pitchforks and listen to what I have to say.
I’m not gonna lie. A big reason why I did it was because I was curious about it.
I’ve read about the Vietnamese snake-eating habits on Lonely Planet, travel blogs, and even AirAsia’s inflight magazine. Only after my conversation with the German expat we met on the boat that I decided to explore it. We’re in Vietnam, and this is after all a once in a lifetime chance.
Curiousity killed the snake.

Live frogs for dinner, in Kuching

A second reason why I did it was to challenge my fear of eating something outside my comfort zone. Even back in Kuching where dishes like duck tongues and frog legs are common, I’d be too chicken to try it.Gimme chicken anytime.
You can ask naeboo. She served me bat meat once and I ran away screaming like a girl.

Wet market in Kenyalang Park, Kuching

I can understand why people are upset. Because let’s face it, that video was damn sick. In fact, I would have been even more disturbed if people did not get angry at me.
A lot of people was upset because they thought it was animal cruelty. They assumed the snake was alive when it was cut open. If the heart was still beating, it must still be alive, right?

Like I said, it’s easy to condemn when you don’t understand.
The proven medical truth is the cobra was killed instantly by the first incision to the throat. Veterinary students can correct me if I’m wrong, but when the blood supply to the brains were shut, the animal would be dead too quick for it to register any pain. There was no torture. There was no slow painful death. It was HUMANE.
This method of slaughtering is also similar to how Halal meat is prepared. Killing the snake that way was no less inhumane than the slaughtering of cows or chickens that contributed to your daily diet.
Slaughtering of chickens the non-Halal way is even worse.

Slaughtering of chickens in Satok Market, Kuching. You can watch a live show here every Sunday.

Some said I shouldn’t blogged about it.
Come on, I have already toned down A LOT over the past 2 years to cater to people’s criticisms and sensitivities. At least let me have my freedom to blog at my own blog. Any further restrictions and I might have to rename my blog notkennysiadotcombutkennysiapunyareaderpunyablog.com.
Then you’re gonna have fun typing my URL.

Some accused me of being a hypocrite because I had cobras for lunch on one hand, while on the other hand I support Honda-WWF’s Save Our Sumatran Rhinos campaign.
How can you compare cobras with Sumatran Rhinos?
One is a common animal that is farmed, bred and reared on site specifically for human consumption. The other is an endangered animal that roams in the wild and suffers losses of habitat due to deforestation.
One is legal to own. The other is not.
I did not eat a Sumatran Rhino. I ate cobra.
Cobras are not endangered in Vietnam. So how am I contradicting myself?

The only aspect about the whole thing that made me feel uncomfortable was watching the cobra killed in front of me. That is why I said I don’t condone it.
As a matter of principle, I try not to consume any living creature have to die immediately before cooking. For that reason, I seldom eat at Chinese seafood restaurants where they take live fish or prawns out from the aquarium tanks and cook it to order.

Live fish left to slowly and painfully die on ice is also torture

Of course, I make exceptions during rare cases. Eating the cobra heart was a once-in-lifetime-thing for me. Having done it already, I can tell you that it tasted nothing special. For that price, it ain’t worth it. So decide for yourself whether or not you wanna try.
I’d like my critics to answer me honestly if they have never been guilty of eating at live seafood restaurants before.
Just because they killed the fish and prawns alive in the kitchen doesn’t make it anymore humane, correct? Or was it a case of “ignorance is bliss”?

Satok fish market, Kuching

Then finally there are those who said what I did was wrong eventhough the cobra is not endangered, is reared like a chicken, and is killed in the most humane way possible.
They wanted me to convert into vegetarian.
I’ve got nothing against vegetarians. If you think eating meat from any type of animal is cruel, then kudos to you.
But what I hate MOST are vegetarians who think they are better than me, just because they like to eat their stupid soy and tofu.
Look, I tried going on a vegetarian diet before. It didn’t work out.
I know you think eating chickens and pigs and snakes are cruel.
But for the love of me, I cannot imagine eating Big Mac without meat.

Kueh Chap without pork.

Or worse…

KOLO MEE WITHOUT CHAR SIO!
This is also a form of animal cruelty. It’s called Kennysia-cruelty.
I might as well just die.


I think it’s high time I should clear something up here: Nicole and I are not dating, ok!
We’re like Mulder and Scully from The X-Files. We make great travel partners, we have tremendous chemistry together, and people seem to always assume there’s something going on. But there’s none!
Whatever relationships I’m having is a personal affair of mine. It’s off limits on this blog, so please respect my privacy.

239 Replies to “Le Mat Snake Village”

  1. NO human can resist the neurotoxin of cobra….
    I don’t believe there are some one can resist it but probably there are some effective treatment that the villagers have save his life

  2. lol i think the commentors from the last blog would be too headstrong to realise the stupid things they said…comparing rhinos and cobras…its sad that there are malaysians that do not think things thoroughly…they condemn what you did when they do not realise it happens to every other animal..jus coz u posted a vid of it..
    its dumb.

  3. It’s sad how some malaysians have become so narrow minded and stereotypical that they fail to see that this has nothing to do with cruelty towards animals. I mean come on..comparing snakes with rhinos? Besides, no one has the right to comment on how you live your life..if you have a problem with things like this and find it offensive, you always have the choice of not reading it.

  4. To be fair, sometimes people like to point fingers at others but not the themselves. The same when you try to ask someone not to do this and that, but make sure you DON’T do yourself or else you’re the same.
    Just my point of view.

  5. it doesn’t matter as long as you think it’s right 🙂 and come on people, how many times does kenny have to repeat, SNAKES ARE NOT ENDANGERED la come on. and what does rhino-s have to do with snakes?! rhinos are facing extinction because ppl kill them for their horns, not because they are a delicacy. totally different, have some common sense please.

  6. Kenny Go Go Go~
    Man… don give a fuck about those shit that’s being said by them… anymore from vietnam?

  7. kenny, you’ve got my vote for this blog and the rest and rests from the past!
    but one thing i need to emphasize here, i’m still alive leh, eating kueh chap wifout pork n kolo mee wifout char siu. =p i’m not a proper vegetarian but just don’t like the taste of meat.
    😉

  8. You mean those fish weren’t dead before being put on ice??
    Anyway, the no-meat stuff at the end is so true! I can’t live without meat…:P

  9. Just eat whatever you like, doesn’t matter what others say or think, to hell with those who condemn you over a snake meal..

  10. Kenny!
    Nice post. I hope ppl can understand that what you did was just part of being human. Curiosity killed the cobra. Ain’t it. I would give it a try if given the chance to. Blog about it? Maybe. Why not?
    It is your blog right? So you may write whatever you want.
    Cheers!

  11. Well I don’t really see a problem in eating snakes or what’s not. Pretty much bullshitty to be honest to make a big hu-ha over this matter.
    Maybe those who condemned should judge themselves better, or probably try to sue Fear Factor for having their contestants to shower in blood, or eat live Madagascar Hissing Roaches (Eww.) which is very “cruel” loh. Sampat one those people.
    Really ‘Jiak pa bo kang zho eh lang’.

  12. bah, i’m vegetarian for almost 20yrs edi (not a hardcore type la), still alive what.. kolo mee w/o charsiew? i ate alot edi (when there’s no other choices).. too bad McD M’sia stopped the production of McEgg, guess not much ppl ordering it.. luckily here in Sri Lanka, vege food easily found, even KFC & McD here got vege burger.. Lucky~!!
    every1 hav their own way to live their life.. surely i’ll support u kenny~!

  13. First ever comment here after reading many many times, this post is definitely worth commenting. I have to say, I agree totally with what Kenny said.
    Let put it this way, change the picture, if the cobras were chicken, he ate a chicken heart instead of the cobra’s heart. We would have seen it a different way already.
    Ppl who do not consume snakes, would probably think its “geli” thats all I supposed, in fact, I won’t eat one for sure, but I truly felt, there is nothing wrong with eating one, they are bred like chickens anyway.
    By the way, I like the picture of the Big Mac without the meat. Where did it go to?

  14. seriously…how many of us really ever watch animals like chicken, cow or fish being slaughter live in front of us? and there are also debates on whether plants have feelings? try google on it. even if we only eat vege, are u sure that no living things suffers in the process of farming? how abouts the bugs die from insecticide? or farmers killing off rodents eating up their plant? so whats left for us to eat? rocks and sand?
    if we should give up the eating meat as we need to kill a living thing, then why dont we might as well give up moving, walking, etc, as somehow we might kill something like stepping on ants, bugs, etc. even as we breathe, we breath in air and some microorganism floating in the air and somehow “accidentally” kill them. so do we need to wear an oxygen tank from now on?
    as usual, previous post become just another “let’s bash kenny” post.

  15. I hope those bloody idiots in the other thread get their heads back on properly this time around.
    Good work with this post. Very well arranged and presented in light of the hoo haa before lol
    Main reason why people were horrified and such is ignorance.
    HELLO IGNORANT PEOPLE!

  16. Awesome~!! Now you make me want to go there more! haha 🙂
    Sometimes I find that, eating chicken, pork, fish, beef and whatever is so…PC. Animals are born for us humans to eat. Yea, that includes dogs, though not all dogs. Same like fish, we don’t eat goldfish or freshwater fish right…Or like rabbits, we eat rabbits, but not all.
    Anywayz, great stuff! Can’t wait to try ’em out one day! Hee~

  17. Well said. Animal cruelty is all too subjective. If you wanna criticize, then an environmental activist should not use a pencil. He or she should no bath as that act pollute the water!

  18. i didnt read ur past commments but u said there were lots of criticisms? i mean like wtf la, what are these ppl thinking. eating snakes is unacceptable, snakes are taboo meat? who the hell decides what’s gonna be taboo meat or not. Man, if i were a cow, i’d be so envious of the snakes cos apparently they cant be eaten. If snake eating is cruel then surely eating animals like chicken and cows are cruel too rite? might as well no need to eat any meat.
    which brings this to vegetarians.
    Vegetarians? dont get me started on those sad ppl.

  19. ~~It’s the cirrr-clee of lifeee~~ (featuring voice of Elton John)
    eat or be eaten. We’re at the top of food chain! Therefore, we eat. Rock on kenny. Nice post which tied up all the loose ends nicely.
    😛

  20. Thumbs up for daring to try. I would have scream at the sight of it and would probably pretend to faint if was asked to drink any of those!

  21. Kenny, I am a big fan of urs and I just want to say that……u’re brave!!!!!! If i were you, I’ll probably do the same thing– like eating “snakes” ? but i dont think I have the guts to do that…XP

  22. Wahhh… dis post can c gt lvl up d form d previous 1… mz b d snake meals package, extra oommphh… hahahaz… it is jz stupid 2 c so many condemning u on the previous post n den so many complimenting u in dis… wheres those critics dat like to kacao u so much?? lost their balls?? hahahaz… anywayz if u could write like 2 years ago, it would b SUPER!! bt den im nt complaining of hw u write nw either… anywayz keep doing wad u do best, writing for urself n nt d others ;)… (*i bet ur coconuts gt bigger after dis post ehh… hahahz…)

  23. First things first, a lot of Malaysians are stereotypical and hypocrites. They condemn without looking at themselves in the mirror. Moreover, I think that they are just jealous that they don’t have the guts to do what you were brave enough to do. Kenny, you don’t have to explain your actions. If these people read kennysia.com for what it is, they should be loyal to the refreshing breath of brand your blog brings to the Malaysian cyberspace. We have enough of those boring blogs by losers who don’t even have half your guts. Kudos to you, man! Keep up the good work. Freedom of speech to all! 🙂

  24. i saw the video from the previous post. i am TOTALLY NOT OFFENDED by it at all. i am just feeling disgusted seeing the snake was killed. eew~ just like you did when you were seeing it being killed right in front of your eyes. most of the people would have feeling disgusted too. however, it is not reaching the stage when i am or we are supposed to feel angry over it. instead, i do really want to praise you on your courage to try it out. it is really an once-in-a-life-time experience for those who are not used to or never have this kind of food. you should have joined the fear factor challenge. haha…. also, seriously, it is ridiculous to compare rhinos with snakes. well, you see, just look at the population for both animals. the population of snakes is definitely TIMES HIGHER than the population of rhinos. extinction? which will extinct even sooner? of course it is going to be rhinos first. duh! cruelty? i agree with what you say, kenny. it was humane enough that the snake was killed that way. it was not torture first on that day it died. the same concept is the same by killing the chicken using the halal way. people just say it is cruel because it happens to snakes (something which we don’t relate to our daily live always) and they see the video from your blog. however, people don’t say it is cruel to chickens as they have chicken meals most of the time, don’t even bother how the chickens die, and don’t really SEE how the chickens die. cruelty? straight away killing something to cause less pain is cruel. torturing something before killing it is also cruel. people just can’t question which is CRUEL OR NOT, but they should ask which is CRUEL or CRUELER. How do people define cruelty? The word is so vague that people can’t define it for the sake of saying it because of their emotions and not supported by facts. In this issue, i support you, kenny.

  25. omg.. how can they kill without feelings?? do they even have feelings anyway? haha err.. is it nice? i rather be a vegetarian to eat that. T____T

  26. hey man…
    i really hope u just blog whatever you want to and don’t need to cater to the demands of your readers who thinks that you are cruel, dirty-minded and etc etc…
    after all, you got famous because of all your ‘not so toned down entries’ . i miss the old kenny sia, where craziness prevails

  27. Good Luck Kenny, I Believe In Causes & Effect !
    The Mixture Of Blood And A Cobra Beating Heart Are Inside Your Stomach, Maybe Not This Life Or It Might!

  28. Long live kenny~!!!
    Awesome explanation…
    seriously……live your own life is the true fact~!
    happy to see u still remain standing~!
    cheers~

  29. Come Kenny,
    Join me in the deep mountains of China and become a disciple of the ancient, honorable and toufu eating Shaolin Clan. No one will ever judge or challenge you again on moral values, lest be killed with your iron monkey fists.
    Amit-toufu.
    Master Bates.

  30. oh Gosh! That was all so not pleasing. Rather awesome that you n nicole did it! Thumbs up. Admiration from me because I would definitely not swallow those things. Once I saw that, now my stomach is churning in a not very good way. hahaha.

  31. 因果轮回;有因就有果,有果就有因。
    Some people are vegetarians for religious reason. They aren’t “sad people” like some ignorant people commented here. They are actually happier.

  32. Lol..nice post bro
    i fully support your views man..i mean..its your blog afterall…why let people preach you on how you should live your life?
    in truth…i think most of the criticisms you got were from people who didnt have the guts to do what you did..so just let them say whatever they want
    my respects to you kenny

  33. sorry keeny sia, js wanna say i suddenly felt a bit sick of ur travel posts….. they r occupied all ur blog recently…

  34. suddenly all those who made noise just for the sake of making noise are quiet in this one
    Stupid fools..everyone who condemned without a background check..
    kudos to the cool explanation to shut those critics up

  35. It’s not the snake-killing video that’s ticking people off. Because after all, things like these happen every day, with or without your participation in it.
    What is rather contradicting is what you say in the blog: something along the lines of “I do not condone what i’ve done in this video”. It feels as if it’s just an excuse so that some readers won’t despise you for what you’ve done. If you don’t agree with something, you shouldn’t have done it in the first place.
    You should have just put up the video and talked about your experience and then maybe add in the part where you say you will never do it again. The whole “I do not condone…” part just makes you sound so superficial.

  36. You’ve gotta realise that while the northerners in Viet Nam eat all those animals, the southerners do not. While the south is plentiful for vegetables and seafood, the north have to make do with what they have. It just happens that cobras are plentiful… LOL

  37. I admire your courage and strength to do stuff like that… you have my respect… but it’s not easy to please others because of curiousity eh? So give him a break… I’m sure things like this is as sinful as smoking cigars…

  38. neh dont try so hard kenny. people will love you even if you do torture animals.
    why?
    cuz there are not that many interesting people in kuching that speak english.
    i hope you din eat dog meat cuz i will really hate you if you did.

  39. hey kenny
    i think u should just be yourself and live your life the way you want it to be. some people are just being immature and hadn’t seen the world out there enough. guess its all the culture and differences craps.
    they wont accept anything that is different from their own thinking. so dont bother to explain la. continue to fascinate us with more of your travel experiences! haha after reading all your hanoi entries, i really feel like going Vietnam now! =D

  40. HAHA! Where are the ignorant people who criticized Kenny? All the comments have been ‘ok-Kenny’ after this post. Good job Kenny! Seems like u were prepared for this. 🙂

  41. hey,keep on going. u not blogging for others.
    u are just blog soemthing that u found interesting and special.

  42. Hey kenny,
    It’s okay to gulp in lotsa vege at times, but you’re just like me.. It’s like eating Wan Ton Mee without the Charsiew and Wanton… Oh gosh, kill me if you need to …. I am an omnivour who just can’t be a sole herbivour for any reason!!!!

  43. If you got into the jail, they might as well cut out all your meat supplies instead of canning, hanging….haha…just kidding…
    Aiyah…stop complaining about that incident again, you already ate iT!!! there is nothing you could do about it anymore..
    By the way, did you check out how your faeces look like that day? Is the snake heart still pumping…?? ohyuckk…Just wondering how it would look like la..haha

  44. kenny, don’t bother about what other says. it’s true that the snakes are dead even when the heart is beating. It’s just a normal reflex reaction. When mice are killed for research purposes, they are dead but heart is still beating too. These cadavers all have reflex responses, same goes for the homo sapiens..
    Eating snakes is no sin, (it just looks disgusting) anyway, that’s how the ecosystem works! HA. if we all become vegetarian, the world will become a world of hens/snakes/ducks etc etc..
    You really got the guts, two thumbs up.. you’re the man!

  45. kennnnnyyyyyyyy,
    i dont give a damn on that eating experience and the cobra shit…but i do like to know bout u n nicole…hhehehhehe…give us some intricate details lor…ooo come on dont tell us u’re not f@*#*&# her at all.Alo bro see her body languange ma…..

  46. eat watever it is lar… dont care wat the rest think lar… we eat we use our own money and share our experiences in the blog, they dont like it then dont read lar… i mean wtf? we cant please all readers arent we? we go holidays wif whoever we want wif our own money, and wtf is their problem sayin u n nicole dating… wanna say ‘SOME’ of the readers no brain also cannot, cos they know how to online n can read english… kenny, mai kan all those brainless soul lar… keep it up mate!

  47. most animals share the same tissue-orientation as chicken, that’s why they all taste similar to chicken =p
    i respect vegetarians too – i try not to eat too much meat myself. But i can’t stand it when vegetarians (not for religious reason) throw away dishes (whole bowl of meat and vege) that contain some meat due to the cook’s or their own mistake – especially those who claim they dont eat because it is cruel. I guess it is more cruel when food is wasted…

  48. a few hundred comments for the last post and now 80 90 plus only, well where were those people who condemned such acts?
    come on, defend yourselves, i wana see how you guys do it. LOL.
    if we make rules for each and everything of sort in this world, i might as well just drink water and bloat myself to death.

  49. if being a non vegan is despicable juz coz we slaughter and eat living things, then what difference does it make from a vegan .
    plants are living things also wad!!!!!!11

  50. Stop the bullshit about Kenny eating the damned snake, exotic meats, etc, and go bicker about something else more worthwhile. It’s his stomach and his travels, he’s just nice enough to document for us what we don’t normally do and where he went. What crap about “inhumane killing” and “turn vegetarian”, if you want to, file a lawsuit/ do a petition/ start a group and actually DO something about it, and not being a TNA(Talk, No Action), cowardly “finger-pointer” and “iusedtoreadyourblogkennybutnowsinceyouatethesnakeidontanymorecozyou’reevil” comments. Sigh. Grow up.

  51. hey
    thanks for the post
    it’s really an eye opener for those who didn’t have the guts to do travel to vietnam

  52. Man Kenny, damn siok to read your blog man!! I dunno how people can cry over a snake being killed. To me, I think its awesome!! I love all the vegitarians and PETA supporters coming here and having a cry over someone just doing something that millions of other people do EVERYDAY!! Get over yourself you sad cases. For every animal you vegetarians don’t eat, I’ll eat 3. Thats the Maddox diet, thats how I roll.

  53. chill people it was just a novelty thing , kenny come to INDIA and try vegetarian food and then try criticizing .. it will be impossible (no tofu n soya stuff – they suck) try INDIAN veg foods – they are totally different and awesome (u might actually convert)

  54. Good one, Kenny. Love both the post and the way you stood up for yourself. Wouldn’t it be nice if bloggers can write absolutely anything on their minds without being afraid of offending people? 🙂

  55. Hey Kenny,
    Just ignore those harsh critics. It’s your blog. Blog the way you want. Why should you even bother?
    I know the way the saying that Spidey saying “With great power comes great responsibility”. But still, it’s YOUR online diary. If you can’t blog the way you want, then what’s the point of having a blog at all?
    Jiayou Kenny. I’m behind you all the way. =))

  56. whoaa ur courage is really commendable man. i mean these are the things we should try at least once in our liftime ain’t it?
    anyways i just saw (an hour ago) this show on discovery travel and living and coincidentally, it was about bizarre foods in vietnam. i think u guys went to the same restaurant for the snake feast.
    cool stuff.

  57. AHAHAHAHAH eating an animal provokes responses regarding the ethics that a blog should possess?
    Lest you forget that your governments continue developing cities which are destroying the habitats of animals worldwide.
    Lest you forget that your demand for manufactured goods are harming the environment of animals.
    Lest you forget that even vegetarians are harming animals..your houses consume energy and that energy is harnessed by building generators and water dams which in turn destroy the environment of animals. Heck all your vegetables come from farmers who kill animals to keep them off their lands lest they make a loss.
    By being a human, you are at the top of the food chain and being at the top means whatever you do, you’re always going to be harming something somewhere somehow.
    so give this cunt a break. hes on a holiday and he doesn’t need to grab more shit from dullheaded dimwits.

  58. well.. if you go Viantiene or Phnom Penh, you could see steam dogs (real dogs), deep fried cats and duck embrios cooked alive. Its inhumane in some cultures, its life in another culture.

  59. After all, Hitler was vegetarian. In addition: if animals aren’t to be eaten – why are they made of meat in the first place?

  60. Dont find some other reasons to support your cruel behavior. What you had done is wrong, definitely. You might satisfy yourself, but REMEMBER, you make yourself so sinful!

  61. After all, you still care! Stll Malaysian! Still care bout how ppl think of you. Nothing wrong with that! Ppl grow up here are like these one! Cant blame them! Cant blame me! Cant blame yourself for being a Malaysian blogger who suffer this sort of Malaysian’s nasib!

  62. dont have to worry about what others think cz what you do aint wrong as u din cross the line as its nt endangered creature and theres nothin wrong in eatin animals as our body need it 🙂 kudos 2 KENNY..hope to hear more great stuff to share from MIGHTY KENNY….

  63. hm..hm..for sarawakian eating this unusual animals are normal la..even me.myself ate bat,landak(porcupines like on above pic),tengiling,tupai,fresh water turtle(labi-labi),sago worm,musang(civet-cat),monkey,green cicadas(insect),biawak,dog,wild boar,bear,etc,etc some i cannot recall la..kenny you miss out to take SAGO WORMS pic la,go find in sarawak rural area wet market must have one.ha..ha..

  64. it’s ur blog and i believe u got ur rights to say and type watever u wan here. y care about wat others said? when ppl say stupid stuff dun entertain their stupidity

  65. “chill people it was just a novelty thing , kenny come to INDIA and try vegetarian food and then try criticizing .. it will be impossible (no tofu n soya stuff – they suck) try INDIAN veg foods – they are totally different and awesome (u might actually convert)”
    -*NOTE: i aint a vegetarian (seriously)

  66. to the one who claimed himself/herself God, are u indicating u’re not sinful at all? dun tell me u dont eat meat at all and a pure vegetarian. even so dun tell me u dun kill ant or mosquitoes. if u do, tat makes u a MURDERER AND A SINNER TOO! u sounded so silly

  67. OMG! i won’t ever dare to eat or drink the snake heart and blood. or even the bile. i think ure quite food adventurous. lol…
    dun worry lah. although it is cruel to kill the snake live and cut it up while it was still writhing; even if it weren’t you, someone else would be doing it all the same. and yes, there is a vast difference between the rhino and the specific species of snake. well, i think it would be worse to eat it still alive wat. lol… and anyway the killing wasnt done by you also.
    still, i think i would not be brave enough to sit through the whole thing. lol… i love animals too much. lol…

  68. oi cibai. u got condemned for eating cobra. dont need lah bring me down with u!! now they will say oh,naeboo is a bitch coz she eats cute bats, so next time no batman to save our sorry asses. then how??
    @$#$^$%&^*

  69. and btw, there’s a school of belief that plants have feelings too, they can respond to music, etc…then, i suppose eating plants also cruel rite?
    then what shld ppl eat then?? sand???

  70. You know what, the next time you’re gonna post a video like this, i suggest the best thing to do is, to just disable the comment section:) you did it, based on your values, and not based one others. so why bother right? you can do a thousand things right, and someone will find the thousand and one thing to point at your face!
    I say, leave kenny alone!

  71. Dear Kenny,
    First of all, I don’t blame you for doing what you did. There is absolutely nothing wrong in going to other countries to experience exotic cultures and different traditions (be it food, living etc.) and I’m sure it was a very fulfilling experience for you.
    However, I don’t think it’s right for you to justify yourself by saying that a farm-raised cobra is insignificant compared to a rhino. True, a cobra farm-raised and is neither endangered nor illegal to own. But does that make it incomparable to another living being and therefore eligible to be butchered and have it’s beating heart eaten?
    Don’t get me wrong here. I’m neither a vegetarian nor a tofu-waving vegan. I believe in the cycle of life, and I also believe what separates us from animals is that we should be sensible and humane enough to realize all living beings are equal and we should treat them all with the same respect. Would you say that it’s alright to toy around and find all kinds of “exotic” ways to eat a chicken since there’s so many of them but you can’t harm a white tiger? I guess it’s true then that all beings are equal, but some are more equal than others.
    Oh, and Kenny, I’m sure your “suffering” isn’t much compared to what the Burmese people have to go through on a daily basis.

  72. eh kenny….wat la u…wat u did is wrong when u TRIED TO EXPLAIN to them…
    eating cobra is not wrong dude…
    they r juz not happy coz they cant try it and they are jealous of u…
    if they think having cobra for lunch is a sin den juz dun eat meats…o vege…vege also have life form jerks out thr ~~~! juz starve to death ~! idiots….
    animals eating animals r juz the nature of the universe ~~~!!! think abt it…

  73. Hey dude, my manager caught a rattle snake at our Open Area Test site. With the head chopped of, 30 minutes later the muscle is still twitching. Well, you know EMC labs are always located in the “suapa” area. we get all kinda critter here at the lab, especially blackwidow spiders.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fM-10NtkYLQ
    And the comment shows even ang mo are behaving like some of your readers.

  74. Hey Kenny. You have a bunch of funny readers. Lotsa Support, Love, Jealousy and Hatred comments !! Guess wat, tats wat a Superstar normally get.. Lotsa love and lotsa hatred at the same time !! Guess I’ll be seeing u in Hollywood or TVB real soon !!

  75. I don’t really care what the fuck you eat and why you did it but before you posted this kinda video online that open to public view, PLEASE consider to add a little warning sign, probably something like “NOT SUITABLE FOR CHILDREN” or “VIEW AT YOUR DISCREET ONLY” or perhaps “VIDEO CONTAINS VOILENT ACTION”.
    [KS replies: Excuse me. I did put up a warning sign, didn’t I?]
    How are you going to explain to a young kid when he/she saw the video with a knife stucked into that poor snake?
    [KS replies: If you are so concerned about little kids, why are you swearing on my blog? How am I going to explain what “fuck” is to them?]

  76. My question is not that you did it but what made you did it. You must be a real sucker to pay that price for the challenge that comes to nought, am i right. I cannot imagine such a place is popular with the locals at such a price. There must be some dramatic show of actions/challenge from the host to physc you into it. It happens often to unsuspecting people, esp. tourist. Think about it, perhaps u be the the wiser in future.

  77. I forgot to say in first cobra post: My Thai uncle always said snake tastes like chicken. I guess you found that out yourself. I ate rattle snake once. For me it tasted like chicken, but had the texture of prawn.

  78. The people who criticize you all they like, but when a cobra sinks its teeth into their ass, they will be the first to rip their heads off with their bare hands.
    Just because something seems strange doesn’t make it wrong. And just because something is socially accepted doesn’t make it right too.

  79. Ducks eh, you get to see so many ducks in Christchurch, NZ. We have to give way to the ducks here as ducks are protected animals by the city council. For example, we have to stop to let the ducks cross the road. -_-

  80. Hi Kenny!
    Being an avid reader of your blog. I enjoyed them truely. So dun care what other people think or say and jz blog what you feel like! Ok? Hee….
    This is my 1st comment to you as well. Hee….

  81. waahhh…Kenny..u so daring..nw i see u gulping down tat live cobra’s heart n drinking it blood..i tink i will gv it a try oso if i visit vietnam nex time..am so curious nw tat i wanna try it myself…let ppl talk la , Kenny…cobra’s are nt endangered..totally hate those snakes..they r kinda breeding 100s at one time. so i dnt feel its wrng to kill them ..mauhahaha

  82. i dont like to be questioned, so i wont question why you did it…
    but mc donalds without meat… seriously i also buey tahan… kill me first la…

  83. eat what u want do what you want,life is short.
    ONE MORE THING THOSE ANIMALS THAT THE BACK BORN FACE TO THE SKY HUMAN CAN KILL THEM AND EAT THEM NOTHING WRONG

  84. MY 8 YEARS OLD DAUGHTER ALSO WATCHED OVER THAT VIDOE CLIP ACOMPANY BY ME SHE SEEM ACCEPTED IT WELL NOTHING HAPPEN WITH MY SOME EXPLAINATION TO HER,SO I THINK THAT IS A REALLY A GOOD BLOG THAT HAVE KENNY DONE.AT LEAST WE ALL KNOW WHAT IS GOING AHD UNDERSTAND OTHER COUNTRIES EATING HABBITS.KEEP IT UP KENNY.

  85. trully, i can’t say i support u to eat that snake like that even though i used to eat snake as well (bat also :p) … think it in another way, those condemned u should have kind hearts since they can even sympathize snake, just they let their anger overtook them… u forgive them loh, i think both side have learnt something from each other through the post n comments. shouldn’t that be something positive? cheers!

  86. Wow, surprise! so many bad comments on the previous & this post??? For me, is a nice sharing & experience, and can be consider as a documentary!
    Dont tell me this the 1st time u guys watch such video, I ever watched it on the TV3 (local program) lah, the only different is kenny not in the scene. If TV3 can show it, why not kennysia.com? Instead of compare snake with rhino, why not just compare snake with chicken or other poultries, which might be one of ur favorite meat? Pls try not to have double standards in judgement.

  87. hey kenny. great post. I like it when you explained how the cut to the snake’s throat killed the snake straightaway and how the halal method is similar – that the main objective is to eliminate pain instantly and not allow the animal to feel pain. Most people don’t understand it. They think that Halal method is cruel… Well hope you enjoyed the snake’s heart and blood. I won’t go near it man! :p

  88. *hugs Kenny, my superstar blogger* for this piece of interesting explanation. That’s why you are alway known as ‘Famous KennySia’ when people linked you on their blogs. :p

  89. eww… u guys really drink the blood? u sure that it’s drinkable or it’s just some trick the viets use to usher more tourist to come…
    The banner may read: “come, come, cobra meat & blood very nice, very good for your sexual organs”
    But at the back of their mind: “haha.. sucker!! the blood is just blood.. no magic power one.. dumbo!! haha!! money money, come to papa!!”
    :p

  90. Now people are trying to bring in Burmese into these arguments. Cmon, be back on topic, don’t go wayward.
    Sam : If you’re arguing about farmed cobras vs wild rhinos, then don’t eat farmed fish, farmed chicken, farmed duck, farmed vegetables. You’re killing the environment.
    The best way to prevent extinction is to farm them be it for commercial or for other purposes.

  91. I dont eat snakes!
    I only eat chicken&ducks&beef&pork&lamb&venison&frogs&fish&alltypesofseafood
    I am therefore, Holier. Than. Thou.
    /end sarcasm
    *rolleyes*
    P/S: If this explanation-post gives you peace of mind then so be it… I personally think its redundant.

  92. Cheh, what’s wrong of in eating meat?!?!
    So, the vegetarian thinks that eating meat is cruel? Well, try this, when you eat vegetables, you’re actually causing global warming because plants produces oxygen through photosynthesis. Therefore, you’re doing a sin too! What’s to do? Try to stop eating anything and survive on water la.
    We, the ‘carnivores’ are saving the world by killing off the animals which produces carbon dioxide. Better off, we should start killing people too as we are causing lots of CO2 too! Now, THAT would be very HUMANE!
    I got nothing against anyone just that some people thinks that they’re soooo great like they’re a saint!!! It’s only a matter of perspectives, i tell you.

  93. Why bother what others say? Just ignore people want to add trouble, subtract pleasure, divide attention, and multiply ignorance.

  94. vegetarians are hypocrites anyway. they make their vegetables taste like meat! i just had ‘vegetarian’ lamb yesterday. c’mon, don’t lie to yourselves vegetarians, you wanna eat meat so badly!

  95. woi, your brother stood how many days when u drank that cobra blood???and yet you said that nicole is not your girlfriend,you can tahan mei???

  96. Kenny, you rock!! Just sweep those detractors’ comments away under the rug, they are just attention seekers who i bet cant even write a blog 10% as good as yours!

  97. hey, i think ur blog is cool.
    and trust me, i’ll also try that once-in-ur-life-experience if i were u.
    so, just disregard negative comments.

  98. Ladies And Gentlemen,
    I would like to draw you attention to the cruelty that Vegans subject their vegetables to. To make their precious tofu, they first have harvest soya beans from plants. This is akin to ripping the sperm from the plant’s testicles or the eggs from their ovaries. Then they crush them and mash them. How cruel is that? Sick shit i tell you. They rip plants from their soil while they are still alive, boil them in water and god forbid, even stir-fry them. Vegetarian hypocrites, stop your reign of terror now!
    Society for Prevention of Plant Cruelty

  99. The cooked snake looks yummy.. T_T
    you know..if you just forget abt how it got killed and all.. or maybe i’m just hungry now..hehee..

  100. I’m going to ignore Kenny’s short talk and do this anyway because I always wanted to:
    “Kenny and Nicole sitting on a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G.”

  101. u are a celebrity so u have no private life n we are more interested about u and nicole give us more like last time about yourself and nicole but then again if there is nothing between u and nicole we are asian who is nicole going to get married n future since she is so close to u. Either take her as yr wife or leave her alone????????

  102. hahaha i like the way you ended the post. we are at the top of the food chain so i feel that there is nothing wrong for us to eat animals. we balance the ecosystem. anyway if eating animals are cruel, arent eating vege cruel too??? vege are lives too you know! just that they dont move around and make noise.

  103. Juz sweep those detractors comments under the carpet! This is ur blog,your vary own blog, they can choose not to view it if they find it uneasy,aint it?
    Great job, kip it up Kenny~

  104. FUCK ALL VEGETARIANS!!!!! I like to eat meat very much thank you! FOOD is the ultimate enjoyment and those no-lifer vegetarians who condemned meat lover can kiss my fucking asshole! vegetarians JUST GO AWAY!!!

  105. human teeth (inscisors?) are “made” to tear meat. tis a scientific fact. we are omnivores after all, not herbivores. but if people choose not to eat meat then it’s really their choice..they’re neither sad/happy, but in my experience, my friends who’ve tried to go vego suffer from iron deficiency and get tired really easy.

  106. It’s cruel because you killed it out of curiousity. I mean, how much lamer and more cruel can it get? It’s one thing to have animals die for our food needs (I’m a vegetarian, anyway), but to actually say that animals should die for your pleasure and entertainment boggles the mind.
    It’s not about your bloggers condemning you, it’s just a fact that when you treat animals as though they don’t feel pain and anguish when being trapped and sliced open, that makes you a very uncompassionate and pathetic person.

  107. hey good post, on both.
    for those who criticize, go watch the movie ‘fast food nation’ (available in any good dvd shop near you or find some video clips on how they slaughter animals in a modern farm which should be easily found on the internet these days). You’d see that in ‘fast food nation’ that slaughtering is just that – slaughtering – whether it’s fast, slow, humane or not. A visit to the wet market or farm will teach you amply about slaughtering.
    Or if you visit a village in china, vietnam or malaysia. People do bred animals you know. It’s a modern technology from from.. 5000 bc called agriculture.
    So if most of us city folks do bother, you’d find that most people in villages do slaughter for food – it’s called hunting, breeding. It’s not really the same as having a pet cat just to look pretty.
    In fact in china the village that i visit rare dogs because they inherently guard the owner properties. The dog breeds so they have more dogs and when the dog is old they eat it. These ppl are poor and they’d rather not waste the meat. (which is why rabbits are a good source of meat, easy to breed, cheap to feed but they destroy crops)
    that’s not to say i support killing off all the sharks for their fins and tigers for their balls.
    it’s conserving some – and eating the rest.
    is killing for food cruelty? plants are living beings too (if you’d have done some gardening you’d know that plants do grow and reproduce)
    what about that ant you just squash? or the mosquito that you just killed coz it’s bugging you like mad? (you don’t worry about them because for the 1 you killed, there’s plenty more right?)
    I’m sad for the snake. I’m sad for the chicken I ate too.. and I like it with the spare parts and for all the millions of animals that I may consume later on in life.
    for the vegetables Im about to consume I’m sad for you too for you too are living being! and I do have much more vege in my diet than meat.
    alamak how? don’t eat ah?
    like kennysia said, kolo mee without char sio, char kuey teow withour lard?!
    anyway.. for those who did watch ‘fast food nation’, bigmac anyone?
    have a good week ahead people.

  108. Fuck it. Know what I think? Eat them. Eat them before they eat us. Its the only way to go. Except for things which you believe to be cute, because it would be a damn shame to kill things if they were cute, or based on your perception of cute. Or if they were to suddenly wake up and converse in English, well dear Lord, I wouldn’t eat meat anymore, because that would be bloody unnerving.
    I must say though however, did no one see that the snake did not die in vain? It/he/she/wewillneverknow sacrificed its life so that Kenny could be nourished with the strength of serpents, therefore enriching him with extra cunning. It would have been a total waste if the snake would have been killed for sport, and just piled on the rubbish heap. How do you think that snake would have felt in snake heaven, looking down on all you vegetarians campaigning that it should not have had to die?
    Bollocks. Its death was not in vain. It has shown Kenny just how big a world is out there other than the nameless faces of chickens and porkers who fill our tums day by day. Ever wonder how gross and disgusting eating chickens are to another culture? Because of this, our resident author has been exposed, and now knows better than you potential Hitlers, who by the way, was against smoking, and was also a vegetarian.
    Except people. Ech. Don’t eat people, because you’d go insane, and its not time for soylent green anyway.

  109. hehe…call me crazy but i cant help thinking the other way round~~ Like humans being farm for consumptions~~Cannibalisms is legal~~BTW i still love meat especially Bah kut teh..HAHA I have a sick mind~~Next stop papua new guinea~~

  110. This blog is full of sexists’ mucho muchocho manhood pal! It ain’t look good for your image as you very much tried to shed some of your fat. To your silly immature admirers you are still their ‘MAN’.If a girl blogs like you she is bogasee but not a man like you because she has not got her ‘birdie’ to show off.I think you’re not a good example for your young audience.Do not inadvertendly encourage female sex objectification.

  111. ahh~ Malaysians and our closet minds~
    ;D
    personally, i don’t see anything wrong in the previous blog, it’s not like the snake was tortured or anything.
    there are worse stuff happening behind kitchen doors in seafood restaurants. some cooks actually boil live crabs to death instead of killing them beforehand. *sick*
    p.s. i’ll never be able to live without meat too~ mwahaha~

  112. Hey i think those vegans have left your blog for good coz they did not write any negative comment and oso did not debate at all.
    What a relief hor, but guess u have lost a bunch of vegan readers..kekeke. But nevermindlah, u still got a lot fans…kekek

  113. Maybe we should start cutting out and eat each other’s beating hearts for the exotic-ness of it. Heck, there’s 6 billion of us on the planet anyway. We’re not anywhere near being an endangered species.
    Maybe we should start farming humans too. As long as we don’t let them get too smart, they’ll never know what happened to them. I hear we taste like chicken.

  114. It’s funny how we condemn the US invading iraqis, how the Nazis tortured Jews, how the burmese military is beating up monks,…
    Yet we applaud Kenny for his courage when a live cobra is cut open and his beating heart is eaten. I wonder if you would applaud someone’s courage if he did that to a human being.
    We save the endangered species and then find all kinds of interesting ways to eat farmed animals.
    Funny how we always complain about the government being unfair in their policies with regards to race, then we say a rhino is incomparable to a cobra.
    We condemn racism and apartheid…but what about SPECISM? Wake up and see the world for what it is, people!

  115. sia swei, do you not eat farmed animals at all or are you just a preachy vegetarian who think you’re better than everyone else?
    I’m gonna delete your comments if you’re anonymous and just abusive.

  116. Well said sia swei~~
    Look who is talking about abusive over logic comments..Kenny Sia cannot stomach a good comment but he can stomach snakes liver and blood

  117. Oh…thats freaking Awsome the way they kill the snake and when you ate the heart and drank its liver. Damn that is soo Awsome

  118. Dear Kenny,
    I wonder how am i being abusive? i didn’t use any four-letter words nor did i say i was better than anyone else. All i said was the obvious with regards to the general issues that are happening in the world today.
    (plus notice that i used ‘we’ in my comments and not ‘u all’).
    fyi, i am a vegetarian but i never said i was better than anyone else or criticsize ppl for eating meat.
    all i’m saying is that the world is ironic. don’t u agree?
    I guess J was right… maybe u can’t stomach a good comment!
    p.s sorry if i offended u with the name i chose

  119. Not condemn about eating snake meal but what the hell is wrong for being a vegetarian? and why stereotyped all vegetarian think they are better than everyone else? So are you trying to say that you are better than everyone else?
    dude..is a bit stereotyping here isn’t it?

  120. Once again i apologise about the nick. I’m only trying to put a logical argument here.
    But perhaps you should also see that you are stereotyping vegetarians and i find that offensive.

  121. for people who can’t read… kenny said that he hate MOST are vegetarians who think they are better than him.. he did not say that he thinks all vegetarians are “holier-than-thou”.. lol…
    btw.. i tried bat meat before.. taste like chicken…

  122. I can’t believe that you support such killings. Even more depressing is that they have to end up in your big fat stomach.

  123. No one ask you to turn into a vegetarian.
    You seem to be trying flip the word of the commenters into something else.
    We know you get that some people only asked, “Why cant you eat ‘common’ things?”
    The snake comment seemed to have troubled you alot Sia.
    @Readers : It’s time to let it go, just because kennysia.com is popular doesnt mean you can come here and spam to make your e-lan ciau bigger.
    If you dont like it then dont come.

  124. I think that Kenny has the right, just as any blogger to blog about what he wishes to.
    @ the given circumstance of your “ranking” in the blogging industry, i tink , as someone commented above: with the highs, come the lows, and the fanmails n criticisms all get flown in together.
    I am a vegetarian, and i do understand that many people out there are very concerned about animal liberty, however that being said, i also understand that each and every individual has their own right and opinion.
    If you truly are concerned, you have to apply : one man’s meat = another man’s poison principle. as long as we stand by what we do, that should be our part. we can’t really be going around trying to convert people to adjust to our views. that may not necessarily be fair.
    now that being said however, i’d like to rebutt against a comment by a ms. xiao with quoted “we’re on top of the food chain” –> this is NOT correct. it is due to the HUMAN SELFISHNESS , the selfishness that wishes to prolong the survival of the human kind in this world: that we THINK we’re on top of the food chain. it’s all mind-made mentality. Please note this.
    kenny : indeed i was rather distraught when reading the mail, but i sense what you went through. afterall, we’ve got one life to live right, so why not try everything and anything once.
    i always tell alot of students , friends and people i meet.. you can do ANYTHING in life. ANYTHING. however.. two conditions :
    a) if it’s bad: don’t let any one catch you.
    b) be responsible. karma works in funny ways.
    and this applies to everything we do in life. now : looking @ what you did, considering the fact that you shared what you did with the whole world, it’d be like advertising. however, seeing it from a writer/media point of view : it is open to recieving compliments and criticisms alike from all over.
    b) why are people sooooooo worried about WHAT YOU do, when they can’t even handle their own problems ???? 😉
    still on a neutral stand , not siding you, or siding the critics, i’d just like to say this :
    if you don’t like what kennysia does/says/blogs/writes: then go find another blog , or spark one up :
    ithinkiambetterthankennysiadotcom
    i for one wudn want a
    notkennysiadotcombutkennypunyareaderpunyablogdotcom blog!!!
    🙂

  125. When I first saw the snake killed, I pitied the poor thing…
    Then I started to think of all the livestock and seafood that I’ve eaten, I pitied them too…
    Then I started to think of all the vegetables/fruits that I’ve eaten, I pitied all the pests that were killed to produce these vegetables/fruits…
    Damned if you eat, dead if you don’t. As for those of you condemning other people, I urge you to look at yourself first. Regardless of being vegetarian or not, living things were killed to produce fruits/vegetables.
    I pose this question to all – living in a modern city, can you technically eat something without killing at all? Is killing a form of cruelty?

  126. Hey kenny, chill out a little. Some people comment for the sake of crapping. So just mind them(morons). And don’t think that changing your blog’s URL to notkennysiadotcombutkennysiapunyareaderpunyablog.com will change a thing(I can still type that out!). Keep it up with what you do. Enjoy life to it’s fullest… Erm.. Well, not fullest lar.. Maybe 80% while the 20% is for more adventurous plannings and more exotic food! Yeah! I still love to see you eat those gruesome foods. After that, you should come back to Malaysia and start your own KennySia’s FearFactor! Haha.. Anyway, like I said; enjoy life. Take criticism lightly as people will just criticize their heads off when they feel like it. It happens most of the time. If you don’t mind, you can email me. Keep me posted. Cheers!

  127. Neutrality: It’s absolutely right that you cannot eat something without killing at all. But what’s wrong is killing an animal in a cruel manner such as swallowing its beating heart in a pool of its warm blood. I reckon you would say the same about a bunch of people digging into the brains of a live monkey even if he was unconscious or anaesthetized.
    And for all those who say that the animal is dead anyway; maybe it would be fun to fool around with your dead body or dismember it in all sorts of ways just for the “shock value”. You’d be too dead to realize what’s going on anyway.
    Emily: Kenny just generalized sia swei as “just a preachy vegetarian who think you’re better than everyone else”. Maybe that bat meat you’ve been eating has turned you into a dingbat.

  128. The ppl who criticised Kenny are so narrow minded. they need to get out more to see the world. Kenny is not the first person who ate a snake’s heart, filmed it or broadcasted it. You are just hating on him coz he is the most accessible.
    I saw ppl eat this on TV travelouges but u dun hear of ppl bitching about the host or the show. Eating these things are experiencing culture. This is what travelling is all about. Trying new stuff!!!
    You guys are just hating on Kenny because he had the courage to do this kind of thing and the ability to go to places where their cultures are like that. Get A Life! Go out and see the world. Maybe then you wont be hating so much

  129. Agreed with Freddi for this post…
    This is my 1st comment to you after reading through all ur entries from 2005 since July07 when my friend link ur web to an email to me regarding the one where u intend to use banana for ur big bird..kekeke
    I enjoyed them truely. So dun care what other people think or say and jz blog what you feel like! Ok? 🙂
    Actually i have been trying to ask u about Nicole…and since u have mentioned about it in ur short talk…so…i take this opportunity…
    As mentioned earlier, i only follow ur blog since july this year…so i come accross Nicole malacca at first from GOOd luck nicole……Then i started to read back all ur 2 years back entries…n still find nicole..so i thought nicole mlc is ur gf…until i come to a pic..which disclose..u n nicole kl…i was shock to c the pic as it is totally different… and somehow u mentioned that nicole had change a lot after went to gingin… so im still assuming nicole mlc..n nicole kl is the same…(pathetic) This assuming went on until i saw soem of ur readers comment saying that nicole kl is a past n nicole mlc is the one now..emmm.so silly of me..so now im clear..really clear.. well..just my 2 cent…y not u n nicole mlc really get start as couples…but…maybe both of u doesnt wnat a commited relationship yet since both of ur cycle of friends are so BIG n Fun…..or that nicole mlc..actually had a bf liao??..as she is so pretty….^^ some more u 2 share same interest…
    emmmm…..oh ya..normally i read ur blog in office..kekeke..and that i put all sound in mute..n youtube website is banned from my administrator..i never listen to ur voice until last week at home when i open to hear amber chia cha cha song… n also..c u eat snake… then only..i know..u have a nice aka ‘lovelyvoice’..whahahaah (maybe when talking only n not singing) kekeke…
    Keep up the job kenny…but yah..as some readers feel too…for the engrish thing… maybe u need to cut less…Peace..:)

  130. so is kenny with nicole? i mean i thought they r together gether liaw… sorry kenny the comment on nicole seem to spark some off topic… oh ya good article

  131. Humans are like that, especially them low self esteem ones. The moment they see someone doing something they perceived as wrong and shared by others, they immediately ‘jump’ on the ‘victim’ criticizing him/her for whatever action it was.
    It gives them some sense of superiority over that person. You really can’t fight these people other than being a bull and bash their face in(which is what I would *really* like to do). It’s pathetic…and there’s an endless supply of people with this mindset.
    Have courage, it takes a brave person to take in negative comments from idiots all around and STILL stand tall.

  132. Yeap.
    The heart would still be beating even after you swiftly kill it.
    Well, I personally know that ‘cos I do have to kill mice for my lab experiments. When we have to do that, we follow S.O.P whereby we have to kill the mice without any pain felt by them at all.
    One swift kill.
    And as we cut the body up, bit by bit, peeling off each layer, no one actually had a mice with a heart that stopped beating.
    It’s a body reaction though it’s already dead. Like when a lizard drops its tail off, you don’t see it lifeless but still flicking off and moving on its own.
    Kudos to Kenny to actually have the stomach to experience it. I’d probably feel indifferent though it would feel very weird after that.
    P/S: I’m a biology student. =]

  133. NO!! Killing snakes for consumption is WRONG!! JUST WRONG! I dun care WHO you are!! It’s NOT RIGHT! Halal method or not does NOT justify it!!
    *flails about wildly*

  134. Great post!! Brings back lots of memories of my time in Vietnam. Ah, Le Mat! I sat on the back of my student’s bicylce, and she took me to Le Mat, to visit an uncle who owns a snake restaurant. Didn’t eat any snake meat but I sure had a great time there! 🙂
    Who are those folks complaining about your snake eating?! Are they vegetarians?

  135. It’s funny how some people starts accusing “Vegetarians” when another group of people gave their opinions that Kenny was wrong.
    An example of “holier than thou” attitude I guess.

  136. Seizhin and kenny…
    Pls find my apologies if u think that my comment is somehow advertising ur personal life…. sorry for that…just curiosity n not to mean to offend anyone..

  137. Why hasn’t any vegetarian comment on plant cruelty and scientific studies backing it up? I want to hear your side too. What is your reason for only eating plants? You don’t want to be cruel to animals? But plants live, reproduce and feel pain too. It is because they are not vocal with their pain? Please do share your thoughts vegetarians.

  138. wahh eat snake ka??? in sabah especially town near the mount kinabalu is common in eating such excotic food…i never eat cobra but boa, tiger, monkey, bird,elephant and many other wild animal in jungle…hhehe

  139. DAMN you Kenny!!! That’s the most hypocritical and inhumane video I have ever seen.. I’m so much better than you!!
    I, myself, a watertarian!!! I survive on water only!! For no instance do I eat flesh of any animals or any products whose production process involve the killing of pitiful little organisms! And for no instance do I participate in the slaughtering of innocent little animals!!
    I do this through:
    1) Not cleaning the house. Eg. not changing and washing the bedsheets. (Yes, put yourselves in the shoes of the poor little dust mites who inhabits your bed. Imagine their screams as they swirl about into the whirlpool of the washing machine)
    2) Not walking anywhere, esp. onto fields (Do you know that for every step you take on a piece of field, you are squishing countless organisms that live under the surface of the soil. Would you like to be squished that way? Obviously not, so I do not walk anywhere.
    3) I do not participate in any activities that cleans myself. For this would destroy precious habitats of many little organisms. (For dead skins cells all over your body makes excellent habitats for microbes, esp. on your eyelashes, mites live there!)
    4) I do not eat anything, no, obviously not plants. (Come on, plants are living things too, how could I eat those. Yes, plants have feelings too, which hermit is still ignorant that plants can be stressed, just like humans taking exams. So, they are just like humans)
    5) I never sleep. (Fact is, a human eats about 8 spiders throughout their lifetime. This is during sleep and done unconsciously. Come on! Join the No Sleep Club with me!)
    6) I don’t study or go to schools. (Come on.. That requires paper, and making paper screws up the environment through deforestation. That leads to global warming. That would cause extreme weather in countries, floods and droughts. For all you know, it contributes to the droughts in Africa… How could anyone study knowing that it would cause others to suffer?)
    /end of crap facts
    Actually, I live a pretty normal lifestyle just like everyone else. I enjoy eating meat pretty much as most people too. I’, just a student taking time off studying for my Exams tomorrow to type something to support a blogger.
    Kenny, the video, was in no way, an inappropriate post. I have to admit, I was shocked at first, by the content, however, it’s good. I have always known snakes are consumed, and so are their bile, but not how. It’s a real eye-opener. I would want to try that someday too.
    Bottom line: It’s your blog, you post what you want. People who don’t like it can just scram.
    P.S.: Does it have any effects? *Cough*Cough*

  140. your blog, your life. ur enjoying ur trip to vietnam, its another different place, their lifestyles ur just tryin it out. so dont worry what ppl think dude, bak kata pepatah “masuk kandang kerbau menguak, masuk kandang kambing mengembek”, bwahaha, is that correct or what ? nice blog anyway. cheerios.

  141. I have a friend who claimed she’s a vegetarian.She would order chicken soup and not eat the chicken.And she calles herself a vegetarian?that is so sad……

  142. what is there to offend ppl about? seriously…tons of ppl do it everyday in other parts of asia…its part of their culture…
    please!!!~ i have ang mohs cock staring at me when i eat century eggs and gizzard/liver etc. in china…n these r “normal” food in the context of most chinese…
    kenny seriously pls do not take into heart what these people say…do what pleases u…i feel bad for u really…your blog is for your own pleasure n entertainment..what u post here is up to ur own decision…
    take care! ^_^

  143. I hope you are not feeling sad and meaningless when you blog as you’ve received lotsa comments condemning your action. It’s just that people in Vietnam and Malaysia have different cultures. If your readers are from Vietnam, they will think there’s nothing wrong with it. It all depends on individual’s perspective and since most people aren’t exposed to such culture, it seems ridiculous and cruel to kill a cobra for a meal.
    I’m sure you want your readers to widen their knowledge about the world and hence you showed the video. I’m sure we readers benefit by reading your blog and can know how it is like outside our country.
    Do continue to blog the way you like and don’t be too affected by critics! (Critics are ALWAYS present) I’ll be your faithful reader! (=

  144. stupid ppl living in their own world… everyone should go to a wet market once in a while… it’s called reality check…

  145. @smokine exactly
    The only word for this snake post is “gross”
    btw,
    why don’t those so called “animal lovers” go and demonstrate on how people breed turtles for meat? or selling squirrel,snake,monkey meat?
    While that is all happening in our very own MALAYSIA?

  146. kenny, i am one of those who bashed you when you put up those photos of the accident you witnessed in kuching. i still think what you did was wrong.
    however, here i totally disagree with those who are bashing you (although i will never eat ANYTIHNG labelled “exotic” as i am not the adventurous type)
    point #1:so long as it’s not endangered, i have no problem with it.
    point #2:everything else we eat has to be killed sooner or later, whether on a farm, in the kitchen, right in front of us, on ice, or even in our stomachs. so long as they are not tortured, please go ahead.

  147. eat the meat then eat the meat lar… who cares bout the survival of animals? as long humans survive day after day, we don care the hell death of chickens, cows, pigs, fishes, snakes or any living shits…

  148. kennysia, you should see the video again, see your expression, see your emotion, see closely, see if you have the slightest feel for the animal when you are swallowing its heart!
    what a shame that you are still smiling when you just swalloed a live heart and here coming out with these crappy articles that confuse people.

  149. after read through all the comments, i would like to vote the best one which is…
    “sopsop: just a snake. why like world war liddat.. swt…”
    and the first comment
    “none of my business oso: swtz. My 1st comment is no comment.”
    bravo for this two.

  150. Kenny, you really can produce very interesting write-up in your blog. Please keep it up.
    Vietnam -It’s an interesting place
    I had been to Hanoi in June this year. When we ordered a cab from the hotel’s reception. The manager got us a motorbike claiming there will be no cab service on Saturday evening due the congestion in the old quarters at Hanoi. My daughter who is 5ft 8inches tall, about 60kg was sharing a motobike with me (65kg) and the rider who weighs about 7Okg riding through the old quarters in for about 40 minutes from one Hotel to watch Water puppet show near the Hoan Kiem Lake!!
    I was praying and taking deep breath to avoid having heart attack while my daughter told me she could only closed her eyes and hope for the best.

  151. I just happened to come across your blog and having been to Vietnam before, I love how you described everything.
    In regards to this blog, who are we to judge what other’s eat? If you are a vegetarian, good for you. If you eat dogs on a daily basis, that’s also great. I have also tried snake in Vietnam and although it was an odd experience, it is a memorable one. I didn’t dare to eat the heart though. And yes, you were totally ripped off. I paid 50,000d.
    Your Sapa blog is awesome. Making a trip out there in late January. I can’t wait!

  152. one thing i always ask the vegetarians. which is more cruel? an animal expressing its pain and sorrow at its impending death? or a plant that is UNABLE to express its sorrow at its impending death (think death-mute)?!?!?

  153. I love snakes!!! Addicted maybe.. I feel uncomfortable whenever snake not comes serve in my meal . Way to go Kenny !!

  154. I would like to inform Kennysia that unfortunatly some of the snakes served at Gia Lam are endangered and are caught from the wild.
    There is currently no certification system in Gia Lam to certify the legal status of the restaurants and so it is impossible to tell for sure whether the restaurant you are visiting is selling farmed or wild caught, endangered snake.
    In most cases, the snake are usually farmed unless they are serving King Cobra which breed very poorly in captivity and is thus most likely to be from the wild if it is being offered on the menu.
    For observation, if snakes are fat and the price is reasonable, they are more likely farmed. King Cobra can not be farmed for commercial purposes. And eating wild snakes, especially cobras, is ILLEGAL.
    I do agree with Kennysia (and many other comments) that there is nothing more cruel about killing a snake at a table (if there is no extra suffering) than there is in killing a chicken or cow on a farm, and that if we eat eat pigs, goats, etc why not snakes?
    However, people (especially tourists) must be aware of the issues surrounding eating (and buying) exotic species, including the legalities. And whilst I (and many others) enjoy reading your blog, there is a responsibilty that comes with this, especially if you are telling people that animals are not endangered and certain practices are legal if you have not done your research.
    It is our duty as visitors to other countries (and representatives of our own) to ensure that we do not contribute negatively to the livelihoods, environment and natural wealth of a country.
    Like I said, I enjoy reading your blog and I agree with your comments. I am just eager that an obviously well-educated and well-travelled person such as yourself does their best to make well-informed decisions and does not participate in illegal and detrimental practices, and can continue to entertain us with their exciting adventures.

  155. actually we human are darn greedy… we have vegetables chickens, mutton, beef, fishes, prawns, crabs etcetera and yet we still wants variety. not enough with the venison, not enough with rabbits, even cobras and dogs.. i wouldn’t be surprise if someday human start cannibalism!
    disclaimer:no, i’m not a vegetarian and yea.. i’m as guilty as the next human being next to me.

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