Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Eat my vegetables

We have a holiday party at work this year, and I, naturally enough, inquired as to whether there would be a vegetarian entrée. This was the reply:

We are still working on the menu; therefore, I'm not sure if vegetarian food will be available. While, it is difficult to tailor the menu to meet each persons specific request, the meal will include several vegetables.
Whereupon I e-mailed my department coworkers telling them that my drink tickets were up for bid, and a really good bid would get double the tickets, since spouses are allowed this year and I could bring Eric along for the two minutes it would take to show up, get the tickets, give them to the appropriate person, and leave.

Seriously. I acknowledge that vegetarianism is not the standard American diet and requires a little bit of accommodation. However, it's not that uncommon, and anyone who could eat a meat dish could eat a vegetarian dish, so it wouldn't be funneling food money for the benefit of just one person. (Or however many there are in this company. I don't know.) "Several vegetables" gives me no confidence at all: no one wants to eat just crudites; just vegetables is generally not a good entire meal (and when it is, the vegetables are generally an entrée, which these obviously aren't); there's no guarantee that these "several vegetables" won't show up under gravy or swimming in beef broth or accompanied by bacon or shrimp.

We had a company picnic at the zoo this summer. My choices were a cookie and a bag of chips. (I had a little of both, but neither were very good.) I wanted to stay at the zoo, but I left early partly because I was hungry. I am not pleased. My coworker offered to ask for vegetarian food too, if that would help. I'm tempted to get up a movement, but I don't want to cause real trouble. I think.

4 comments:

koalabear100 said...

Wow. Taking the pout route, huh? As opposed to

1) Taking the time to celebrate a year's worth of accomplishments with your colleagues. Eating something beforehand and picking at your food during the event.

2) Declining the invitation, saying you have a prior commitment. Your colleagues don't need to know you're at home pouting over the lack of suitable food options.

3) Joining a religion that espouses vegetarianism, then claiming discrimination.

4) Moving to a geographic location where vegetarianism is more widely embraced, even during meat-focused holidays.

At least consider donating the proceeds of your drink ticket auction to a charity in the spirit of the season.

Unknown said...

It's my blog and I'll pout if I want to. Regarding (1): huh, is that what the holiday party is for? (3) amuses me but I don't see why a fairly sensible diet has to hide behind a silly system of beliefs to be taken seriously-or rather, I know why but I don't wish to propagate that. I'd work on (4), but I don't think I could get Eric to move to India.

koalabear100 said...

1. Yes dearie, that's what the holiday party is all about. Very few people in their right minds hang around with their coworkers (well all of them as opposed to a select few) outside of work. Not going to the holiday party can sabotage your career. So can going to the holiday party and pouting the entire time. Or going to the holiday party, getting blasted, and making out with the cute guy from accounts receivable in the broom closet.

3. Isn't the propagation of this sort of stuff what this country is all about?

Unknown said...

Hmm. It appears that the work culture at my place of employment is vastly different from the culture at yours. Though nobody respects the person who gets wasted and makes out with people in the broom closet.