People go vegetarian for a variety of reasons, some do it for religious reasons, others due to health. Some people are full time vegetarians (like my dear wife), while some observe it only on certain days (most common being the 1st and 15th of the lunar calendar).
Personally, the hardest thing about adhering to a vegetarian diet is the availability of non-meat food. Especially here in Melaka, Malaysia, where we are famous for an assortment of local dishes. Until even those from Singapore know of them....
Just drop by any restaurant, cafe or diner, and you'll be hard pressed to find a main dish that is vegan-friendly. Frequently, the vegetarian dish has to be a specially-prepared one, off the menu, and that might not fall within the chef's repertoire. Once, I attended a wedding dinner at an apparently famous restaurant in Nilai (I won't say which one, to avoid any potential for a defamation lawsuit), which has the worst vegetarian specially prepared table I have ever sat at. Needless to say, after the dinner, I went home and filled my stomach with some bread sandwiches, as I did not really eat anything there.
There are a quite number of vegetarian restaurants these days, usually paired with the term "organic" as well (to denote vegetables grown with natural fertilizers and no pesticides). However, these can sometimes be more expensive, so it is not "economically viable" to patronize these establishments daily. Amusing trend here is the appearance of "simulated meat" where chicken and fish and even prawns are made up, usually with tofu. For those of you who can't fully let go of the meat yet, this helps with the transition.... :)
Well, these days, there seems to be a slow acceptance of vegan diet spreading, so you can start to find some suitable stuff on the menu. My lunch friend, Loh CK, observes a vegetarian diet on some days - and on those days, we don't go to a vegetarian restaurant, but just plain old economy rice (just choose the veggies and stay clear from the meat).
So, thanks to my wife, and the fact that I am at home on leave, I managed to keep yesterday a 100% vegan compliant day. Well, you know how these things are, just 1 day in a lifetime won't change anything, but with the increased awareness, perhaps there will be more days like this in my future....
Anyone else thinking to go partial or full-time vegetarian?
There's a good article on The Star Online which you can read up in your spare time : http://thestar.com.my/health/story.asp?file=/2011/11/23/health/9927049&sec=health
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