On the road to veggieland
I’m about to go insane. I think the sound card of the desktop is busted because my mp3s refuse to play. And since my CD burner isn’t working properly as well, I’m starting to suffer from serious music withdrawal syndrome. I don’t have a sound card on the computer at the dorm either. Not only do I miss listening to the music I like real badly, I am getting sooooo sick and tired of the r&b pop shit my roommates keep listening to on the radio. If I hear anything by Nina, 50 Cent, or Mariah Carey one more time, I am going to have a nervous breakdown. Arg.
I had to go to school this afternoon for NSTP Orientation. Don’t ask me what NSTP stands for because I don’t know, but it’s pretty much like social service. Helping the poor, street children, and all that. You can sign up for organizations you want to join by block, and I was interested to see what my blockmates would pick since a few of them are quite conyo-ish. Kinda hard to imagine them getting their shoes dirty, playing with street children, and talking to poor people in Filipino. I don’t like getting dirty much, but I was game to join any organization, except maybe for the one where you have to go to Bilibid prison. No, I don’t want to spend my freshman year helping rapists and murderers, who deserve to rot in jail and receive no mercy from me, thank you very much. I’m not like God; I don’t love people unconditionally like that.
Anyway, the org I was hoping my block would pick is Habitat, where you get to build houses for some poor communities. It sounds like fun, and if I happen to join the ranks of the jobless when I graduate from college, at least I’ll have some background in carpentry. Maybe I’ll be poor, but at least I won’t be homeless, haha. The sophomore who talked about the organizations said that Habitat is a good org to be in, and I was hoping my blockmates would think so too but noooooo. They wanted to be in MyZoo, where you get to do some zoo tours and if we’re unlucky, clean up people’s trash. I can just imagine the conyo people giving the zoo tours and the normal people like me cleaning up the trash. 
I sure hope my block doesn’t get the MyZoo slot because I am very much against zoos. I just don’t see the logic of it. It’s very cruel how animals are snatched away from their homelands and placed in a metal cages for people to gawk at. They die in their prisons, without feeling the African sun beating against their backs or the cool rain forest rain on their feathers one last time. And anyway, how can you help the community and the world by cleaning up a zoo? Maybe I’ll sign up individually in an NSTP-accredited school org. I refuse to spend my weekends promoting almost-animal cruelty.
This inspired me to become a vegetarian. When I saw how sad that pig looked, my eyes immediately welled up with tears. I still feel rather sad whenever I look at that picture. I could see from the pig’s eyes that he knew the horrible death that was awaiting him, that the only purpose of his existance is to become human food. He looked helpless and defeated at the back of that truck and the look in his eyes tempted me to jump out of the car, pull open that metal door, and set him and all the other pigs free. But of course, I couldn’t; the pigs would go nowhere but back inside and I don’t have a farm where I could keep them safe from the slaughterhouse. The only thing I could do was avert my eyes and pray that maybe those pigs would die a painless death. Fat chance, though.
After seeing that truck, I made a vow to never touch meat again, but of course I broke it the very same day I made it. Bah. I’m against the ways in which animals are slaughtered, yet at the same time I still feel hungry whenever I have a meal without meat. Maybe I’ll start with no pork, and then after a while I’ll have beef, and then no chicken, until finally I get used to eating a rabbit’s diet. I’m serious about this vegetarian thing. Tips, anyone?
Looks like I won’t be getting any sleep tonight. My mom bought Order of the Phoenix and I must read as much of it as I can since I can’t bring it to my dorm!!!
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18 Responses to “On the road to veggieland”
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I think I’ll stick to my quarter pounder thank you very much. ^_^
I dont eat any animal products including dairy, its not that hard, you feel a lot better too! Choc soya milk is amazing. Jus take on the whole way of life and meat looks disgusting and you’ll feel great.
spread the faith!
why can’t you bring Harry to your dorm?is it forbidden?
My brother already read his whole way through The Order of the Phoenix. I have NO idea how he managed that so fast!
you do feel better once you’re off meat. it’s like a newfound sense of control. i did it almost spontaneously a few months ago. though i’m a hypocrite, because i still eat seafood and dairy, but eventually i want to phase those out if i have enough will.
you just keep reminding yourself why you don’t want to eat the meat in the first place. it still smells good to me when my mom roasts some chicken or beef in the oven, but i won’t eat it, because i just picture the animal it was beforehand. i picture the slaughterhouse. i didn’t want to be a part of that. i know just how you feel about tearing up at the sight of caged animals. that’s why i could never volunteer in an animal shelter or think of becoming a vet. too painful, because animals (nonhumans) are so dependent on humans. we control their lives, pretty much.
I guess Sara is right. You should try seafood first and see how it goes. That would be a good combo w/ salad and pasta.
…..Hopefully you’ll forget the meat. 
One of my blockmates is a vegitarian… A newbie at that and we all pity her when we were eating at Manang’s cause she was so miserable looking… My bro bought the Order of the Phoenix but he’a being a brat…Hoarding the book to himself….
I got my copy of the book too! Haven’t read much. Am taking my time. I know someone’s going to die again and I think I know that someone…
I’d suggest that you start out by introducing some new vegetarian foods into your diet, especially ones that are high in non-haem iron (and eat vitamin C with your meal so that you can absorb it). eg. tofu, felafel, chickpeas, lentils. There’s a suprising variety of vegetarian food out there. See if soy meat substitutes are available to you. They look and taste just like meat.
And then you can start cutting out the meat. It’s good to do it gradually so that you don’t shock your system. You can give up one kind of meat at a time, say pigs first, then other red meat, then chickens, and then finally fish. Whatever works for you.
I hope that helps a bit. Becoming a vegetarian is the best choice that I’ve ever made, but it’s not for everyone. That said, I see no harm in giving it a go if you’re sensible about it- it really makes you view food in a while new way.
Lauren, if you put your mind to it you can do anything!
You only feel hungry if you don’t eat meat, is probably because someone may have said something like, if you don’t eat your meat you’ll go hungry or something. Like, if someone cooked you a meal, and you had no idea that there was no meat in it, you’d probably not feel hungry at all.
I’m a vegetarian myself, but I do have dairy products. Basically, anything, as long as it isn’t meat.
my husband has been trying to convince me to be 100% vegetarian over last two years. it wasn’t so hard to let go of it except for chicken. but eventually i was able to. i make my own vege-meat which tastes even better than meat. it takes time to be a vegetarian but perseverance will bring you there. good luck.
Sunday, June 22, 2003 @ 10:05 pm
I can’t give up dairy; I love milk and ice cream way too much. But I’ll try what you said.
theres soya milk and soya icecream(which really doesnt taste much difference from normal icecream)-its not advisable to give up dairy and eggs as soon as you give up meat-you’ll probabloy just collaspe-what i did was i gave up red meat and then gave up all meat 2 years later, then 3 years later gave up fish, and then two years later gave up dairy-the plan is to give up eggs in a few years-not sure how much it will happen
It’s not exactly “forbidden”, but I’ll probably end up reading it all day and miss my classes or something.
I could probably do that too if I don’t eat, sleep, go to the bathroom, or do anything else for an entire day.
Hehe, maybe I won’t eat out with my friends for a while since I’m just starting out. Which will be kind of hard to do, since my block hangs out in the caf. My sister is hoarding the book too! It’s not like she won’t be able to read it for five days like me.
hey i’ve got an sb vibra 128 lying around.. come over n pick it up if u want it!
Don’t know about over there but here in the UK we have a vast range of veggie meat substitutes that are absoloutely delicious, like sausages, pies, burgers, nuggets, veggie bacon, veggie “chicken” breast type stuff, meatfree pieces (again taste exactly like chicken)…anything you could want really. And eating out is never a problem ‘cuz in all restuarants and cafes there are always at least two or more veggie options.