The tour guide stood up in our 20 person van and asked a simple question, “Is anyone here a vegetarian?”
All I had to do was sit there. Keep my hand down and sit quietly. But I like vegetables… I like veggies a lot. When in doubt I always go for the vegetarian meal. Especially in Asia, I question some of the meat so I go for the greens. But for those next 10 seconds all I had to do was sit there. And keep quiet.
No one flinched in the van. And I really do like vegetables.
He asked again, “Is anyone in the group a vegetarian or semi-vegetarian?”
What was this? Against all rational thought and Josh’s better judgement my hand shot up. I couldn’t turn down the idea of being a semi-vegetarian. I had never heard the term before or had any idea what it was, but I was sure that I was one. He asked a few questions, probably also wondering what a semi-vegetarian was, and concerned if I eat fish or tofu. Everyone in the 20 person van was staring at me and in my head I knew I would eat anything, heck I had eaten a skewer of crocodile the week before. We fumbled around with some words and somehow when we were done, I was a self-proclaimed semi-vegetarian.
Arriving on our boat we checked into our room and all sat down in the dining room for our first lunch as a group and my first lunch as a semi-vegetarian.
They brought the group out soup to share and then they brought me my own personal bowl of egg drop/tofu soup. They brought out plates of delicious looking chicken and they brought me out a plate of something that was supposed to look like prawn but trust him, it was vegetables. The semi-veg in me was happy to hear it, and the foodie in me wanted to chow down on the chicken the rest of the group was eating. But I felt bad because they made the faux prawn just for me.
Next the group got clams and mussels, and I got a fake rubber-like substance that I don’t think was supposed to look or taste like anything, just simply used to turn people off from ever eating veggies again. I did not feel bad about leaving that particular plate undisturbed. The next few dishes continued in this manner. I was torn between not wanting to waste food and finding all of the food truly un-appetizing.
In order to not bore you I will fast forward 6 plates of food later and just show you the photo. Yes, they personally made each dish for me, the one semi-vegetarian on board.
Was I grateful? Absolutely. Was I a bit embarrassed? Absolutely. Did I dare go back on my vow of semi-vegetarianism (whatever that actually is) Absolutely not. This was the first meal of a two-day jaunt though Halong Bay.
Dinner was equally torturous as I watched my fellow shipmates fill their plates with delicious squid, pork, prawns and chicken while I sat at the table, served an ungodly amount of vegetarian food prepared to resemble meat, or fried so deep that it was unrecognizable. I like vegetables a lot, and I don’t mind meat on occasion but I really despise fried food.
While everyone had their choice from the buffet, I was served full plates of food, because I was the only one that hours earlier couldn’t sit quietly and keep my hand down when asked a simple question, “Is anyone a vegetarian?”
I will never be vegetarian again.
This article was hilarious! I also love a good dosage of vegetables and could totally see this happening to me or Tony at some point during our travels. I felt so bad for you when you talked about all the yummy food they were bring our for the group and Josh… Tear! And what the heck is semi-vegetarian anyways?!
Ha – I will create a new term…
semi-vegetarian: (n) someone who eats meat when they want to and eats veggies when they want to. No specific rules, just eats what they like. Apparently loves fried foods and faux meat.
Haha. I feel like this has happened to me. I don’t eat much meat and, like you, opt for the vegetarian meal if it’s offered. And sometimes, I definitely regret it!
Sometimes I come out with the better meal, and sometimes I leave hungry! Since then I have avoided declaring my love of vegetables in SE Asia!
I can totally empathise with you here! Though I have been vegetarian for a while now, I still have those moments of jealousy as I watch my partner tuck into a delicious looking steak or rack of ribs. For now though I’m sticking to my veggies, but the day may come that I too become semi-vegetarian!
Ha I tend to go veggies, but I am craving trying a steak in Argentina when I get there!