Re-Cap of the Company Christmas Party

[Zella Juice]

First...they passed out horsedouvres (however it's spelled). The waitress seemed almost offended that I turned them down. I told the waitress I was vegan and she says "but there is no meat in this"..she didn't realize vegan means no dairy either.

Then when it came time to order the food..there was nothing on the menu I could have. The waitress (a different one), REALLY wanted to get me something to eat. I said I was fine and already ate because I knew I couldn't eat anything on the menu. The party was on a cruise ship and she said the food they had was limited to what they had on the boat. She went and talked with the chef and told me he could make grilled zuchinni and squash and some asparagus and green beans. I was like.."fine" because I knew she wasn't going to let up.

Then....I was going outside to the bow of the boat and I tripped and fell and messed myself up pretty bad. The waitress felt so bad that she was trying to get me some hot chocolate. I told her I cannot have sugar. She said she would get a sugar free one. Ugh. then people were offering me asprin..which gives me a headache. It was quite frusterating.

So the food came and I was glad to have a plate to eat from because it would have been awkward just sitting there watching people eat. I took a bite and I could taste the steak from the grill. I thought...oh well..I will just eat this anyways. I needed some food for comfort after falling and hurting myself. By the way..it was in front of everyone because they were waiting for me to come get in the group picture. Which I wouldn't have been late for if I wasn't dealing with the waitress trying to get my order.

the next day..I had a really bad headache. I figured there must have been sugar on the grill from one of the sauces. Sugar gives me the worst headache.

So, I guess I learned that I should make up a card...like the one I have heard some raw foodist say they have. It's a card that you hand to the waitress that says what you can have and lists what I absolutly cannot have. I always thought I could just tell them..but some people are just so clueless to what vegan is and you have to hope they interpret it to the chef correctly.

At times I wish I could just make an exception to fit in. I mean..it's just one meal. But my body doesn't even let me. I will get sick and have a nasty headache. In the end..it just wasn't worth it. It's going to be nice when raw foods are more mainstream. Until then..I will make up the cards and stick to raw foods..no matter how much pressure I get.

[Nayeli_Raw]

I'm sorry you fell and your waitress was so pushy. That's not very much fun. I hope you were able to have a little fun.

[Crazy Healer Lady]

Aw hun I'm sorry you had such a rotten time :( Some people just don't let up!

I used to pull the whole, "I'm allergic to ____." That really gets their attention, because lawsuits can be involved. Although it's dishonest (although, maybe not. I am allergic to milk, and after a time without drinking milk, people do become lactose-intolerant), it'll hold you until you can a) find someone who will listen and not make a big deal of it and b) make up a fancy card for yourself.

[Nayeli_Raw]

Ok I want more information on these cards. Please lol!! I have never heard of anyone doing this.

[spicyfull]

Hope you are feeling better. I know the embarrasment hurt worse than the fall. It is much easier and simplier to call ahead and have them prepare you a special meal or just carry your own. I just don't have time to explain. Your own people want an explaination when you go to a RAW pot gathering and don't eat.

[klomasius]

Oh dear, I'm so sorry your Christmas party turned out so badly. :(

It makes me shudder because I have my work Christmas party coming up this weekend. The people I work with are pretty clueless about veganism, I've put 'vegan' in the special dietary section of the RSVP but am going to eat before hand as I couldn't get a hold of anyone to tell them just a plain dressing free salad would be fine. Also, my workmates are hassling me and asking questions about why I wont be drinking, they just have no clue why someone wouldn't want to take advantage of the free bar.

I'm even thinking of smuggling in some raw wine (the market I work at has some completely raw wines available) just to shut them up and fit in a little.

Like you Zella, I SO CANNOT WAIT till raw is more mainstream. This is one of the many many reasons why we all need to get out there and spruik it like theres no tomorrow!!

[Raw Joy]

Ok I want more information on these cards. Please lol!! I have never heard of anyone doing this.

Some people make up a small business card, or maybe a little bigger that says something like "I can have any of the following, as long as they have not been cooked or heated: apples, oranges, avocados, celery, carrots, olive oil . . . "and then list a bunch of fruits and vegetables.

I've asked more than once for a vegetable only salad to be made and said I wanted only to have things that grow in a garden. Only to have it show up with cheese and croutons. I always wanted to ask the waitress what plant those came from. :D

So you could even add at the bottom of your card to please not add cheese, bread, croutons, dressings, etc.

[Raw Joy]

Aw hun I'm sorry you had such a rotten time :( Some people just don't let up!

I used to pull the whole, "I'm allergic to ____." That really gets their attention, because lawsuits can be involved. Although it's dishonest (although, maybe not. I am allergic to milk, and after a time without drinking milk, people do become lactose-intolerant), it'll hold you until you can a) find someone who will listen and not make a big deal of it and b) make up a fancy card for yourself.

I, too, occasionally have used the "I have a lot of allergies" line. I figure cooked makes me fat, gassy, bloated, with stopped up sinuses and headaches.

I'd say that was an allergic reaction. ;)

[Veganforlife]

Oh bummer! You poor thing! ARGH!

[rawviveyourself]

Darlin', sorry for your night!

I will say that I have had fantastic luck by calling places in advance - I discuss a few raw options are (they are inevitably puzzled at first) but in every case they have been so accommodating. It's almost as if the challenge of good customer service inspires them to really want to please. (That or maybe they think I am a "mystery shopper"!) :)

I started doing this because I did end up in situations on the spot and they always seemed to have someone feel frustrated that they couldn't provide an option. It's worth a call or stop by a few days ahead. Or bring your own stuff.

[Moretta]

Awwwwe hope your feeling better from your fall. Sorry, to hear you had a pushy waitress. The card sounds like a great idea.

[Emma-Liza]

It can be a hard call to make, this party, seated-dinner type thing. I certainly don't have a definitive answer for all occasions, but I think calling ahead can work great. Also, just stating what you would like and not making it an issue of "I can't have this or that" can be helpful to a confused waitperson. Thinking you have allergies to specific foods can just make them try harder to "please" you, which some of them take pretty seriously. And stating what you want is much more forceful that describing yourself as someone who can't have things.

[jacsam]

Calling ahead has always been good for me because then I know exactly what they have and can slip a few things in my purse to add if necessary. Hey.....on the possitive side of your experience.....you learned one way not to do it. I hope you had some fun despite the food and your fall.

[MelissaO]

I am sorry your party was yukkie. I never much liked the company part type settings- most of the time I was able to find some sort of excuse to get out of them (I used to work 2 jobs so that made a wonderful excuse).

I remember one that I was not able to get out of - the owner knew I was a vegan and put in an order for my meal to be a huge plate of over steamed carrots and potatos that had zero taste....the veggies were so over cooked they feel apart when I touched them :(

I am glad this year my husbands company part is going to be employee only.

[goobygirl]

Raw joy, re what plant do croutons come from, Hubby and I were just chuckling again today about when we were on the road and stopped at McDonald's for a salad. We were quizzing the employee about what exactly came on a salad. Hubby said he wanted "no meat." The employee said, it's just got bacon on it, that's not meat.

Hubby said, yeah what tree do you think that comes on? Guy behind us said, think he's got you on that one...

I would have liked to added, I bet the pig thinks differently....

Raw can be isolating if you let it. Last week I went to a sit down dinner at a banquet. Had a small, somewhat wilting spring salad in front of me. Saw a table that had 10 settings that no one showed up for, so I went over and took two more salads and added them to mine. I didn't give a rat's behind what anyone thought, there wasn't enough salad on my plate to feed a human being...and I was going to make that my meal, so I ate the extra salad...

The other trick I use is just to eat first before going somewhere and then push food around on my plate. No one really notices. Secondly, I don't care.

Not caring makes it so much easier... :)