Relation to vegetarians and vegans

[corpse_wife]

Good day

Comments

[i_hate_music]

I live in Germany and vegetarianism is really well-known in most parts now. I'm from Berlin so I'm fine but being a Vegan is very strange to a lot of people still!
Also, it depends on the part of the countries a lot. If I'm in bavaria there a lot more people who have never heard of anyone being vegan, and not even just for health reasons!

I've been to a few countries where being vegan was really not far-spread like Poland, Portugal, Norway and Czech Republic but I was fine. I missed tofu though! Badly!

I'll be in Iceland next week, I will see whether I'll manage there!

[littleghost45]

I'm a German vegan as well and so far, most everyone (except my grandma) understood what vegan means. Veg*nism is widely known but not always accepted, but I guess that will always stay like that.

[i_hate_music]

At university I had a lot of people going "what the hell can you eat then???". And one girl actually started talking about vegan parents who neglect their children by not giving them anything but Vegan food and all that propaganda shit. That actually scared me.

[littleghost45]

That's the comment I get most often. And for someone everyone thinks that bread is made with eggs.
That's Germany for you :D

[questella]

I don't know about the rest of the US but around Ohio/Kentucky/Indiana where I am they just think you're the biggest retard ever and tell you stories about killing animals. I don't usually tell people I'm vegetarian anymore, they just always find out when I order food or cook around them, then it's just comical because they're usually friends by that point anyways and *try* not to be douches about it. I don't know anybody else thats veggie around here, I've ran into a few people when I traveled around though

[itsnotfairlaika]

Yep, I live in Florida and it's pretty much like that here too. It's 99% rudeness and you will get the veeeery rare person who doesn't mind/ thinks it's cool... but I think that's only happened to me like, once, lol.

[affectionjunkie]

parts of NJ are friendlier, and the area of Brooklyn, NY I live in is very good about it.

[iwillcomeagain]

Where in Florida, though? North, Central, and South Florida are completely different places. I've never had much of a problem in South Florida.

[bamboo_gnome]

First, I love your accent! Even in the text!

And yes, being vegan is difficult in any country, but it is what you make of it and certainly becoming much easier in Australia at least, especially if you live in a big city like Melbourne where there are lots of vegans and almost everyone knows at least what it means.

Are there any vegetarian/vegan groups in Kz that you could join and meet other vegans? I find having a group with some solidarity makes a big difference in terms of ease with being a vegan. If you have some vego friends already, maybe you could start your own social group and get a full movement happening in Kz! Starting a website or blog where you can share info on different products, restaurants, issues etc. could be helpful to others trying to be vego too. But it sounds like you might already have your hands full with IFAW :)

[corpse_wife]

First, I love your accent! Even in the text

[i_hate_music]

I know what you mean about clothes and shoes. I can only order them from the US. Its so expensive!

[soiamme]

style-wise or why? becaue there are quite a few vegan shopping websites who are germany-based ;)

(though I personally usually order from the US myself, as I a) like the stuff better and it's b) usually still cheaper.. haha)

[helen4morrissey]

Off topic, but my Kazakh friend made me a delicious vegan meal of herby, tomatoey vegetables with PERFECT rice the other day :)

[corpse_wife]

Oh, i cook very tasty food - soups, cakes, salad and other )
but national kz-food is made only with meat, especially horse meat and mutton

[confusedreality]

Same here, in the Netherlands. Only very rarely do I meet vegans and they are the only people who don't think it's ridiculous. My family and colleagues and such seem to be finally accepting it, now that I've stuck with it for 2 years. But most can't help making stupid comments anyway.
Omnis are in the majority, they're bound to think we're silly. Most people know nothing about nutrition and therefor think the way they is the only healthy one. So yeah, very very annoying.

[affectionjunkie]

is dislike of milk at all a Dutch thing? My sister is engaged to a guy who grew up in Surinam, then moved to St. Martin, then moved to the Netherlands. He is omni, but at at a dinner we had together he started to talk about how unhealthy milk is for humans to consume. I didn't know if this is a typical dutch view or if he is just more "enlightened" than some.

ps-I loves me some chocoreale! He brought me 3 for christmas!

[confusedreality]

No, that's definitely NOT a dutch thing. My colleagues all drink butter milk or some sort of dairy product at the lunch table, I have to specifically request for them to buy some OJ. Our country is one of dairy farmers, and the industry has been heavily subsidized and promoted for at least a century. Everybody knows slogans like "Milk - the white motor" and most thoroughly believe you need milk, becaus otherwise you'll break your bones.

[i_hate_music]

Remember Holland is the land of cheese!

But its easy to get soy milk at least.