For the first time since I arrived, I really truly miss living at home. Now, don't get me wrong - I love being responsible for myself and living with new people and in a new place, but I realized this evening that I need to go home next weekend.
Today, when I stepped into my apartment, it wreaked of hamburger. I tried to explain to my roommates why I'd prefer it if we didn't cook meat in the house - or at least warned me before hand so I could find a place to stay - but I don't think they quite appreciated my aversion to the smell of meat. It's not ethical snottiness, but a genuine disgust. I truthfully walked into my house and got completely nauseous, to the point that I hadn't been able to stomach food for a couple hours.
And that's why I miss home. I don't have to explain to my sisters or my parents why it's gross - they get it! We don't cook meat in doors for that reason. And yet, when I explained this, I got the feeling that not one of them gave a shit about what I said. And I know it's true. When Clint asked them not to smoke weed in the main room because it makes him nauseous, they were completely apologetic. When I asked them to limit the amount of meat or at least warn me ahead of time, they acted like I had asked them to cut down on their shower time because it was stealing all of my hot water.
I'm not sure what to do at this point, and I'd appreciate some advice. Though I'll probably get plenty of that this weekend when I'm finally home again.
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I think it remains a problem of tone. They see you, the vegetarian, as trying to take away their right to eat meat. Now, in order to promote peace, you should not appear to infringe upon this right. You need to demonstrate the actual physical response you get to meat. It sounds, unfortunately, like you just don't want them to eat meat. It comes off as an anti-meat argument. Stress the WARNING. This is the common ground you have. "I would appreciate it if you warned me when you are going to cook meat as my system is not accustomed to it and it can make me slightly queasy." Something like that is probably going to be your best route because:
1. It doesn't sound like you are trying to change them.
2. It does not say anything negative: "wreaked," "disgust" - the tone of these words can all be taken as an insult to their habit of eating meat. As disgusting as you might think it is, you cannot let them think you would are disgusted by them for eating it. It comes off as a personal insult on their habits.
3. You are willing to do the effort. Perhaps after a while, they will cut down on meat seeing the effort you're willing to go do to avoid it. But it is important in the early stages of compromise to not infringe on what they perceive as their rights.
I type advice much better than I speak it, in case you couldn't realize... Just always be conscious of tone: you don't want them to think you are unhappy with them (that is, who they are since they identify themselves as meat eaters).
I hope this helps.
Have 'em do it again, get so physically sick that you vomit all over their hamburger, then say "sorry...I guess it was kind of a bigger deal than you thought, huh? A-HOLE!" hahahaha, whew...well...I mean that's what I'd do...I'm just saying...
one of those white mask they wear in China? or gas mask? would they get the message?
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