I AM NOT A VEGETARIAN, BUT I DON’T EAT PORK: A MALAYSIAN DILEMMA OVERSEAS

Occasion: Sherbourne Residence Block 5, me, Lizzie and Sue were in a kitchen together preparing the menu for the buffet that includes sandwiches of tuna, eggs, salads and bacon, bacon sausages and batches with sides like honeydew melons and green grapes. Okay, I didn’t prepare the servings but more like cleaning the final kitchen on my shift for the day before Sue and Lizzie came in with all the foods and suddenly the cooker and oven turned into a mess but since Sue told me she’s going to clean it later, so I’ll let it pass.

A Christmas Buffet servings that we usually had every year a month or two before the long winter holiday. You can tell that I had the honeymelons and biscuits the most besides the cheese sandwiches. Photo is of my own. All copyrights reserved.

While I was washing the dishes that the students never washed like months ago just for the sake of prepping them for the city church charity volunteer for the homeless and the less fortunates to come this weekend to pick them up, I told them I'm okay with everything except for alcohol beverages and pork when Lizzie showed her frowned face. The thing was, I already told my workmates who were all local Coventrians from time to time I’m a vegetarian whenever there’s a feast coming up because of a discussion that I was unlikely putting myself into but eventually, still happened and it never went well. And that was when Lizzie popped up the magic question;

Lizzie: ‘’I thought you’re a vegetarian?’’

Me: ‘’I told you I’m a vegetarian before this because I don’t want to complicate things. But the fact is I’m not a veggie and I eat all sorts of meat except for pork’’.

Lizzie: ‘’You don’t eat pork? Why would someone don’t eat pork? That’s ridiculous!’’

Me: (Okay, here we go again) ‘’I don’t pork because I’m a Muslim and it’s prohibited’’ (I loved to explain more but as for now I want it to remain as simple as I could get)

Sue: (Busy prepping up the sandwiches in the kitchen while casually listening to our intense conversation, silently participating as a quiet member of the group)

Lizzie: Okay, that’s fine. So, do you eat Turkey? It tastes a bit like chicken.

Me: (Do we have to go all the way with the ‘I’m not a vegetarian, I eat almost anything, but I don’t eat pork all over again?) Oh, yes, I loved Turkeys, but I prefer chicken more.

Lizzie: That’s good. So, are you going to eat these chicken sandwiches that we’re prepping today for the buffet?’

Me: Hmmmm ……. (I want to go on and explain with I only eat meat originated from slaughtered animals which are allowed with conditions according to our Book of Faith instead of eating animals which are killed instead. But based on my experience with a conversation like this and how it never went that good, that’s when I decided to go with -) I think I wanted to go vegetarian today.

Lizzie: ‘’But you told me just now you’re not a vegetarian?’’

Me: (Elizabeth, please …. Oh God, I’m about to have a headache)

To conclude, that is how I always went with my favourite chant of ‘I’m a vegetarian’ rather than ‘I’m a Muslim, I eat almost anything except for alcohol and pork’ every time I’m having a buffet with the locals. Simple and understandable. At least I can have all the cheese and tuna sandwiches served for the day. God bless everybody.