GETTING TO THE MEAT OF THE ISSUE

       Our resident vegetarian shares her experience of surviving in the "City of Carnivores".

       Like a heretic, witch, or communist, I too have been branded.
       Unlike my historically persecuted counterparts, my plight isn't rooted in grand religious or political causes, but something more humble - vegetarianism.
       I know what it feels like to don a scarlet "V" as the one who cannot indulge in meat deluxe, seafood cocktail or bacon super delight when I go out with friends for a fine gourmet pizza.
       I've been quite successful in resisting temptation since jumping on the herbivorous bandwagon almost two years ago. Bangkok even has the annual Kin Jae (vegetarian) Festival every October, which helps. But special treatment isn't afforded to my kind regularly. Socially, sometimes being vegetarian feels like an imposition, especially when it comes to eating with different groups of people in various situations.
       Before Bangkok transforms into a haven for vegetarians next month, I've decided to share some of my meat-free experiences. This is my story of coping in the City of Carnivores.
       THE VEGETARIAN MEETS A CURIOUS CARNIVORE
       "So why did you decide to become vegetarian?"
       It's a question all veggies have been asked by inquisitive non-veggies meeting them for the first time.Carnivores then tend to look at us expectantly, as if our answer will solve the mystery of why traffic always seems to move when you get out of the taxi to walk.
       While we may be tempted to respond,"I decided to be vegetarian for the same reasons you chose to be annoying," don't let your crankiness get the better of you. That just gives people even more of a reason to dismiss vegetarians as a strange breed of irritable hippies.
       From one diplomatic vegetarian to another, a better answer would be:"Well dear sire, the decision to eliminate meat from my diet is a complex story that spans decades of experience. In my sleep one night,I heard a voice telling me to follow the path of the papaya and that I would find a pot of somtam at the end."
       What's wrong with a little sarcasm? It's bad enough that many non-vegetarians think we gave up meat because we want something good to happen to us in return. That's what going to temples, making merit,and joining charitable organisations are for. And of course, you can always borrow my line:"I'm a ThaiIndian girl, who does yoga and has her nose pierced, so isn't the next logical step for me to become a vegetarian?"
       THE VEGETARIAN EATS WITH FRIENDS OR FAMILY
       All vegetarians should know that the love of true friends and family can be measured by how much meat an individual is willing to forego to accommodate them.
       Being vegetarian becomes a little more complex when it's commonplace to have "family style meals" in Bangkok, where someone hogging their own dish is frowned upon. The nerve! But non-vegetarians should know better than to invite us out if they're not willing to get the ham on the side.
       The best advice I can offer is to ensure that you train friends and family to compromise when it comes to different dietary preferences. In my case, the ordering process often sounds like this:Person 1:I really want the tom yam goong , chicken fried rice, and pla neung manao !Person 2:Yeah me too, but Sumati is here! We can't get that.Person 1:How about we get the tom yam without the shrimp, the fried rice without chicken, and just neung manao so she can eat it?Sumati:Aww, guys! Don't forget, no egg in the khao pad either!
       THE VEGETARIAN EATS WITH CO-WORKERS
       One of the best things about eating lunch at work - not to be confused with the other 50 times Thai people eat at the office - is going out for a particular type of meal. Tuesdays may be the day the lady who sells the best kuay tiew ped is in the area; Wednesdays may be khao man gai day; Thursdays is for yam pla dook foo - the choices are endless. Unfortunately, you'll rarely see people lining up around the soi for the best carrot vendor ever!
       We vegetarians don't care if you want to be hunter-gatherers and obtain your moo krata , so nonvegetarian colleagues should really stop looking at us with pity. We really don't mind finding our own leafy vegetables elsewhere, and honestly, the sight of seeing you slurp cow's blood isn't really conducive to our beliefs. I don't mind when my esteemed colleagues want to indulge in "bird gizzard Fridays". Here's what some of my co-workers have to say about what it feels like to have a vegetarian tagging along to eat:Arglit,editor:"Eat meat or I'll sack you."Adam,sub-editor:"I don't mind eating with vegetarians. It's Sumati I can't stand."Oz, writer:"Bringing a vegetarian to dinner is like bringing your cousin with Tourette's syndrome; you love the dude but secretly wish they would get hit by a bus."
       THE VEGETARIAN GOES ON A DATE
       Contrary to what you may think, vegetarians don't need to date other vegetarians for a relationship to work. It's actually quite great to be the one with "special dietary needs" because you often get to choose the restaurant and you can always blame your crankiness on lack of vitamin B12.
       The biggest problem some vegetarians face is the first date, especially when the potential Mr Sumati doesn't know that you're a veggie and takes you to a super-fancy seafood restaurant, with absolutely no vegetarian options on the menu.
       In fact, each item sounds something like:"We mated a shrimp and a scallop to get a shrallop, then we mated that with tuna to get shrallopuna, and then finally threw in a shark for good measure to bring you shrallopunark!"
       So what's an upstanding vegetarian like me to do in this situation? Well, I can tell you what I did, and I won't lie. I got the scallops.G

       VEGGIE FOR LIFE
       Helpful tips for maintaining a healthy vegetarian diet:
       Add variety to your diet by incorporating lots of fruit and vegetables in a whole range of colours. Having a rainbow on your plate provides different nutritional benefits.
       Protein is needed for healthy skin, bones,and muscles. Obtain this from soy products,lentils, nuts, seeds, whole grains, and dairy.
       Get your calcium from dark green vegetables such as spinach, kale, and broccoli.
       Vitamin B12 is important in preventing anemia. While this nutrient is usually found in animal products, it can be obtained by taking a vitamin supplement, or in dairy products and egg.
       Fill your iron intake with leafy green vegetables, beans, dried fruit, and enriched cereals.
       Don't leave out zinc, which is important for the formation of protein. Nibble on whole grains and nuts.
       Although Thai food uses lots of nam pla and nam man hoy to season dishes,vegetarians can ask for a light soy sauce.
       If you find yourself eating a dish that has been cooked in a meaty stock - which is often the case - ignore it! Sometimes you have no choice but to move on!

       KNOWYOUR ONIONS
       Not all vegetarians are created equal. Different types of vegetarianism include:
       Semi-Vegetarians (aka Flexitarians)
       This person says,"I'm a vegetarian but I eat meat occasionally." Semi-vegetarians limit the amount of animal products consumed. Although it hasn't been proven, these people probably also say,"I'm a man, but I dress up like a girl occasionally." Subsets of this category can include "pescatarians", who eat fish.
       Ovo-Lacto
       the most common type Vegetarians This is of vegetarian. They don't eat meat, but eat eggs and dairy products.
       Lacto Vegetarian Dairy products are acceptable for this kind of veg-head, but eggs are not. It's estimated Indians make up at least 70 per cent of the lactovegetarians in the world, based on a 2004 census study reported in The Hindu newspaper.
       Fruitarians Although this sounds like a superhero, fruitarians eat, surprise, fruit!Fruit is consumed raw, and can include pineapples, mangoes, and berries. The fruitarian also consumes tomatoes,cucumbers, olives, seeds, and nuts. Another similar category to fruitarians are "raw or living foodists" who only eat uncooked food.
       Vegans Don't even think about ingesting animal products if you're a vegan! Anything that comes from an animal is rejected by this type,including eggs, dairy, and honey.We wonder if vegans eat grass that a cow has stepped on?

       EAT YOUR GREENS
       You don't have to starve as a vegetarian in Bangkok. Here are some vegetarian (and vegfriendly) restaurants around the city:
       Govinda (Italian)
       6/5-6/6 Sukhumvit Soi 22. Open 11:30am-3pm,6pm-11pm; closed Tuesdays.02-663-4970.
       Anotai (organic dishes also
       Rama 9 Road, behind available)976/17 Rama 9 Hospital. Open 10am-9:30pm; closed Wednesdays.02-641-5366.
       Dosa King (Indian)
       153/7 Sukhumvit Soi 11/1. Open daily 11am-11pm.02-651-1700.
       Khun Churn
       G/F Bangkok Mediplex,Sukhumvit Soi 42. Open daily 10am-9pm.02-713-6599.
       Chijuya (Japanese)
       2/F Fifty-Fifth Plaza,Thong Lor Soi 2 (Sukhumvit Soi 55).Open daily 11:30am-2pm,5:30pm-9pm.02-392-1877.
       May Kaidee (restaurant and cooking school)
       Two locations at Ratchadamnoen Road,Bang Lamphu, near Khao San road; Walk around to the alley parallel to Tanao Road (behind Burger King);third location at 33 Samsen Soi 1. All locations open daily 9am-11pm.02-281-7699,www.maykaidee.com.