Dear Fellow Vegans: I’m Sorry

family, Fitness, health related issues, humor, lessons learned, social justice, travel 4 Minutes

I’ve been a committed vegan for the past 13 years, and I’ve written a few blog posts about why I made such a choice. During those 13 years, I could probably count on just one hand the number of times I may have slipped up and purposely eaten something that was not vegan. Such slip-ups never involved meat, but were usually things that involved looking the other way when eating something that I knew most likely had dairy or eggs in it.

But like I said, that has only happened a handful of times over the past 13 years. I find it much easier to be a vegan by thinking beyond just the health aspects of such a choice, and being aware of the impact of such a choice on the environment and animal rights.

I’ve spent the past eight weeks in Singapore, with two more to go. Prior to coming here, I just assumed that it would be quite easy to find vegan food, since I am a fan of Thai, Indian, and Chinese foods, and I’ve always found great vegan options with such foods.

In fact, when we went to London two years ago, I thought it would be so difficult to find vegan foods there that I actually brought my Vitamix blender with me so that I could have my daily green smoothie. Once we got to London, I was surprised by how vegan-friendly a city it was, and there was never a problem finding foods that met my needs. And the fact that we arrived in the midst of Veganuary made it quite easy.

That experience just added more confidence to my beliefs that Singapore would be an easy place to be a vegan.

So I left the Vitamix behind, thinking I could find smoothies on every corner. Wrong.

There are an incredible number of options where to get your food from while in Singapore. And while some of the places claim that their meals are vegan, after a couple of questions to try and confirm that fact, I either could not quite understand their response, they could not understand my question, or they simply didn’t seem to know what vegan really meant.

I remember talking with the owner of an Indian food stand where the menu had a list of vegan options. I asked him what was included in one such meal, and he mentioned cheese. I said cheese is not vegan. He just looked at me and pointed at another menu item. When I asked what was in it, he said eggs. Again, I said that’s not vegan. I finally found something that I think was vegan, and it was absolutely delicious. But that only happened because I was able to understand what the person working there was saying, which has not always been the case.

So what that all means is that I am guessing there may have been some meals I have had that may not have been 100% vegan. One other example is trying to figure out if the food vendor uses oyster sauce in its recipes. Not always an easy thing to find out.

But be that as it may, my biggest offenses as a vegan have been blatantly ordering things that I know are not vegan.

There have been a few things that I wanted to try because they seem to be such a part of the Singaporean culture, and I wanted to have that experience  (and yes, the fact that the food tasted so good has made me want to keep trying it).

For example, tea (teh) and coffee (kopi), seem to be a big part of the culture. The normal way to drink them is with sweetened condensed milk, which I have been doing, and it is, for lack of a better word, yummy. So strike one. I usually go down to the corner cafe with my son in the morning and order a teh and some kaya toast. Kaya toast is a thin slice of toast with Kaya jam, a sweet, egg-based jam. So strike two. (At least I tell them to hold the butter and the egg).

Another big part of the food culture seems to be a wide variety of bread sandwiches. I found a place that sells potato curry stuffed inside a roll. It is quite delicious, and I tried to find out what was in the curry and what the rolls were made of, but to no avail. My guess is that there is something non-vegan in there. So strike three.

So I just want to offer my apologies to the vegan community for my less than perfect behavior. I’m not trying to justify my behavior, just sharing my experiences. I guess this means I’m OK with the cognitive dissonance such behavior has created. I hope the vegan community is OK with it as well.

I am 100% confident that when I return to the U.S. I will be back to my strict vegan ways as soon as the plane lands. I can’t wait to have a green smoothie.

But in the meantime, I’ll continue to enjoy my teh and kaya toast.

Who knows, maybe before I leave I’ll find vegan versions of such foods, but I’m not hopeful.

*image from Youtube

Published by Jim Borden

A 60-something guy trying to figure out the world, and his place in it. Happily married for 40-plus years, three wonderful sons. Accounting teacher, fitness enthusiast, blogger, reader.

Published

45 thoughts on “Dear Fellow Vegans: I’m Sorry”

  1. I hear you, Jim, but I think you are feeling bad for nothing. Let me give you a different example. I do not drink alcohol. It is not for any medical or addiction reasons, it is mostly just a preference. Although I do not wear the label ‘non-drinker’ or have a community of the like-minded to answer to, it would be odd for me to drink alcohol. However, if I was visiting the United Kingdom, how could I not at least try some world-renown single malts or a good Irish whiskey. I would have no intention of continuing it as a lifestyle, but to not do so would seem an incredible opportunity missed. On my deathbed, I would regret not having done so rather than choosing to, I am sure. Also, you are giving vegans a bad rap. If us meat-chomping carnivores don’t pass judgement on your dietary choices, why would you think that vegans, who by nature are more empathetic, would not give you a pass? 🍖🍗🥚🧀

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    1. great analogy, Brad. I guess when in Rome, do as the Romans (within reason of course 🙂 ) And I have found vegans to be an empathetic group, I don’t think they will be too upset with my minor violations…

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    1. thanks, Taylor. I’m trying to be more casual, and I am enjoying it. But I tend to be a pretty black and white guy when it comes to what I should eat. Hope all is well with you; we are having a great trip.

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  3. I cannot not mention that I read this while chomping on a few, Nathan’s All-beef hot dogs for lunch. I congratulate you for the self-discipline and commitment you have for your diet. Me, not so much. Regards from SC.

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  4. Honestly you have nothing to be sorry about. When I travel I do my very best to research and find places with vegan options but it doesn’t always work out and I know there have been times when I have eaten dairy by mistake. I think it’s really difficult to stay vegan when travelling especially to a place that’s new to you. Don’t beat yourself up about it these things happen.

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    1. thanks, Pooja. It has been fun to try a couple of these new foods, even though I know they are not vegan. It hasn’t changed my commitment to being vegan however.

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      2. And speaking of WordPress I may ask you for some advice on the near future about downgrading from the business plan option. I think you did the same thing a while ago.

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  6. This is the first time I’ve tried vegetarian eating. I have cautiously tip-toed into it wondering if I would like it. I started with vegetarian during the week and whatever I wanted on weekends. I am finding that more and more I crave my vegetarian meals. So I’m happy it took! 🤗 I’m not sure about vegan yet, but I’m closer than I was! Good luck with the food over there. You’ll get back to normal before long. More importantly, stay well and safe on your travels! ☺️🌟☺️

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    1. I’m glad to hear the vegetarian meals are agreeing with you. It was relatively easy for me to go right to vegan because I am not a fan of cheese, which usually seems to be one of the harder foods for people to give up. We have had some great meals over here, and so far, we feel safe and healthy!

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  7. you have nothing to apologize for. you are more vigilant than most people in the world, i would have to guess. we are imperfect, that’s what makes us human.

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  8. Actually that non-vegan teh sounds really good. I must try it. And Jim, you know there’s no perfection. So no need to beat yourself up. You did your best, that’s what counts.

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    1. thanks for such a list! I agree about France – I think there is butter and dairy in everything! But Spain was pretty easy – I found vegan paella which was phenomenal!

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  10. I can feel your frustration in ordering food and being misinformed. Admire your convictions and choice. I’ve yo-yo’d between omnivorous and ranges of vegetarian and vegan for years. Discovered Reducetarian and Flexitarian lifestyles, which are more sustainable.

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    1. I’m lucky that food is not that important to me; I just view it mainly as calories to help me get through the day. And if it tastes good, that’s a bonus!

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  15. Hi Jim. It’s okay. Happens. Btw, I am based in Singapore too & can suggest you some options for vegan food! Chinese, American and whatever else! And I am Indian so I can suggest Indian food that is vegan! Let me know if you need any help! 🙂

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    1. Hi Manasi – thank you so much for the offer – it would have been fun to connect with you while we were in Singapore. Unfortunately, we came back to the U.S. mid-March.

      I did end up really liking Indian food, and that became my go to when we were out. I was never quite sure if what I was eating was 100% vegan, but there were no obvious signs of meat or eggs, and it always tasted quite good.

      I am also sorry to see what has been happening in Singapore. We were there from 6-Jan to 15-March, and we felt safe the whole time there, and it seemed as if the government had covid-19 under control. I hope their new circuit-breaker measures start working soon.

      We hope to get back to Singapore some day (we just loved our time there), and if we do, now I know someone to ask about vegan food!

      Have a great day!

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