O, life. Let it be known, obviously, that I am in some way compromising my, morality? by consuming dairy and egg products here. Honestly, though, I've barely had cheese--and not in any prepared dishes--and I've had only half an egg. And the cheese was okay, but I haven't had REAL, DELICIOUS, FRESH cheese, which I'm totally looking forward to in Italia, and maybe Türkiye. My problem here has definitely been meat and otherwise had-a-soul products. And, as most people may know, I'm vegetarian mostly for the 'voting with my fork' reasons against factory farming and all the waste incurred in the process of consuming animal products. Here, though, most of the dairy and whatnot is very local and isn't all icky and pesticidey and hormonye, et cetera. The culture is different, so my reasons can't stand up as well. That, and the fact that most of the people in this world are starving, and 20.000 children died to-day because of their lack of access to potable water, so why am I complaining. I'm blessed with food choice. Yes, but it is exactly because I have this choice that I choose veganism. Also, in the way that most people find cannibalism 'wierd' or 'wrong,' I find eating something that was alive like animals are 'weird,' 'wrong,' or what have you.
That said, Spaniards eat the most fish in the world next to Japanese. Also, here in Aragón, they eat a lot of meat. And, obviously, because I'm not some snobby, high-maintenance, American tourist, I've learned to pick around some meat. And I understand that pretty much everything is cooked in animal something. I, however, will enjoy being alive to see Türkiye, so I eat. Today, at this little restaurant, I ordered an ensalata, which came second (and with tuna), and patates. When the patates came, joy of joys, they were in a shrimp and other seafood liquid sauce thing. I have learned in the past two days, also, that I hate how fish tastes. And smells. So I tell those sitting around me that someone is going to eat this seafood so as not to waste it. I pull out one shrimp tail to give it and, lovely, it's attached to--guess what?--a shrimp head.
Yes.
Mind you, I'm sitting next to a food economist who didn't grow up in America and doesn't totally understand the whole vegan thing and thinks that it is more a, shall we say dietary? choice rather than a, lifestyle? Veganism, to me, is a philosophy, I suppose. I'm not vegan because I'm some privileged little white girl who's too good to eat meat. It's also somewhat spiritual, but that's a whole other story. So Aysen is saying something like, 'Well, come on now, just give the shrimp,' but it has a HEAD! I was NOT expecting that. There are vegetarians on this group, too, and people are being quite nice, knowing that I'm not some priss, and they say, 'O, don't make her.' 'Look at the poor thing...'
And I almost start crying.
That's right. I hate crying. Also, you can imagine how stupid I felt. It was all just too, too much. You have to understand, though, that here I am with a shrimp head in mine hands and all that I want to do is eat some damn vegetables that aren't soaked in things that are supposed to stay INSIDE ANIMALS, thank you.
All in all, I can forage pretty well, but eating is weird here, too, without dinner (well, it's dinner at 2200) and with lunch that is mainly tapas, which are pre-made, and not vegetarian-friendly. Enter Clif bars, which poor Sonja (Sonya?), who can't have gluten, totally appreciates.
I think that this little rant is over. It's just a bit frustrating trying not to be high-maintenance and eat, especially in a group. Things will get better when we have more freedom to eat on our own, but until then, 'Lo siento. Yo soy una vegetariana...'
I talk to vegetables. I speak vege.
And others do not.
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