People around me, who know me well already know that I am an optimistic person, and that I always try to be as optimistic as possible. I really do not like nervous people, jumpy people, pessimist or somber people; I feel like they are sucking the life out of me, and I hate it. There was a time when I managed to stay away from them, but lately I had to have more social interaction and unfortunately, once you put yourself out there, you most definitely fall upon one type or another.
I thought that human stupidity and wrongness cannot surprise me anymore, but I was terribly wrong. I saw a thing I would not have wanted to see in my entire life, people promoted just because of their attitude and not their merits, people thinking that they are better than others just because they are more vile and violent. This type of people makes me want to never get my nose out of my books, at least the latter won't strut in my face puffing up their chests and trying to convince me that they are doing a good thing.
photo credits: Google images
I was completely surprised to see that such a person felt the need to let me know that I should not say to others what I have witnessed, and even more surprised to find out that I was thought to judge. I do not have such right, nor do I want the right to judge people. We all are the sum of our actions, so I strongly believe that we should all mind our own business. I have so many things to think about that I don't even have the spare time to think about myself, let alone care about what others do. Especially people that I think are low and do not want to be associated with.
And just to be clear, I do not judge people by their aspect, or their tastes in clothes, or their taste in music and books, I don't judge people if they read or not, if they can write correctly or not, and most of all I don't give a damn if they have money or not. My friends come from all places, have eclectic tastes, are airy and crazy, and the only connection is the respect we feel for each other.
But I do judge people by their actions; and I find out that your heart is pitch-black, I want nothing to do with you. I won't go telling here and there that you're not worth it, I am a believer in the idea that we should all learn from our mistakes; but I will definitely cut all contact with you, and I would prefer to never see you again.
Not believing that my method is best, I still do not want to have anything to do with people I don't like, and I'm keeping my friends' circle to a minimum, with people that make me a better person and people who make me smile and feel warm and safe. I like to believe that I'm doing the same for them, and I am forever grateful for the luminous persons in my life. These are the persons I care about, and only these. I do not pry into their personal lives, they do not invade my privacy, but we help each other as much as possible, without expecting something in return.
With these being said, I conclude yet another chapter in my journal by saying that if a person is not my friend, they should know that I really really do not care about anything they're doing, because my life is much more interesting than theirs.
Now, with a lighter heart, I humbly return to work.
As everybody visiting this site might have understood by now; I love being vegan. I feel better, physically and psychically; it helped me see which of my friends understand me and are ready to accept me with all my oddities, it widened my horizons, made me reach out and virtually meet extraordinary people, etc...
If I'd start to write on all the pluses, I'd never end; then again every vegan had his or her own experiences; encouragements and disappointments, then who am I to insist on something everybody knows already? I'm writing this blog for me as well as for those who have not yet decided. I'd say to them that, if you're reading this, you're already on the right path. If you've acknowledged the fact that you could try to be vegan for the good of everybody, you've already made the decisive step; that of caring! That of refusing to look the other way, completely ignoring what's actually happening around you.
What is it about autumn that makes me want to write more?I have so many creative activities during this season that I'm starting to think it must be the richness of it that inspires me. That and nature. I'm so lucky to have been born in October!
Lake Buttermere, photo by Chris Warren on Bing
Thankfully, Autumn is the richest season; you have so many fruits and veggies, so it's the height of the year for vegans. Maybe not for all; since there are countries where you have these all year round; but here, in my darling Romania, since the beginning of time, people had to gather during autumn in order to have food during the cold season. Even before agriculture became industrialized, this was the law of nature, and it hasn't changed much. Except for imported food.
As I've already said; becoming vegan has opened my horizon; I now no longer feel that being vegan is enough, as there is so much more to do on this planet! I love nature and that is the main reason I've done it; but let's be frank, it takes more than not eating meat to trully call yourself a nature lover!
First of all, I'm thinking about my living space. I need to make it nature-respectful, so recycling is a must. As well as using as little plastic as possible. Here's a video on what the ordinary plastic does to our nature; if this doesn't convince you, I don't know right now what else will:
Need I say that lights out while you're out of your home is not only saving you money, but the planet also?
Then there's the matter of food. Because we're always returning to this; this is a food blog, right?
Just like everybody else around me, I used to buy all my food from the supermarket. Let's be realistic, it's much easier to have it all there and just grab it and put it in your basket; all products from A to Z. Gradually, I became unsatisfied with the vegetables and fruits I found there; so I started buying less and less; except when I was really in a hurry and craved an apple, or an orange, or a banana.
It's not just the fact that supermarket veggies are usually green-house produced; it's also the aspect of them being shipped for thousands of kilometers until they reach our stores; burning fuel along the way; so no matter how "eco" or "organic" they pretend to be, they are actually not, as long as they came from another country.
If you look it up; or I will do it for you one day; the core of the "organic"/ "bio"/ "eco"concept is that it must respect nature in all aspects. And it applies to all foods, not just veggies and fruits..
Then there's the problem of buying from corporations, rather than helping your local producers- what we call kilometer 0 products. Even if the product is made locally, wouldn't you help the producer more if you bought it directly from him rather than paying the supermarket for it? If possible, buy from source, and you'll have insured that next year you will still have km 0 products from that farmer you've helped directly...
Even better-grow your own basic food if possible, like tomatoes, leafy greens, salad, kale, etc... and buy the rest from the farmer's market.
my balcony-grown kale, tomatoes & others
Like I said, we don't have fruits and veggies all year round, except in supermarkets, and they come from God knows where. But we've learned to store them over a long period of time. It's not fully vegan, in the literally sense of the word; but even though fruits and veggies are boiled or fried and then frozen, I dare to say it is still better than buying them fresh from the supermarket. Ok, moderate heat destroys part of the vitamins and nutrients; but it's way better than veggies and fruits pumped-up with fertilizers and picked-up while they are still green, sprayed with conservatives and shipped over thousands of km.
I'm not saying I have the best idea; but it's still better than nothing, right? You could can almost anything, and other foods, like roots and squashes keep anyway; so why not buy them and store them while it's their season? I love nothing better than to have my kitchen well-stocked with as many ingredients as possible; in fact I was just telling my boyfriend the other day that if all markets closed for a month, we wouldn't starve... and I haven't even finished canning for this winter....
I'm an advocate for cooking your own food as much as possible, and growing it also is my ideal of a plentiful life.
If I'm not able to grow it, I buy it from people I know have grown it just as I would, no pesticides, chemicals of any sort, just sun, water and good earth.
Now let's talk about fruits that don't grow here. I find this topic extremely interesting, and I wanted to attack it for some time now. I love bananas, oranges and lemons, avocado and ginger root. None of these grow in Romania, and many of others that can be found only for a short while. My favorite snack is a banana, whenever I'm hungry and need a quick bite. As easy to imagine, I'm not quite happy with the situation. If oranges and lemons can grow closer to us, the other fruits and root respectively don't. I still buy them, but in smaller quantities, and try to buy them by the bulk, so less plastic is wasted.
I've been snooping the internet for a life with less waste, and Zero waste home has become my muse. I'm learning so much from this site, that at times I can't believe I didn't think of it sooner. I'll apply the "bring your own container" strategy when buying these tricky items, so at least some of the harm is reduced. But I will cut down my family's consumption of these items anyway.
Even though it might not be generally agreed upon, it's really not that hard to be a vegetarian in Romania. We have the means, the prejudices make it harder though. Restaurants make it worse. But with the right determination, it is possible. It also depends on what lengths you are willing to go; and it also depends on what you understand by the concept. I am not just a vegan or vegetarian, or whatever you call it. (and yes, I know the difference between the two terms).
I'm a person who cares; and that is why I'm doing everything. I care about the Earth and its inhabitants, I believe Nature is a Goddess and I worship Her, I believe that by not hurting others I can become a lighter soul, and I'm working on it.
Mother Earth Gaia- Google Images
I strongly believe that, besides the earth itself, there is none greater, none more majestic or more complex organism that the majestic Tree....and I bow to It.
Yggdrasil - Wikipedia
Does that make me a pantheist? partially, maybe, I have such a complex set of believes that I really have no idea what I am right now. But one thing I do know, and that is the fact that I was put on this earth with a purpose, and it could be that of compassion and love, and I'm spreading the word by my humble means... If trees could speak, what would they whisper to us?
...or better said when do you know that you've reached some level of satisfaction in your life...is the idea that nags me for some days now.
Well I don't really know about others, but they all seem to measure their accomplishments in how much money they're making, how many super cars they have, how many women, how many pairs of shoes, etc.
I, on the other hand, would like to measure my success in this life by how much I've left behind, especially on how many books I will have written, with my name on them. As I grew up in a home where books were the ultimate authority and were and still are sacred, you may imagine why I will feel like I've left something behind if I manage to write a few and publish them...
There are so many talented people out there that we might think anyone can write a book, but in fact it takes more time, determination and strong will than I would like to admit. I have the skills to do it, but the rest of attributes are harder to find...especially when I'm being sidetracked by other activities.
I'm getting there though, and one day my family and friends will be proud for all the support and encouragements they've given me through time.
Speaking of family and friends, I think that much of one's accomplishment can be measured in that; and one's character is also measured in fiends; the more you have the more your compass points in the right direction.
Now you might say that you only have few real friends, but I am here talking about the real ones, which help and will get help in return, the ones that are there with a shoulder to cry on and not the ones you meet every day for a coffee. Real friends are the ones you don't speak with for months in a row, and then, when you do meet, it's like you've never lost contact. They know you and you know them, they respect and love you and you respect and love them in return; without questioning, without rewards, no strings attached, except for those of two compatible hearts.
I was surprised many times in my short life to see that there are people who don't really have friends, I wonder where do they get their support, their reassurance, their warmth? ok, Family is family, but don't you ever need another opinion, even if at times it contradicts everything you believed in?
I feel accomplished with little things, like a new book on my shelf, a new funny face one of my nieces makes, the quiet and serenity my cats brings, the satisfaction of picking your own vegetables and knowing you planted, tended and will eat them too,
as well as the quiet and peace my motor gives me on times like this beautiful sunset...
the way all falls into place on a quiet afternoon, the smell of good food
and tomato soup in particular, the perfume of ripe fruit...the satisfaction of spending the money I made from writing, as little as they come, the 30 minutes of lunch break at work during a crazy work day... when I get to eat my goodies...
and read a few lines from a nice book... my friends' laughs around the table after a good dinner that I've cooked and they ate, thanking me for the food at the end...
I know much of my accomplishments come from food, so there is one good reason why I started this blog-journal. Food is a crucial part of my life, my social compass, my health provider and my success measurement unit.
Just thinking that there are so many persons out there who suffer from lack of food, whole countries who eat less in a month than my family does in a week; and that without thinking about water or any other simple needs; makes my skin crawl and makes me respect my food more, as it is a sacred and crucial aspect.
Then I think of all the persons who are not well informed, get sick from their food and their doctors don't really tell them exactly what is good or bad, that it makes me angry, but there is so little you can do for a person who's been eating meat all his or her life and can't restrain from food that makes him or her sick...as habit is a nasty obstacle to overcome...and then there are the ones that pure and simply refuse to acknowledge the fact that much of the food we find in supermarkets is plastic, and not only kills them, but also the world around them....but the story about plastic is another one....which I will tell you about at another time....
I have no idea how others really measure their success, but there it is, my simple and straightforward truth....my success comes from the acknowledgement that animal flesh is not the food I want to eat; and this so more since I will soon be 1 year old in my vegan diet...but most of all from the peace of mind I got once I took this decision.
Being vegan is not a trend, not a pride matter and surely not something everyone will understand, being vegan is a way of life which implies many more steps, which gets you to the place where you realize that you're not yet there, that apart from not eating animals you have to protect them, protect the environment and leave a legacy to our future generations...and oh so much more!
But again, that will be the subject of many posts to come.... as I'm still just at the beginning of the path...
Still, there is a question always in my mind, nagging me, only made stronger by the studies I take....making me more and more scared every day... If trees could talk, what would they whisper to us?
Sometimes I feel like I belong somewhere else, sometimes I feel like I'm right where I am meant to be...but all the time I see and observe the people around me. Some are happy, some make me sad, some are stressed out and nervous, and some are serene and smile all the time. what do the ones smiling know that the others don't? Do some just immerse themselves in their every day problems and forget how to live? Amaizingly, I observe all these things because I recognize the feelings; the happy as well as the sad ones. Been there, done that, I could say it many many times...
source: bing images
I see all of these detached, from my own and personal bubble, where there are many problems, but where there are also many things to be grateful for, and these latter make all the hard work worth while.
We've all got problems, but if we could just listen around us for a little bit, stop the misery train in its tracks, we could really see that many of them are actually just so big as we make them. But there's a catch, as always. Do not let yourself be wrongly influenced by the world outside, because it will only make you feel worse. Go, have a walk in the woods, listen to what the trees have to say, climb a mountain or a hill, stay on the grass by a stream and clearly think your problems through. The solution will come to you, because you already had it, but were too polluted by the noise around you to be able to grasp it.
And yes, there are people out there, like from another world, who think everything is in their power, who care nothing for a stray dog or cat, who think sheep and cows and chickens are actually living for their sole role as our feeding material; and I mean material in its most cruel and de- personalizing kind of way.
And then there's hobbits like me, who open their eyes more every day, break from the system, start growing things and decide to change every single day. That's why sometimes I feel like I'm in another world from many of the people I know. Slowly, timidly, I give them little bits of information, I let them see how I discovered this thing or that can be done in a more harmless way, and the people who matter to me start changing bit by bit.
Those who mock my ways do not scare and do not hurt me, I do not envy them for any of their numerous possessions, I do not long to have what they have, I just keep on going my own way. And as through my way I respect everything around me, so do I respect them and their choices, do not judge them, as we are all free to choose.
And yet again, I sit and wonder.... If trees could talk, what would they whisper to us?
These are just a few of the reasons why I decided not to eat animals anymore...and this is the reason I state each and every time someone asks the inevitable question "Why don't you eat meat anymore?"...my answer, straight from the heart, is, "I decided to no longer eat animals, that's why."
I understand that many don't see, and really don't want to see the ugly side of meat eating...I understand totally, it is disturbing, unnerving, sickening, so we all refuse to acknowledge things that hurt us and make us feel bad or uncomfortable. But I have an advantage: if I'm not consuming it any more, I feel like a better person and feel lighter, don't have so many health problems and feel good on the whole, like in a "Mens sana in corpore sano" kind of way..
I also understand why people don't like recycling...it can be bothering, having all those extra recycling trash cans, and here in Romania you can choose to do it or not unfortunately, leaving it up to the individual's civic sense of duty so to speak. If recycling is hard, I imagine how reducing the impact on the environment can be; so speaking about carbon footprint is in vain. I'm just starting on this path, trying to reduce waste as much as possible. I guess this is the normal step after going on my vegetarian path...
Even if I'm just at the beginning of this winding road, and so far I'm crazed by the sound of tap water running, eat local produce as much as possible for half a reason (my desire to find healthy food and help local producers) to which I need to add the impact made by transported/packed/belonging to international industry mammoths all sorts of products; I'm encouraged by the abundance of information I can find on the Internet about substitute solutions I never even dreamed existed.
In another order of ideas, I've been wondering...
If trees could speak, what would they whisper to us?
...and everything it brings us. Let's dedicate this week to being grateful for everyone and everything we have in our lives, without thinking about our regrets! Let's each get out in the sun, let his warm rays caress our face, feel as our vision behind our eyelids turns red and stop only when we start seeing spots! Let it invade our face and our hearts!
This is the sunflower I plated on my balcony, and I dedicate it to all of us sun lovers and happy dwellers of this beautiful Earth!
We are so blessed to be alive, to have people and beautiful places around us, to love and be loved! We have people, animals and plants around us that love to love and be loved! We are so much luckier than we ever will perceive!
credits: tumblr
Let's just be grateful for all that was, all that is and all that will be!
While writing this, I'm at my desk in my office, so yes, hobbits do have desk jobs, suitable for their talkative, but less action-prone personalities...
Just watched about six John Deere combines passing by our headquarters, and they are a joy to watch, although they are the symbol of industrialization of agriculture. I can't help it, I just love tractors, combines and all those green beautiful machines...
credits: www.deere.com
...they all look like huge toys to me...It might be because my father used to own a tractor back in the days, and sometimes let me "drive" it...which means I would sit in his lap and take over the wheel (I was way too short to reach for the pedals...).
Returning to our days, I'm saddened by some of my flowers...my bacony used to look like this:
..but there was so much rain this past month that my beautiful petunias:
...look now like this:
they practically have no more leaves! some how now started to grow and the poor things still have most of their flowers, so I wonder how they survived...I even thought about giving them some growth chemicals...I'm desperate! especially since I have no other place to hang them, my balcony is full...
That's a sunflower up front...I wonder if there will be some result from it...I actually have 2.
Like a true witch, I've planted sage...although late enough...but my little grass has come to life:
and gets along with my producing tomato:
I already have ripe tomatoes:
which I will be eating this weekend.They are extremely scented, and I'm sure they'll taste heavenly.I've waited desperately for my rosemary to come to life, I've even planted them 2 times, but only got this shy result after a long time:
which led me to thinking that the seeds were bad. I have beautiful edible flowers which I didn'ty have the heart to eat:
and I got some eggplants from my friend, wondering if I will see any produce, since they have flowered:
before risking to bore you to death..I would like to add that my kale tastes delicious and I have planted little plants in every nook available:
That being said, I dream myself away, in some forest high in the mountains, just me the trees and the birds, and maybe a good book...a hammock and some lemonade...
So you an see what an ordinary day in my life looks like: dreaming away, dreaming about good food/drink, a good book and a lot of quiet, worrying about my crops and writing about every little thing...nothing very exciting or very brave...just an ordinary simple life....:)
There's something abut Summer that just makes me want to lay down, slow down, appreciate life more and love myself more. It's not the heat, since I am lucky to live in a cool place, it's just the sweetness of the birds singing in the small wood next to my block, the sun that goes to sleep late, the moon that is so big and wonderful each night, the breezy nights and the nice afternoon motorcycle rides; all these make me love more. And not just love myself, but love in general. I feel the love from the sun, it calms me, makes me radiate it...
I do believe that the most important aspect in our everyday life is nutrition. If we don't eat properly, we are grumpy and depressed, lifeless and exposed to disease. It's exactly for that reason that summer can heal us in and out, from the brain to the body, with its abundance of goodies. I strongly believe that a sun kissed fruit, freshly picked, can induce us a state of happiness and love.
Although I haven't written here in a while, I bet you can already understand that my belief about food hasn't changed. Indeed, I'm still a vegan, if not a full raw-vegan, at least 80% of my diet is still made up of fresh fruit and greens, and all this due to the lovely summer which provides everything I need.
And yes, I feel great, haven't lost or gained weight, it wasn't necessarily my intention; but as I've stated from the beginning, my energy level was low. Gradually, as my body started to cleanse from all those year of meat eating, my energy grew, just like so many before me stated it. My hair and nails are great, although I switched to almond, soya and rice milk without a sweat; as I've noticed for some years now that pasteurized milk gave me stomach aches.
I've been making smoothies every morning and that kept me and my boyfriend flu free all winter, although he's not a vegan at all. With the fruit abundance this season I don't even bother to make juice out of them, especially if they are from trustworthy sources. A salad like this
is also a rare and too fancy thing, as I like to bite from my fruit, but I do them for my boyfriend, trying to make him eat more fruits.
I planted a lot of vegetables this year, I am proud to have had such activities, which I've missed for so many years, I even grow tomatoes on my balcony:
with little to no expenses, as I've received the little plants from a friend and I've recycled plastic 5 liter water bottles.
So I'm going to eat my own grown tomatoes, after such a long time...
I read a lot on different subjects, love trees more than ever and love to go camping, which we've done a couple of times, and will do again, being the bikers that we are. My primary love remains reading on a blanket under a tree, my motor close.
I've even taken my nieces on a small field trip on foot, climbed a few rocks and once we got to the top, we spread our blanket, read our books and eaten our sandwiches which we've made ourselves.
We were pretty up out there, with cotton candy clouds, fresh crisp air, and it felt awesome!
There's something about laying with your face towards the sky, knowing that for a good piece of earth around, you are the closest to the sky, yet with your back against the secure earth;
it's some sort of happy dizziness you feel, that makes your head light. I wish to inspire more of the reading love to my sweet nieces; I want them to see how cool it is to read and love nature.
I'll also try to inspire my sister to give up meat and sweets, but it's hard to do that while we're in different cities. I'll make some raw cookies next Friday, when I'm going to visit them.
Nature is so beautiful and I love having small pieces of wonder on my balcony, like this cucumber:
It's amazing and beautifully strange that one little seed could give birth to such beauty. I'm stil at wonder of how complex nature is. Here are some other plant pots I've made from plastic bottles; I got the idea from a picture I saw on the Internet and then I've put one of these in every free corner of my little terrace facing the wonderful small wood.
I really feel blessed to live in this place, even if it is in a big and noisy city, this living and breathing barrier keeps it all away from my little green sanctuary.
These being said, I am proud to admit that I'm a vegan treehugger and grass worshiper, and all green inspires me to love:
May the green love which nature used to make all around us help us find the right path and heal all our wounds!
...and I'm mighty proud of it. I must admit I love plants alot, but most of all, I adore trees, of all shapes and sizes.
It's strange how after a full week of work in an office, once the weekend comes, I am so tired that I don't want to budge an inch from my home; but there are a few times, like the last weekend, when getting out and walking around, reminds me why I love being surrounded by nature...
I've visited a friend yesterday, in a wonderful village not very far from the city I live in, and this village proved out to be a dreamy place....
...and in a large space like this, there were horses all around...I almost had a stroke at seeing so many horses, roaming in the center of the village, a village like no other I've ever visited...
...and I had an especially wonderful time, and a few hours of bliss just by roaming in the forest near the village...the entrance into being a spectacular site...
...suitable for the beauty inside...
...and admired beautiful creatures of our Mother Nature:
I'm so in love with trees, that I couldn't stop touching them...
Just being there, walking on the ground of the forest, hearing the birds chirp and seeing these beautiful creations filled my heart with such peace and love, that I felt my lungs were about to burst, together with my heart. One has no idea what it's like until going there, walking beneath the huge trees, feeling the quiet and feeling the majestic presence of this huge interlaced organism, which is the forest.
How someone can cut down such creatures is quite hurtful to my mind right now, although I am aware of the fact that so many things I'm touching daily come from beautiful, majestic, old and wise trees...
Thank God there are emails, computers, Kindle e-readers, mechanic pencils and so on...
So let's recycle more paper and save a few trees!!!
I've mentioned before that one of my favorite greens is baby spinach, but only raw (I hate the cooked taste of it!!), in salads and smoothies alike, well here's another confession: rucola (arugula in the US) is my second choice. This is a leafy green plant growing especially in the Mediterranean areas, but which is easily found here in Romania throughout the year, and which kind of tastes like...well...meat! Or at least that's how I can describe it, and it is very satiating all the same. I love it in salads, but I cannot eat it alone, since it is a little too heavy for my taste buds. But combined with baby spinach and lamb lettuce (raiponce, douchette, etc)
a dab of lemon, bell pepper, cucumber and maybe a little aceto balsamico it can be the perfect salad on the go when you're in a hurry. One advice though, never pour the aceto on your salad until the very moment you are going to eat it, otherwise it will attack the leaves and make them loose their crunchiness. A little olive oil is also a great idea, or whatever makes you happy. Easy as 1-2-3!
Best lunch ever when I have much work to do and can't be parted with my office computer, as seen in the photo above. Enjoy a beautiful green week!
Personally, I don't know another person being a vegetarian, except my friend Tunde, who has adopted this lifestyle once she saw how good it was for me. Before she was "converted", I never personally knew another vegetarian, except the people whose blogs and sites I follow and read for the past few years.
I tried to be a vegetarian two yeas back, but due to the wrong attitude, I couldn't make it. The impulse to become one does not come from sheer will, but from a need, the need to not harm other being by what you are putting on your plate. Two years back, my mouth watered whenever I saw a ham in a store, right now I feel shivers down my spine once I see a part of an animal, and I have to say I don't see it as food. I just wasn't prepared to give my old life up, but for a while now, I have seen I can, and don't even feel obligated to do it.
Well, what I'm actually trying to say to all the people out there who understand and realize that the ethical thing to do is give meat up is that you have to be mentally prepared and able to give it up, apart from wanting to do it. You'll know you've reached that state, believe me, you'll feel it.....
The food industry doesn't make it easier for us, because it is one thing to see a leg of an animal on the shelf, and almost another to see just slices of meat in a casserole; it's like the animal is no longer an animal, just simply food, the initial image can not easily be evoked once all you can see is some slices of meat.
But since this post should be about guilty pleasures, I will confess that mine are good wine and better cheese. I am not a dairy product lover, but we all know how good a wine goes with the right cheese, green, blue, brie, etc... so I will admit to the fact that these types of cheese I enjoy once in a while....
...and my palate is delighted.
Not trying to excuse myself, but merely to explain my choice in eating cheese, I will state that I am not a purist, not by far, and I am not a fancy eater, not even close to that; but I do enjoy some good food once in a while. As cheese is not killing any animal, I indulge myself in it, and please do not tell me about the fact that you're depriving an innocent cow calf of it's mother's milk, as cows produce milk even after the calf has been weaned. So no harm done there, right?at least from my point of view. And as long as I am not eating it every day; even my body won't suffer from my enjoyment of a good evening dinner of grapes, nuts, cheese and wine.
One thing that I do admit and will have to correct and really give up is fish. I rarely eat anything other than tuna, but even that is wrong, and I have begun making research in the area of marine animals, so that I will be able to accept that even fish have a life (and I don't mean mammals like whales and dolphins!), but even clams and shrimps. I'm still working in this area, so that I will reach the same state as with usual meat from pigs, cows, or even chickens. I might even buy a fish tank...which I would really enjoy, btw!
So I am admitting, as everyone can see, my really guilty pleasure, of enjoying fish meat, sometimes a little tuna in my salads:
but some other times, various sea fruit in my pasta sauce... but like I've said, I'm working on it!
Another controversial subject would be eggs. Should we eat them? I mean, we know that these eggs will produce chicks only in a certain period of the year, but our chicken are laying eggs all year long, so it's not quite killing, right? Well, I am not a big fan of eggs, and never was, but I do eat some once in a while, in different ways. The one way I like least is boiled eggs, but if I need an energy boost, and if I have nothing more interesting to add to my salads, I choose this variant, even though not very often:
One last guilty pleasure, or at least I don't remember any other besides these ones, is this:
...a cold cold beer once in a while, watching a good movie, or sharing it with friends at our clubhaus, especially during the off season, when we cannot ride our motorcycles. Now that summer is here, beers on our nights out will be scarce, since we like riding much better, and if we do drink one, it's alcohol free. I never ever ever would drink and drive, not my beautiful motorcycle, or even a car, I find it completely irresponsible and criminal to do so, and I encourage all my friends to leave their keys if they had one...
These would be my pleasures and vices, and I am not ashamed to admit them, I do believe that my personality is the sum of these little defects and vices, sprinkled with a dab of crazy, a lot of daring and just a little bit of self trust, stirred up with an inquisitive mind and a love for all that's beautiful and out of the ordinary. You could call me anything but plain, that if I will let you know me better....:)
Selfishness is what makes us who we are and I am not selfless, not one bit, so this post wasn't meant to show how humble I am; but it was shaped to explain a little bit of what it takes to be a vegetarian and a strange bird in a world saturated with stereotypes.
I hope we will all find our own path, be it raw or not, be it easy or not, but we should all make it a hell of a ride!
