My first year as a vegan
It has been over a year since I became a vegan. It was not an overnight decision though, I was a vegetarian for over a decade. Here’s my backstory.
The biggest contributing factor towards vegetarianism was this traumatic event I witnessed. I was about 24 at this time and I was travelling through the bendy roads, heading towards Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal. The bus I was on was stuck behind a slow lorry carrying buffalos that were being transported to a slaughterhouse. These poor animals were tightly packed with their heads restrained high above them via nose ropes. They must have travelled a long journey because they looked exhausted and were in extreme pain due to the lack of space to move. Some of them were already unconscious.
Witnessing this pain and suffering left a deep emotional scar on me. Why can’t we make their final journey a bit more comfortable? I thought.
The following week, there was another instance where I saw a man carrying chickens on his motorbike. The poor birds had their legs tied and hanging down the handlebar and across the back seat. He must be carrying at least 30 souls. The poor birds were screaming in pain, with some of them bleeding due to the friction against the wheel.
This is it, I thought, I won’t allow myself to be a part of this cruelty.
It is surprising that we barely notice these inhumane and barbaric acts towards the animals in the food industry. We forget that they also feel pain.
Consequently, I decided to become a vegetarian.
It wasn’t an easy journey to begin with though, especially when you are surrounded by friends, family and relatives who consider meat as the ultimate expression of hospitality and a staple diet. Also, when most people do not consider (or understand) the mistreatment of animals as animal cruelty, it is almost impossible to resonate.
So, I had to adopt a pescetarian diet due to the peer pressure imposed by family and relatives.
“If you think that animals are mistreated, why don’t you eat fish instead” was the logic.
I continued my vegetarian diet with occasional consumption of seafood which lasted for around six years.
Then one alcohol-filled evening changed everything. I was encouraged to try some bacon by some friends. And this made me give up vegetarianism. I forgot about the cruelty and became a carnivore.
Apart from the taste, it was the convenience that encouraged me to change my diet. Also, my lack of motivation, the availability and the cost, everything played a vital role too.
For example. I could easily visit the local supermarket or a corner shop to grab a pack of southern fried chicken and a bag of chips, toss them into the oven, and dinner is served. I couldn’t possibly do this with a cauliflower!
There weren’t many options for vegetarian takeaways or frozen meals either, apart from pizza and some Indian curries.
I continued my carnivorism for about four years.
Then on one boxing day, I declared myself a vegetarian once again, despite the protest from the family. This time, without the fishy business. (Pun intended).
Once again, it was a challenging task, especially when you live with carnivores. But I wasn’t going to trade my consciousness for convenience this time.
I also started meditating and exploring the inner me, the world and everything in between. And almost two years after that, I decided to take another bold move- I became a vegan.
The vegan path was surely more difficult than the vegetarian one.
For a long time, I missed everything cheesy- pizza, lasagne, macaroni…
I hate to admit it but I did cheat- at least four times in the first year. All in the name of Lord Cheesus.
Thankfully, my local supermarkets began stocking vegan alternatives to cheese. However, they were (and still are) quite pricey. Although the price has come down significantly in the past years. Also, many fast-food chains and restaurants now cater vegan alternatives to their popular dishes and the majority of supermarkets in the UK feature sections dedicated to “plant-based” products.
Next, I will explain further reasons behind my decision. Stay tuned.