Snapshot 3 : ‘So you are a vegetarian? Hmmm….don’t you even eat fish ...?’

Expect loads of attention if you are a vegetarian in a household which will eat anything that can be eaten! However I realised in my recent trip to Aj’s place, that it was pretty much a win-win situation. I didn’t have any problem what everyone else ate and the everyone else was pretty curious as to what I ate and how I cooked it, how I managed to not eat non-vegetarian food and other such relevant details!

Typical conversation at dinner table

Aj’s family: Since when don’t you eat non-veg food?

Me: Since when I was born

Aj’s family ( Silence followed by…):  Oh… so do you eat fish?

Me: No

Aj’s family: But fish is considered vegetarian…

Me: I know , but not in my family

Aj’s family ( by now I sense alarm in their voice): So you do cook non-veg food though…isn’t it?

Me: Yes I do actually, and Aj cooks too

Aj’s family (ignoring the comment that Aj cooks): And you check for taste by….

Me ( feeling embarrassed): I cook by instinct and sometimes I ask Aj to check for the taste

Aj’s family ( I hear a non-specific..): Uh…oh …do you eat eggs?

Me: Yes I do

Aj’s family ( with a sense of relief): Ohh……anyway since you can cook non-veg Aj can eat so it is ok…

Me: Hmmm….

Aj’s family: So Aj, what do you cook etc…( and I can’t tell you just how much attention he got because he was cooking !! Some even commented that I was lucky !! Sigh…)

I had conversations similar to this a number of times and every time the core issue was that I was cooking it so that Aj could eat what he wanted!!

Very interesting