I’m back!

After a couple of months at home spent chilling and eating lots of awesome food, I am back in Melbourne! The first few weeks back were just a mad rush of uni enrolment, submitting subject change forms, moving, unpacking, buying furniture etc. I am now living in East Melbourne, so expect a lot more reviews on Victoria St. and Smith St.!

Over summer I also read Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer, which is a great book about the farming/fishing industry from various perspectives ranging from factory farmers to slaughterhouse owners to activists. I’ll be frank and say that I didn’t start reading it out of compassion for animals. I started the book because I enjoy reading J.S. Foer and figured if I was going to learn about factory farming and the lot, it might as well be through his storytelling.Well, the facts, figures, and storytelling all got to me.

And that is how I became one of those people who read a book, and changed their mind about certain things. When I told Dave that I was considering vegetarianism, I’m sure he did a double-take. Up til a few weeks ago, I was an enthusiastic meat-eater. Heck, I’m Chinese. That alone speaks volumes for my consumption of pork.

The reality is that I don’t think I will ever be able to fully give up meat. One reason is ‘table fellowship’, which Foer talks about in the book, and which means that what I eat is also affected by my dining company. Another reason is that I just love meat too damn much. The compromise that I’ve decided to make, is to eat less meat, to not waste any when I do eat it, and to try to eat it only when I feel like it’s been treated with respect (which is my fancy way of saying I’ll only order meat when I think it’s going to be really really tasty).

Am I a confused experimental vegetarian? Am I cheating? Am I just “going through a phase”? Are my eating habits going to make a difference to the factory farming industry at all? Who knows. But in the meantime, I think it’s a great opportunity for me to try to eat healthier, be more conscious of what I eat, and check out the vegetarian options in restaurants!

I highly recommend Eating Animals (the book, and -very occasionally- the act) and welcome any suggestions for vegetarian restaurants/ going vego in general.