Hello World!

I have always wanted to say that outside of writing that first computer program in a new language :) Some of you may know that I have recently decided to switch to a vegetarian lifestyle. I have been asked questions about this change, and given I'm testing out the waters myself; I figure I finally have enough content to finally start my first blog...welcome!

After living my whole life as a BIG meat eater, why the switch? This hasn't been my first attempt...as a precocious child I tried it multiple times, but growing up in a Chinese family is not conducive to a veggie life style. "You want no meat?!?!" After I met _M, I tried to give vegetarianism a go again at which time he bought a rack of ribs and my resolve went out the window.
This spring, I did a 49 day vegetarian "fast" in honour of a loved one. Since I had a higher goal to strive for, the question of whether I could cheat never came up. Seattle is awesome for vegetarian choices, and I found that I had no trouble with a veggie diet. During the "fast", I found that my body felt a lot better. My yoga practice improved as I lost a few pounds (which make those arm balances a lot easier). The only tough part during the "fast" was during our trip to Kauai, where even the restaurants that were labeled as vegetarian restaurants served mostly fish. But there were lovely local greens and fruits, so I was a happy camper. Plus after the trip I didn't gain the usual 5 pounds vacation bulge :)

In Kauai, there are a lot of wild roosters and chickens everywhere, and a flock of orphaned chicks started hanging around our vacation condo. I know I shouldn't have, but they were too cute so I would sneak them little bits of bread. I found that I no longer had a feeling of self-conflict. Previously, I always felt guilty that to some selected animals I would show love, but still was not able to hold back from eating the same species at dinner time. Once, I snorkeled in Maui and loved the sea life, and that night at a seafood restaurant I asked lame questions about whether I would have run into what I was eating during my snorkel excursion.

After the 49 days were over, I asked myself "What now?” When I first started the "fast" I thought I would celebrate the end with a big beefy dinner at Daniel's Broiler. However, I felt that I have finally been able to practice Ahimsa (do no harm) to my fullest capability.

Watching a couple of documentaries on the food and meat industry further cemented my choice.  Apart from the welfare of the animals, I never thought about the carbon footprint it took to raise livestock for meat.  I always considered myself as an environmentalist, and all along it turns out if I had skipped meat for a year, I would reduce my annual CO2 emissions by ~one ton a year, more than if I were to trade in Mr. MINI for a hybrid car.

So here goes! I am now continuing my veggie quest, looking for a sustainable, veggie lifestyle, all while loving and sharing my life with a meat eater. _M is of course still a big fan of meat (in fact he jokes that now he has to eat extra meat to offset my "hippie no more meat" lifestyle). I don't want to enforce my choice on him or anyone, so I'm now always on the lookout for how I can integrate my choice in a "no fuss" manner.  I don't want to be that high maintainence dieter who complains loudly when their veggie/vegan/gluten-free choices are not available, making the rest of the dining party roll their eyes.

Lucky for me, there are tons of great restaurants around here that offer a great mix of both meaty and veggie dishes, not to mention the farmers' markets and of course my favourite Trader Joe's! I will strive to keep this blog updated with good finds, tips, status updates, and any other tidbits that catches my fancy.

Thanks for reading :)