First World Problems

12.05.18

With travel there's always some sort of hiccup or first world problem. 

Take veganism or that awful lack of food you whilst traveling, for one. 

Actually I take that back. Not having food for hours on end affects every human no matter what world we come from. I'm pretty sure all worlds relate to hunger. And hunger is always harder when you've spent the day moving house and – literally – moving countries. And I forgot to eat earlier too. I was relying on this [I PUT MY FAITH IN YOU, AIR ASIA].

Was I asking too much? Probably.

I definitely don't want to get into the ins and outs of what exactly constitutes a first world problem. Nor do I wish to patronise those who have worse problems, through what I say. But I do have to shed light on veganism right here, or the whole plant-based diet thing. 

Airports are difficult for vegans. Airports are difficult for omnivores. The food is shit and has a 50% *unofficial* surcharge. Eating out is harder for vegans. But we don't do it because it's easy (though in other ways is, more on this later). Just as those who travel don't do it for that reason. 

We have the opportunity to travel because we have an abundance of choice, and choice is everything. I don't think many in the developing world get the “privilege” of complaining about in-flight food but here I am, complaining.

Being an animal is one million times harder because of those non-vegans out there; omnivores, those of us who pay others to turn animals into something we think resembles food. Animal agriculture can't exist without our insatiable appetite for protein, and Dairy Australia pay full time lobbyists to influence government policy, paying millions in advertising to the public. Got milk? Most people born in this world wouldn't say no to more calories, no matter what form that takes, so in some ways my diet choice is a first world problem.

But damn am I a hangry vegan right now and this sucks. I feel light headed and empty and I've spent 3.5 hours waiting for a 5 hour flight, which has only just begun. I feel sad and uncomfortable for making a point of it, even though I pre-ordered a plant-based meal, paid extra and got served bolognese. This is legitimately based on my political, spiritual and cultural beliefs. If I could claim the Brahma Net Sutra tradition of chúnsù - pure vegetarianism, why should that be different from respecting other cultural food traditions?

In the time it took to write this it finally arrived, the meal, made of those wonderful plant-based things. 

I guess life isn't so bad – at all (yes clearly by the change in temperament I have scoffed my foods) but I'm definitely getting a refund for this. The meal, in real dollars, I essentially paid 3 times for. It's the principle that gets me. Once you're 12 km up in the air they can do whatever the fuck they like. But once I'm on land I can write a "disappointed" letter. Then I'm gonna post my letter and show you their response, but only if they give me a shitty response. Air Asia is international and they need to cater for diversity – but more importantly – they simply just need to give me what I paid for. 

Where am I going with this post? I guess what I'm saying is, I hate the gap between the rich and poor, I hate animal cruelty, but boy am I selfish because right now - I hate bad plane food even more.