Vegetarian to Vegan

I was again bitten by the vegetarian bug again. Not just vegetarian but Vegan bug. I am not only bitten by it but of late,I'm going into my "introspective mode" and debating with myself whether this should be implemented in my "non-vegetarian" household. It would definitely generate a "how-can-you-deny-us-of-our-only-food":-( kind of expression on them, especially my husband. I know, I know I cannot sin against him.

So my internal debate is still revving up on and off, blinking like some lights at a traffic signal. I want to organize my dialogue and reason it out.These are my answers, share yours if you have...

1. Why give up meat of birds and animals? Because the animals suffer and I can't see someone so hurt that they are have to die for my pleasure. Afterall anything that once passes our tongue cannot be enjoyed in our stomachs, small or large intestines, right?
2. Vegetarians kill plants, isn't that killing? There is a difference. Sure, plants have life. But the degree of killing differs, say our Upanishads.
3. What is wrong with consuming diary products? Our lifestyle is such that we begin the day with milk(coffee/tea) and end the day with curd. But imagine how we are stealing the food of all those little calves and torturing the cows (which we consider holy in India) by artificially prolonging their lactating period.
4. What about all those fish and sea-animals? I always admired gold fish in an aquarium. But somehow, since sea is a totally new territory for me, and I never did go snorkeling or scuba-diving, I have a lesser empathy for the consumption of general fish. Endangered species like Dolphins and whales are so intelligent and adorable and am personally against hunting them. Digressing a little about the sea life and my knowledge acquisition,, the flora and fauna undersea is so beautiful, I used to read and be amazed going through the pages of some encyclopedias which my dad bought for us.(We never had a computer at home and I never dreamt back then that I would have my own laptop one day!)My only access to knowledge were a collection of medical books, some encyclopedias, photography books, Reader's digests and an odd collection of books on Palmistry etc. So when I was very young in school, I started reading about Freud and his theories, some thrilling and scary post-mortem pictures and case-studies etc.which I read inquisitively, but again got scared a great deal. My dad who was a pathologist, was blissfully unaware of all this)
5. End of the story, I conclude that being vegetarian is also bad. Be vegan and leave all the milk to the calves. Don't steal it from them, you all would've had your mamma's milk, when you were babies right. I guess that's enough for you guys. Taking all this one step further, I have started giving up on the ocassional tea and coffee that I have too. I am substituting it all with fruits, how does that sound?
6. Its not that I don't appreciate non-vegetarian food, curd or the yummy paneer and all those cheeses(that is one way to impress me, I mean, show me you knowledge of making blue cheese recipes or Feta and its taste appreciation) and you have already half impressed me, Show me the cheese...(Show me the money...) I say, in Tom cruise's movie-style as in Jerry Mcguire.
   
7. But, I have now broken certain frontiers of my mind...and my soul is preparing to soar(I am not dying:) if that was how this sounded) Hey, I'm cutting this bullshit short, I think that this is an idealistic thing, and I have to practice before I preach. QED.
   

Just another blog....Shobaa de

I chanced to read Shobaa de's blog about PETA, and was pretty ticked off. Not that I held her very highly from the very beginning, but I thought she was admirable in the way she rose from being a model to an Indian Jackie Collins of sorts. Overall, she made it to a certain level in her alternative career, proving that not all good lookers are dumb, whatever.
I have on and off read articles written by her in various magazines and very discreetly enjoyed (must confess) the way she hits back at people especially men. So all those male bees reading this save your backs and run Shoba's now here on this page to disrobe your langots. Hey, take it easy, I was simply kidding in her style :-)
Back to PETA. What disappointed me about her writing about PETA, was she wondered why PETA used women in all their disrobed glory to spread their good words. I have my answer for that but there are 15 comments published, of which one hit back at her a volley of replies which she chose not to reply or acknowledge(Not following Blogorisms, good manners of all bloggers, akin to table-manners)
My reply to Shobaa de would be, PETA is hitting right where the metal is hot [double entendre, intended:)] Whether it is Alicia Silverstone baring all for PETA or John Abraham in India wearing a "Real men are kind to animals" T-shirt) PETA's message is clear and loud. Yes, they use show-stoppers who can grab eyeballs with their aggressive campaigning. But, PETA's message has spread like a forest fire bringing awareness, in everyone. (Shobaa de some times lacks maturity in her thought processes, though she authored so much of pulp fiction.) Personally, I am always in and out of the idea of turning not just vegetarian but vegan. (I have reserved it for a few more years from now, after my girls are a little older.) That does not stop me from supporting vegetarianism and spreading kindness towards animals. A sofaa made of pure leather? No, imitation goods will do for me.
P.S. to Shobaa De: Maybe a tutorial in Blogger will help for damage control. Go to Dashboard>Settings>Comments> Comments Moderation> Review comments before they are published.