Wenx’ World: God, Vegetarians and Luxury

My 30-seconds-bible explained to me over breakfast this morning that God chose Abel’s donations, which was taken from his shepherd’s flock, over the grains he was offered from grower Cain. So God chose meat over gluten. And in my interpretation he chose being a meat eater over veganism. Does that make him the first non-vegan? Maybe. The first non-vegetarian? Or even the first non-fruitarian? We all know there are some weird stories about evil (or Eve-l?) apples at the very beginning of the bible, so who knows how to interpret that one right?

Whatever HE is, the fact that Gold Coast seems to be crazy about diets (or sick with eating disorders?) is getting on my nerves. Everyone seems to have some ‘dietary requirements’, be it no red meat, no raw meat, no grains, no sweets, no dairy, no fat, no sugar, no carb, no gluten, no taste. When did we develop this arrogance to refuse food that used to be good food? When did we take the right to make it hard on our friends or dinner hosts to cook a meal for us or enjoy a meal together?

I met a friend for a coffee after a 20k run this week. My body wanted proteins – but all I could see were GF (gluten free) tags. I asked the barista if they had a gluten option, she starred at me confused. I starred at her for not providing protein option. Options, options, always options, nothing is set, too many choices. Lucky us. It seems to me more and more, that Anthony Bourdain got it right: Vegetarianism is no diet necessity but a first world luxury!

In Brunei, I met another female solo traveler who didn’t eat meat. Long story short: It didn’t work. You cannot be a traveler and not eat like the locals if you would like to get the full experience. Alone the explaining becomes exhausting, especially to people who have never heard of someone refusing meat – and everything with minimal language components in common. My friend gave in there and then – and only returned to her eating choice when she was back in the first world. Just think about it – maybe while indulging in a worst-food-ever-burger and imagining that was your only option.