23rd to 25th. Trip to Newcastle

Arrived and my friend had made a Vegan curry which was great.  I was really grateful for their consideration and thanked them for this.  There were only a few questions just asking about my becoming vegan and I was able to be very cool and calm about it.  It was good that at no point did I feel I was being hassled or anything.  It was interesting how they mentioned sometimes enjoying having some vegetarian food and mentioned too how one of their parents was quite anti vegan food if they were out and it was offered as an option... a kind of but none of us are vegetarian kind of response.  It made me think again of that quite rigid thinking.  I think too of the idea that eating meat is in fact a cult.  I'm thinking this could be a topic to write more about.  My friend in NZ had this same quite rigid thinking and is dominant in meat eating.  I guess similarly without really knowing why and being closed to change.  The meat eating cult again.

The next day we had a lunch out and it was easy for me to veganise a salad I had without the cheese that would've come with it.  They had some soy milk in which was good so I was able to have some nice cereal and fruit which was cool.  I appreciated that.  My friends ate meat but I felt cool and happy that they were doing their thing and being respectful to mine.

It's interesting again though as deep down I don't ultimately respect people actually eating meat.  well I respect the people but I don't feel they are aware enough to make the best choice.  I've tried to understand this and I guess it's fair for me to understand and respect where people are at right now and that I can help them move forward.  I get upset when people are judgemental of my Veganism when I guess I'm the same about them but the thing is it isn't each to their own as I've said before.  We are leading the movement forward.  Is it self righteous? well it's certainly righteous but I think self -righteous is a negative term.  As Vegans we do guide the way forward for the way to eat.  It's something I firmly believe doesn't have a counter argument ultimately, like Feminism doesn't or equal rights for black and white people doesn't.  It's a positive social movement and we are pioneering this change.  It's that responsibility I need to keep coming to terms with and proudly take on board as part of my responsibility to the world.

On Saturday night I made a curry from the step by step menu from the Revive book which was great and I sent them the recipe when I got back.  I hope that can help them a bit.  I did say you could put other things into it as I felt that was best to be kind and not indoctrinating but hope they can make a choice to have a vegan day or to make some even minor steps in that direction.

I felt great on Saturday night to not drink alcohol and had just one the day before (more in my other blog).  I had a few dreams too which I think were linked to this. Again in my other alcohol blog.

This morning I was able to get lunch at a coffee shop and veganise their vegetarian breakfast by having battered potato rather than an egg.  Was happy I came through it all well.  I got the train back feeling all cool and calm like it had been a very pleasant weekend.

Aug 1. Great relaxed first vegan day back in the UK. Completely veganly sane.

I arrived back and got picked up by my folks from the airport about 9 am.  Was great to see them and they seemed really well in themselves.  It was a great day and so cool how supportive they are of my veganism (see my other post) and how they have very much been evolving their diet to becoming iincreasingly plant based.  I could see this on a health and also on an ethical level too as my Dad spoke about trying not to buy anything with palm oil in.  Similarly they could really understand what I was saying about the new veganesque documentary Blackfish I'd seen.  Well worth checking out by the way.  During our brief discussion outside about factory farming by Dad gave a genuine 'awww' as I said about factory farmed pigs.

It was great to just really take it easy.  I spent the day relaxing around the home, in the conservatory and outside.  For lunch my Mum made a tomato soup which we had with cool grainy bread and some raw brocolli.  For dinner we had a vegetable curry my Mum made with brown rice and also some potatoes with sweet chilli sauce (something from the Revive book 2 I bought for them).  I love those books.  They gratefully recieved the second one as a present so was great to share my story of how helpful I'd found the first then to pass on the second to help them further to become more vegatarian.

I didn't unpack anything and felt kind of weird all day with underlying jet lag but relaxing was just cool.  Oh as an added great thing my Mum had made a vegan chocolate cake as a welcome back.  Such a great idea I thought and so thoughtful.  It tasted great with the soy ice cream. Do actually feel really greatful for how cool they've been. Obviously wouldn't stop me being vegan at all but would be increasingly more annoying.

In the evening we relaxed and watched Die hard I'd picked up from play.com for £1.80.  So so cool. can't believe it's 25 years old.