Not long after I came to Montauban my landlord invited me to eat with him. He revealed that he and his wife don't eat meat for dinner that often and I mentioned my vegetarianism. He seemed a little let down and rattled off all the different French foods I should try. I'd thought about it before I came here; how it's a cultural thing, the food is healthier, probably less cruel. I told him about this and how I'd at least like to go a solid 2 years vegetarian. So we agreed that after New Year's we'd have foie gras.
Back story
Since then I've been thinking about it more. Food is actually constantly on my mind. I'm a terrible cook. I'm lazy, impatient and am not picky. My diet here has been so ridiculous. I spent the first week or so eating paninis. Then I ate at the high school lunchroom, cramming all their wonderful food. When that debit account ran out I turned to yogurt and bread. When my money ran out I lived off of rice, then Halloween candy.
Now that I'm stable I go to the market, but the food goes bad so quickly and I never know how much to buy. Mostly, I'm satisfied with muesli (haven't had milk in months now) at breakfast and then, if I'm lazy, a baguette (from around the corner) by itself or with nutella/cheese. If I'm not lazy then I make pasta (sometimes with sauce) or rice (with a few added spices, honestly it's delicious on its own) for dinner.
I've visibly lost weight (at my medical exam in October I was at 65 kg, which is about 8 kg less than what I weighed in the summer) and don't think I need to lose anymore, but I was chunking up for a while and am a bit shamefully glad I lost weight. And evil thoughts sometimes cross my mind like, "Wow, my stomach's actually growling. Before I'd eat when I wasn't hungry. Now I only eat when I need to. And who's to say I even need to eat now? I can wait a little longer." or "Europe: The Ultimate Weight Loss Plan".
So eating, and not eating, is constantly on my mind. I know I need to be eating more green vegetables, fruits, nuts, etc. I'm still taking my vitamins to ease my mind, and every so often I just think, "Why can't I appreciate food more? Why can't I be passionate about you and make delicious dishes? Or if I can't do that, why can't you just come in a pill so I wouldn't have to stress about you so much?" Why do I think this? Food is such a basic part of life and so social, but it's often a chore for me because I don't appreciate it.
I go on and on thinking about 'getting back to nature', helping the environment and all that, but I'm so lazy and unknowledgeable that I try to reduce food to yet another piece of nature that humans can overcome. I feel so duplicitous.
.......
My original reasons for becoming vegetarian (in real order, but reversed when explained) were:
· Alexis was doing it
· It's cool, man
· All that cruelty to animals, man
I first started giving up meat during Lent around 2002 (and again in 2003 and 2004, I think), though. I liked the idea of being able to deny myself of something.
Then I read "Fast Food Nation" (yeah, I'm one of those people. [see recent readings of Dawkins]). Alexis gave me a PETA "Vegetarian Starter Kit" and it helped, but it was mainly recipes for stuff I'm too lazy to make and not, say, carrots.
Some people seem offended by vegetarians and demand reasons. Not that I think a dietary choice is as defining a characteristic (or one as subject to ridicule) but it seems like red-blooded, American, Christian, hetero males equate vegetarians with gay Muslims. But with vegetarians they can really insinuate and insult them in a way they can't (the smarter ones) with gays or Muslims (real and perceived). Since being vegetarian is a choice and the others aren't (seriously, who would choose Islam!), we have to answer for our sins.
So, my usual response to ever-inquisitive strangers is, "Well, I often get really bad stomach pains when I eat meat." Some tell me that makes me sound less manly. But I didn't feel comfortable telling them about cruelty to animals and sounding like I was better than them (which I totally am!) for my beliefs. In truth I think the stomach pains I get come more so from cheese, but I've always been in denial. I think I can get out of that denial and now say, "Fuck you, I have my reasons."
Now, I have a plan. Like I did 2 1/2 years ago. I was first going to give up all meat by January 1, 2006, but I ended up cramming it into 5 months. Just before the New Year I ended up cheating a little by getting pork ribs with Blake for his birthday and taking a bite of a Whopper that was in the fridge after Christmas. But since then I've not willingly/knowingly eaten any meat. I enjoyed the vegetarian egg rolls Romel's mom made for his wedding and soon found them to be full of beef.
After January 1, 2007 I will eat meat until July 1, 2007. Not regularly. Not at all. Just to try new foods in France and Ireland and to revisit my old friends (jerk chicken, chicken McNuggets, pork ribs, Ultradog, Whopper, crab rangoon, shrimp, fish and chips, etc.). On July 1, I'll be going vegan.
I've been thinking about vegetarianism as a copout for a few months now and the transition's only major hurdle will be cheese (sweet Isis do I love cheese!) but I need to face facts about where my cheese is coming from and what it's doing. Oh, and all the mystery foods at restaurants. But I saw Tom figure that out, I can deal with it too.
So, I'll use the next six months to figure this out while being even more lazy in my eating habits.
.......
THIS JUST IN! SUCK IT!
"Many people are eating too many animal products," Fontana said, as well as too many processed foods and sugars.
Comments
You and I currently have the same diet. Well, I am not eating much rice, but otherwise it is pretty similar.
From the bread and spoiling fresh foods to the museli with no milk.
Produce shopping sucks outside the midwes (I imagine CA has pretty good veggies). It is either expensive or rotten or out of stock.
Posted by: Anthony | December 13, 2006 7:56 PM
it's good to read this. i'm struggling too with meat/no meat and everything in between.
our fresh food here is so messed up in the USA... staying good for weeks. where it should be going rotten in a few days...from the market.
can you get to the market each day to buy only what you need?
Posted by: jen | December 14, 2006 2:55 AM
I am what I consider 85% vegetarian. I dont do it because of cruelty to animals. I do it for health reasons. And I feel better. If someone is offended by me not eating meat I just tell them to imagine what rotting meat looks and smells like compared to rotting vegetables. Then I tell em to suck it.
then I ridicule them for eating horrible meats.
I like to do that anyway. It seems like something vegetarians should do. Ridicule people for the choices they make, while complaining about their rights not being respected.
Posted by: docbeezy | December 14, 2006 9:52 AM
is the produce in d.c. really that bad?
...
i could get to a market to buy what i need, but i'm lazy. i might try something crazy after the new year and only buy bread and vegetables (plus the occasional meat, whatever) and just eat that every day. so, i'd go shopping every day for each meal basically, and it'd be extremely easy to make. we'll see...
....
if only you could make wine from rotting/fermenting meat. I've been thinking about being more of an asshole about my vegetarian-ness. I'll now thank you for that, dr.
Posted by: kevin | December 14, 2006 11:13 AM