1) I'm definitely a stress eater. Trying to be vegan in the midst of trying to adjust to a new culture, learn Indonesian, do community development work, live out of a suitcase, and live with a national family, was just a little crazy making. Especially since I'm a new vegan and not completely established in what to eat. At times it was just too stressful to try to eat a certain way and I let myself eat things with butter and eggs simply to make it through.
2) It is always in your best interest to pack a snack. There were times I didn't eat anything, which certainly isn't healthy! What would you do if you were in an isolated village and someone had bought lunch for everyone, "nasi bunku" (which means "rice packet"), consisting of rice and fish wrapped up in a banana leaf? I chose not to eat because in this circumstance I wasn't being rude. But I was starving! There were other times where all I ate was rice and a little bit of a veggie dish, which was usually so spicy I was sweating and tears were pouring out of my eyes uncontrollably. I should always have some nuts or a granola bar on hand to tide me over until I can get some real grub. Just the other night, here in the States, a friend hosted a Vietnamese dinner. It was catered from a local Vietnamese restaurant and included 5 dishes with beef, chicken, and pork (as well as white rice of course). I went up to the people serving the food and asked if there was anything vegetarian. They pointed to the spring rolls. I politely said, "Those have pork in them". Then they pointed to the rest of the dishes, filled with beef and chicken. I smiled sweetly and took a helping of white rice, just to eat something, and they said, "Well aren't you going to have anything else?!" (If you were behind the serving line that night, see this blog post to educated yourself on what it means to be vegetarian).
3) Vegetarianism and veganism can be something of a privilege. I've had several people tell me that when they were in grad school or college, they mainly ate vegetarian because that's all the could afford. Granted, it can be cheaper to skip the meat. However, what about those in the inner city who have no access to fresh fruit or vegetables? Or those who shop at Walmart and its cheaper to buy a case of soda or several bags of chips than it is to buy the same amount of tomatoes? Or how about those out in the country who barely have enough to survive, who eat the chicken they have been raising since birth, simply to nourish themselves and live another day? I haven't fully processed this thought, but it makes me wonder how vegetarianism can become accessible to everyone. If the world were to eat vegetarian and put a stop to the animal factory industry, it seems like everyone would have more than enough to eat. Its getting to that point that poses a challenge.
4) I REALLY missed eating pure and having access to healthy options. I found a vegetarian restaurant in my city and within the course of two weeks ate there six times! If I ever lived there long term, I think I'd be able to make it simply because of this restaurant. They had a brochure on vegetarianism, and in the brochure was a picture of several animals with the caption, "Love us not eat us". Common enough, right? But the pictures of animals not to be eaten included not only a cow, pig, and chicken, but also a dog, cat, and tropical bird. Cultural context is everything!
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