The Vegetarian that Tried Some Meat

First things first, I want to warn you: Some of the pictures in this entry are graphic.  Like, really graphic.  Like, dead animals and blood graphic.  So go back now if you aren't into that sort of thing.

I have been a pescetarian for some years now.  (I have been trying to rid my diet of fish and seafood as well, but it is really hard.  I have been doing extremely well though, only eating fish when eating sushi, and I rarely get sushi.)  I fully understand that making the decision to cut meat out of my diet demonstrates the privileged I come from.  I can chose what I eat and actively exclude things available to me.  Not everyone can do that.  In fact, some people can't imagine saying no to meat if it is put in front of them.  Granted, some of these people are red blooded 'Muricans, but some of  them eat anything that is put in front of them because there are no choices in what (or when) they get to eat.

Most vegetarians will tell you they don't eat meat because it is mean to kill animals.  This is not why I don't eat meat.  I understand there is a natural food chain, I just don't think the status quo of the food chain is sustainable (and frankly, it's kind of gross), so I chose not to participate in it.  It might also be interesting to note here that one of my current jobs is working customer service at store that sells hunting (and fishing and camping) supplies, and I sell hunting licenses like a pro.  (Don't ask how I got the job.  It was a Christmas Miracle.) 

All that being said, the past few months have sparked an interest in hunting for me.  It started with a 25 hour trip out to Gilai Bomba in Tanzania where we got left to journey out to the school Peace Matunda had built for the village.  After we came back (and waited for about 4 hours), Scott and I got to witness a dead wildebeest being pulled out of the back of the jeep.  This is not something I normally witness, so I got really excited about the novelty of it all.  I wanted to help, so I did.

Helping skin the 'beest

Scott was possibly more disgusted than I was

Although I was probably the most enthusiastic vegetarian to ever help skin a wildebeest, I really didn't want blood on my clothes and shoes.  I got pretty good with hand washing my clothes, but I was really worried I wouldn't be able to make those blood stains go away.  And even if I could, I would feel like my clothes would forever be tainted with wildebeest blood.  Here I am holding up his head, but I was really worried about dropping it and getting blood on myself.  Hence, the face.

Don't drop it!

When I got to Tanzania, I decided that I would try a bite of meats I had never had and would probably never have made available to me again.  It was a once in a lifetime deal since my justification for being vegetarian doesn't really hold strong when we are talking about shooting gazelles and dik-dik that are roaming around.  I tried a small bite of dik-dik, gazelle, goat (which you can read about in the Fredship Story), wildebeest ribs, and (on this trip out to Gilaibomba) wildebeest heart.  Yes, I wanted to say I ate that wildebeest's heart because it makes me feel bad ass. 

Wildebeest heart, liver, and kidney

People ask me if I want to start eating meat again now that I have tried the piece of the food pyramid I have been missing out on all of these years.  It's actually really easy for me to not eat meat, and it really doesn't even sound appealing to me, even after trying it after these years.  I want to stay a person with an open mind and always be willing to try new things, so I tried the meat.  So in my quest to never say no and stay adventurous, I became the vegetarian that tried some meat.

You need a Spoon

Pretty much every place I go, I find some kind of food that I fall in love with and miss like woah when I leave.  Here, (at least so far) that food is pap (or, since I am apparently Shona now, sadza). 

It’s made from mielie meal(or corn meal stuff), and has the consistency of Play-Dough.  (The process of making pap involves you first making porridge, and then adding more mielie meal for the thicker consistency.)  And the funnest part (at least for me), you eat it with your hands.  Everybody eats it with gravy and chicken, but I prefer beans, spinach, and cabbage.  You grab a piece off the pile of pap on your plate, dip it in or scoop up your chosen pap-accompaniment, and then you hope that not too much falls all over while you try to quickly get it into your mouth. 

The first few weeks I was here, everybody would always ask me if I needed a spoon to eat my pap, and my response was always no.  If I am going to eat traditional food, I am going to eat it in the traditional way.  Everybody would give me a doubtful look, and then hand me my plate.  And nobody can believe I actually enjoy eating these foods that they eat all the time.  I have gotten some laughs because I apparently eat my pap funny (I think it is the split second of panic that it is all going to fall on the floor before I get it into my mouth that contributes to the hilarity of me eating pap), but in my defense, I have only been eating pap for a few weeks, and these people have been eating it their whole lives. 

Since I first ate pap, my pap-eating skills have been improving.  In fact, I have even moved on and  learned to cook it (so some people can get excited about me making fun food we can play with).  Last night, I made pap all by myself, and it turned out fantastic!  (Despite the fact that the family that lives here got home when I was in the middle of mixing in the last mealie meal, and the dad wanted to finish it for me.  I told him no, I am making it.  How am I supposed to learn to make it if I am never given the chance to make it?  And the mom said I did a great job.)  So look out for my mad pap-making skills when I get back.  And hopefully my pap-eating skills will improve some more and become mad as well.

As an update since I originally wrote this: I have made the pap almost every day.  And every time I make it, "it's nice."  FTW

¡Chi-Chi-Chi le-le-le! ¡Viva Chile!

This weekend was (well, I guess it kind of still is) Chile's bicentenario.  Yesterday was their independence day and today they celebrate the military.  The whole weekend has been filled with shenanigans and celebration.
Thursday afternoon we had party at work.  It was cool to be able to talk to some other people from work.  We don't get to see each other much because we are usually out and about at businesses teaching.  There was an insane amount of kabobs as well.  Like, bajillions.  And people ate bajillions.  There was also some really good bread and pico de gallo salsa type stuff for those of us (and by us, I mean me) who don't eat meat.  I am pretty sure I am the only person there that didn't eat meat.  That's fine- more bread for me!  There was drinking and dancing and eating and an all around good time.  It was much like Independence Day in the States, except they have traditional dances here that they do. 

Thursday night a group of us decided to see the light show at La Moneda.  It was pretty sweet.  It told the story of Chile's history through lights and sound.  If you know anything about Chile's history, you know it is kind of intense.  The energy was really intense too.  There were sooo many people there, and they were all feeling Chilean and patriotic.  It was definitely something to experience.

I also went to a fonda, which is just like a fair (think Iowa State Fair only slightly smaller), except there are stages where people do this traditional dance.  I don't really understand the dance.  It has a whole story, and it is very specific and generally confusing.

Today is the military parade.  I decided not to go.  I am not really that into watching the military march down the street.  Besides, I have the convenience of watching it on TV right now.  I don't think I am too disappointed with missing it.

Both Friday and  Monday are considered part of the holiday (I am assuming because it fell on a weekend?), so most things are closed.  I don't have work, which is kind of ok, but then I don't get paid.  It also kind of sucks because I really want to go to the grocery store.  I have some potatoes to eat, and that is about it.  There are a couple of places open today, but that is literally it- a couple of places.  And from the sounds of it, there isn't going to be anything open tomorrow either.  I really just want a Hy-Vee right now.  It would make my life (and by life, I mean belly) significantly more full.


Finally, please follow my volunteering blog, Allison Volunteers.  When I contact businesses, it will look better for me if more people are following my blog.  It looks like more people will read my public thanks for my businesses sponsors.  So follow me.  You should also like my cause on facebook.  It has the same effect.  Finally, you can follow me on Twitter.  This also has the same effect.  It's really not hard, and you only have to put up with it for less than a year.  Besides, it is for a good cause.