Saturday 4 May 2019

Is this food for thought?


Our boss decided we should have a Saturday meeting to discuss a special project. I was not keen to give up my weekend.

She also suggested that we should meet at her house. I was even less keen on the idea.

For some reason, the other colleagues looked forward to it. So on the appointed day six of us met at my boss' house for the said meeting.

Forgive me for being a party-pooper, or a cynical old fart as welcome as breaking wind in a space suit; but let's be honest, we could just as well have met at the office. It is open on Saturdays and there are plenty meeting rooms available.

I guess the whole intention was to show off her palatial mansion. With surrounding gardens, a swimming pool and wall-to-wall luxury. She did mention that her husband was something important "in the City", (meaning London), and in conversation she did name-drop as to who famous so and so came to her garden parties. She mentioned politicians, celebrities and other people I'd never heard of; but sadly she did not mention our garbage collector, or postman as ever having been invited to her parties.

Unlike my colleagues, I felt ill at ease about it all. But then, perhaps there's something wrong with me. I even chose a glass of lemonade instead of the fancy alcoholic drinks on offer.

Then came the food nicely served by two maids out in the garden.

There was cous cous mixed with lentils, garbanzo and pinto beans salad, quinoa, (pronounced "kinwa" you plebs), tofu, pomegranate seeds, guavas, and some green stuff which looked like cut grass, (I think she said it was a product from seaweeds), sun dried tomatoes on a bed of bulgur wheat tabbouleh,  and a variety of other similar delicacies that an ignorant lower species like myself had never heard of.

Not a hamburger or French fries in sight. Not even a Kentucky Fried tortoise or squirrel from her wildlife abundant garden.

She went on to expound the benefits of a vegetarian diet. How healthy it is for us. And how it could save the planet.

Uncharacteristically of me, I kept quiet. But inside I was boiling over and wishing I had a nice piece of steak to chew on. Better than the table leg sawdust she was offering.

Why is it that vegetarian people like to convince you to be like them? I don't go around encouraging everyone to eat meat. If they don't want meat, then good. There's more for me.

And what is all this talk that not eating meat saves the planet? If we don't eat meat there will be more and more animals, cows, sheep, pigs, chickens and so on roaming around. Is her plan to kill them all to extinction? Is that how she will save the planet? Does she really believe it possible that everyone will stop eating meat to save the planet?

As I said, I kept quiet and said nothing. I played around with my fork moving the cous cous here and there on my plate and wished that this meeting team-building event was soon over.

And another thing ... why do you have to say cous cous twice? Why not just say it once ... cous? Does it taste any nicer when you say it twice? 

24 comments:

  1. If I can't pronounce what is on the menu...I don't eat it. If you take some leftover's home do you ask for a "rabbit bag" instead of a "doggy bag" 🐩
    As for your question on "cous cous" the answer is "cause cause" and you say it with your pinky finger in the air. Where are your manners Victor :)

    Loved this...thank you for the smiles to start my day!

    God Bless 💮

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    1. And that's another thing, Jan ... why do posh English people drink tea with with their little finger in the air ... don't you know old boy ... what? And why do they have little triangular cheeses and cucumber sandwiches with the crust cut off ... and what does it matter whether you pour the milk first in the cup or the tea?

      I am definitely not posh. I drink tea straight from the tea pot.

      God bless you.

      Delete
  2. Thanks for the smiles. I enjoyed your post.

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    1. It's great to see you visiting us here, Ann. Thanx. Please return soon and often.

      God bless.

      Delete
  3. Like you, I don;t understand why people always want to sell you their way of living. Why can;t they just be like me...perfect!

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  4. You make some great points about the whole vegetarian scene, Victor. Yes, why do they always tell others how to eat? I'll consume what I wish, thank you very much.
    And maybe cous cous is said twice because otherwise, it sounds like coup? No one wants to go through that!
    Blessings!

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    1. I'll tell you something, Martha. It tastes the same regardless of how many times you say it. Have you tried cous cous? It's like eating flavoured sand.

      God bless you, Martha.

      Delete
  5. Thanks for including the correct pronunciation of quinoa, Victor! What a shallow person, this woman! And no meat? I'd have had to offer my apologies and leave for the nearest burger joint! Like the old advertising jingle bragged, "Real food for real people."

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    1. I could not leave, Mevely. She is my boss. And I am a coward.

      God bless you.

      Delete
  6. 'Team-building'? Really? How very 'CRASS' of her: kind of like the American 'Kardashian Family' T.V. Show wherein, every week, the 'family members' BROADCAST their OUTRAGEOUS 'sexual' exploits', and their 'OVER-SEXUALIZED' OUTFITS (even for their smallest children), as well as their RIDICULOUS 'excesses' for the rest of us to 'see' & to 'envy' them enough to become 'avid fans' and 'Kardashian-wannabes'! Meanwhile, the 'rest of us' are just trying to survive, maintain a roof over our heads, AND have enough 'real food' to eat!! As this kind of 'CRASSNESS' continues, the "yellow vests" riots in France have begun to spread all over the world! These 'times' do NOT bode well!

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  7. I feel sorry for people like your boss. They just don't get what brings joy! Sad really.

    I tried going without eating meat after reading the book, When Elephants Weep, because I felt sorry for the animals.
    I lasted about 10 months. I missed eating meat and after all, animals kill animals to eat!!

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    1. I don't mind people being vegetarians, Happyone. I know one or two personally. What I find annoying are those people who try to convert you to their way of thinking. They use the "guilt trip" argument that somehow it will help save the planet, and that it is cruel to kill animals, and farming methods are cruel etc ...

      God bless you, Happyone.

      Delete
  8. Oh my goodness, how could any carnivore sit still with all that vegan goulash arrayed before them? I'm with you, Victor!

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    1. The only meat derivative was the leather couch nearby. I wonder what it tasted like.

      God bless you, Terri.

      Delete
  9. I don't eat meat because I choose not too. I don't try to convince anyone that it is better for you, or it's my way to save the planet. You eat what you wish and that's ok with me. I love cheese, milk and fish so Im not a "real" vegetarian. As for saving the planet, you will need a lot more help than people giving up meat. :)
    I wouldn't have enjoyed the meeting at your boss's house either. I would have made an excuse and not gone regardless of the price to pay.
    Nice post Victor, enjoy the evening.

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    1. Bill ... you are wise. It is OK not to eat meat. I eat meat but have cut down a lot lately, about once a week at the most. You are right that it would take a lot more than not eating meat to save the planet. It is a very complex situation requiring agreement of the whole world, all nations, if we are to do anything positive.

      Sometimes we are put in situations we cannot help; like attending a meeting where it is obvious that we should be there. Basically, I guess I am a coward and did not have the courage not to attend.

      God bless you, Bill. Thank you for your great contribution.

      Delete
  10. Love the picture you've used on this post and I enjoyed your words.
    It's always interesting to read through the comments.

    My thoughts are that saving the planet is not going to be easy, it requires everyone to pull and work together … I just wonder will this be possible!

    All the best Jan

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    1. Very good point, Jan. It requires everyone to pull and work together. Not very likely, sad to say.

      God bless you.

      Delete
  11. Someone called me pretentious today.
    I nearly choked on my honey-cardamom latte. (upjoke.com)

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    1. I like it.

      You should have said, "Pretentious? Moi? Mais non mon ami(e)!"

      That would have confused them, and impressed them with your command of Italian.

      God bless.

      Delete
  12. Koreans make a delicious and nutritious seaweed soup, but they usually eat it with some meat. You would not mistake that seaweed for grass. Bon appetit, Victor, and pardon my Italian!

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    1. Hi spottedMetal. Great to see you here. Thanx. Please visit again and often.

      I don't know what that green food was. I was told it was made from seaweed; but it did not contain meat.

      God bless you.

      Delete

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