Being vegetarian!!

This post was prompted by a planned trip to Egypt and my evenings being occupied pouring over the Lonely Planet, planning our meagre 6 days in this country where there is so much to do and see.. I came across a section on what to eat and was struck by this paragraph..

Vegetarians and vegans: The concept of vegetarianism is quite foreign in this part of the world. If you say you are vegan people will either look mystified or assume you are 'fessing up' to some sort of socially abberant behaviour!!

Have been in a reasonable number of uncomfortable situations due to being vegetarian.. some of them I describe below!!

Years back when I travelled to Copenhagen on a International meeting with more than 250 delegates from all our affiliates worldwide there was a social event in the evening which included an elaborate meal at a very classy restaurant by the riverfront in Copenhagen. The seating had been planned by the organisers so that we all were in mixed groups across affiliates and regions. I found myself beside a Dane who worked for our corporate head office a chinese colleage. Also on the table was an Americam woman and a couple of European colleagues. I said I preferred a fruit juice to wine which immediately evoked questions like is it prohibited in India to drink?? 'No it isnt' I said, 'its just that I am not used to wine and I still need to walk back to the hotel'. Then came in the salad with chunks of meat (which looked raw and repulsive to me). 'Excuse me' I said to the waitress, 'but I dont eat meat'. (normally I could always find a salad without meat). She looked at me and suggested that I eat the vegetables and leave the meat. 'No' I said 'I couldnt do that'. In the mean time the others at the table sat around with the food in front of them not knowing if they should start or wait. Please go ahead I said.. and they thankfully started.. Well finally they did manage to find somehing for me and it was ok!!

recently, here in Zurich, we were invited to a friends' place (they are British and have also lived in Canada and many other countries) were quite sensitive to the fact that people can be different. What do you not eat she asked me along with the invitation. Anything vegetarian is fine I said. She went on to clarify what I meant by vegetarian and that was great. She had a lovely pasta with sauce made with tofu and eggplant. The meal was delicious and we did have great conversation as well. Then somehwere in the middle of the conversation her son asked me, 'So what exactly do you not like about meat'. "well' I dont exactly know, as I have never tasted meat' I said. This was difficult to explain.. my up bringing in a bhramin household, the fact that no egg or meat was seen, the sight of raw meat evokes very strange emotions in me, conversations revolving on red meat or how sausages were made and the liver and brain , etc can put me off food, I couldnt even start to explain. So I left it at that and endured the really strange look he gave me, completely incomprehensible.

I was also once in Singapore where I recall a strange incident. Although Indian food is very easy to get and great for me, the official dinners were typical Singaporean and normally a disaster. I could never hope to be able to eat anything sitting at tables where people plucked at roasted frogs and large fish (with eyes and all). I can sit beside anyone eating any kind of meat and keep my senses about me but sea food in another story altogether. I have to really focus on not being sick, smiling and making conversation. A real challenge. On this particular trip I was 3 months into my second pregnancy and feeling very squemish. An Indian Singaporean friend seemed to understand and sympathise. She choose a real nice restaurant which served nice vegetable and curry dishes. We had steamed rice and vegetables and I was really happy to have been able to eat something. At the end of the meal the waitress appeared with a huge dish covered with an ornate brass lid. "oh, we did not order anything else' said my friend. 'Oh, yes.. You have this one our speciality free with ever meal order' she said with glee and opened this one with a florish.. and that was the end of holding the food inside of me.. It was fish head curry.. the most grotesque fish head I ever saw floating in a red sauce and with mouth open and large bulging eyes.. The waitress never understood why I had to run to the wash room, hand covering mouth!!!