Aussie veg*ns

[lirpa1]

I was wondering if most of u know many veg*ns personally, and see them on a daily basis.

I dont know any veg*ns over here. I have one friend who is vegetarian,and is in america, and she helped me at first and was very supportive, but I havent talked to her in a few weeks b/c she doesnt have internet access.

I do wish sometimes that I did know someone who was also veg*n, so then I could relate to them, and maybe share ideas on different things to buy, and where to buy the best foods, or substitutes.

Just wondering if anyone else ever feels like this? and where at in aussie are u all from, and are u vegetarian or vegan?

thanks

[Kristen4382]

I am vegetarian, with vegan tendencies [soy milk, vegan 'butter', vegan pesto/cheese/pasta], and am from Sydney. Until this year, I did not know a single vegetarian, and I've been off the meat for the best part of a decade.

Joining the Aust. Orangutan Project introduced me to my first vegetarian friend , and that in turn led me to Lisa [Paulwalkersgirl] who is without a doubt my closest veg*n friend, and veg*nism aside a very good mate of mine I'd say *insert [I]awww here*. We live in different parts of Sydney so I don't see her very often, but keep in touch via sms/internet etc. Definitely helps to keep your motivation going, having vego friends. It can be hard to not know anyone, and feel like the odd one out amongst your friends. In the past I did feel very alone, but I found the internet [and veg groups] helped me out a lot, as well as going to as many veg-related events as possible.

You're from Perth, yeah? I know of two veg*ns over there, one of which is in possibly the best band to come out of Perth. :lol::rockon:

[lirpa1]

Yea I am from Perth. Im actually american but have lived here for three years now.

yeah I do feel like the odd one out many times. and, itd just be so much easier having someone around sometimes who felt the same, and didnt just comment about how they dont see how I can do it, and how they cant live without meat, and how do I not crave rotting flesh etc.

Most of my good friends have accepted it now, and dont make a fuss abt it.

[paulwalkersgirl]

Awwwwwwww :smitten: hehehehe same here, gal friend!

Hi Lirpa! Before I met Kristen, I had 1 vegetarian friend who I met at TAFE and 1 vegan friend who I met at TAFE as well... although, she might not be vegan anymore cos on her myspace, she stated that she loves cheese. :rolleyes: :sealed: hehe

Oh yeah, and my mum. She's been vegetarian for over a month now. :cool: haha. She's starting to have soy milk instead of cow's milk and no longer gonna use Listerine as they test on animals. :( I'll be sharing my vegan soap & toothpaste with her and she uses vegan shampoo. ;) lol.

[lirpa1]

Awwwwwwww :smitten: hehehehe same here, gal friend!

Hi Lirpa! Before I met Kristen, I had 1 vegetarian friend who I met at TAFE and 1 vegan friend who I met at TAFE as well... although, she might not be vegan anymore cos on her myspace, she stated that she loves cheese. :rolleyes: :sealed: hehe

Oh yeah, and my mum. She's been vegetarian for over a month now. :cool: haha. She's starting to have soy milk instead of cow's milk and no longer gonna use Listerine as they test on animals. :( I'll be sharing my vegan soap & toothpaste with her and she uses vegan shampoo. ;) lol.

Oh, what shampoos are vegan? and toothpastes? I havent found a shampoo and conditioner yet that dont test on animals, but I have only just started looking. I'd love to try one tho if u know of a good one I can find here in WA.

[Smurfbabe]

I'm from Perth too, although I have been living in Vancouver for the last 4 months. I actually know a fair few vegetarians and vegans in Perth so they do exist - they are just a rare amazing species.

It's fairly easy to get vegan shampoo/conditioner/deoderant/toothpaste etc in Perth - you just have to go to health stores. The one in Garden City in Booragoon had fairly good selections although they can be pricey. The Earth Market in Subiaco has all those kinds of things along with delicious vegan food I couldn't find anywhere else!

I agree in can be annoying being the only vegan/vegetarian that you know - but I always found people in Perth were very accepting of it and didn't give me too much hassle.

[Kiz]

I know hardly any veg*ns. :(

As to beauty products I'm all about Innoxa. While they are not vegan as such the vast majority of their product lines is. They don't test on animals and most of their products avoid the. There are a couple with beeswax or lanolin in them, though, but the rest is pretty good.

Vita 5 is another wholly Aussie brand that does not test on animals. They do great hair products, too. You can't seem to get them at supermarkets but those hairdresser type outlets nearly always have them. I'd recommend Vita 6 products for your hair - they have a good range to pick from. I love their "hair booster" myself.

[Kristen4382]

Oh, what shampoos are vegan? and toothpastes? I havent found a shampoo and conditioner yet that dont test on animals, but I have only just started looking. I'd love to try one tho if u know of a good one I can find here in WA.

I know this was directed to Lisa but I'll share what I know as well.
Coles sells this product line... http://www.naturesorganics.com.au/splash.htm which I discovered to be animal friendly after emailing them and receiving this reply:


"Thank you for writing to us regarding our “animal friendly” products. I have attached a letter for you to prove our validity on this subject. I do hope you continue to enjoy our products with this peace of mind." She attached a document stating "We understand that as a company to state such a claim we have to abide by strict regulations. On the website stated below [CCF] are the criteria for accreditation for you to review. The criteria is a long and thorough process which we must first of all qualify for then continue to abide by to stay affiliated as a member. Our Company stands by our statement that our products are NOT tested on animals NOR do we purchase our ingredients from companies who have animal-derived ingredients."
From time to time I use their Apple shampoo in the fruits line.

Next time you're in the supermarket, have a look in the 'health food' aisle, you know, where you'd find a load of gluten free stuff, the vitamins etc. In my Coles, near the vitamins, they have a few varieties of vegan toothpaste. It's hidden down low over here so keep your eyes peeled :D Good luck! [At the moment I use something called Phyto Shield. At first I thought it tasted like aerogard, but I've come to like it. It's made in NZ.


I also recently bought a vegan toothpaste from miessence, but right now I can't get used to the salty taste. I'm still learning too, documenting [more or less] my 'finds' in a group on facebook. [/shameless plug]

[Pixelle]

I've met a few veg*n friends through the veggie societies and groups where I live who I still see fairly regularly, but most of the veg*ns that I know and the ones I'm closest too, I happened to meet in the underground dance-party scene in Oz.

It seems to attract a lot of alternative lifestyle/hippie/cybergoth and free-thinking kind of people that I get along with the best, even the omnis are cool cause they eat a lot of veggie food. :)

[Kiz]

Last Aussie "vegetarian" I met proudly announced she was veggie then when into a rant about how she usually hated vegetarians because they always told her she really wasn't vegetarian because she ate fish. She said vegetarianism should be about acceptance. Heh.

[Charlottejane]

Last Aussie "vegetarian" I met proudly announced she was veggie then when into a rant about how she usually hated vegetarians because they always told her she really wasn't vegetarian because she ate fish. She said vegetarianism should be about acceptance. Heh.

An 'environmental vegetarian' that I know told me she hates "hardcore vegetarians" too. It seems her principles are flexible also :brood:

My sister and her husband are both vegan so I feel super lucky to have them in my life and we live in the same town so have a fair bit of contact with each other. I am friends with a couple of other veg*ns too.

It might be an idea to get involved in animal lib groups or something similar where you're more likely to meet like-minded people.

[Kiz]

Over the years I've seen much, much more animosity between the various flavours of "veg*anity" than between your average veg*n and omnivore.

[lirpa1]

Last Aussie "vegetarian" I met proudly announced she was veggie then when into a rant about how she usually hated vegetarians because they always told her she really wasn't vegetarian because she ate fish. She said vegetarianism should be about acceptance. Heh.

fish isnt vegetarian! why do ppl think that lol. one of the veronicas says she is vegetarian and then says she eats fish... I think shes just trying to hide her anorexia problem.

Yea I will try that place in subiaco for sure. It sounds good. it would be nice to find some good animal friendly shampoos and stuff. ill check out some animal lib groups and stuff, but how do i go abt finding them? yellowpages?

[Smurfbabe]

I joined Animals Australia which is easy to find online and they send you a great starter kit full of stickers/phamplets/brochures and information about how you can help. I wear my "I made the ProPigPledge" shirt everywhere even though it's a little dorky.

[Charlottejane]

http://home.iprimus.com.au/nakeddragon/perthveg/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/clubvegperth/http://groups.yahoo.com/group/clubvegperth/
http://www.hotfrog.com.au/Companies/Vegetarian-Society-of-W-A-Inchttp://www.hotfrog.com.au/Companies/Vegetarian-Society-of-W-A-Inc
:sunny:

[jAded]

I joined that facebook group! hehe

I know quite a few vegetarians, but I still get a bit of **** for it sometimes.

[lirpa1]

Thanks heaps you all! Ill try some of those groups, and I have looked for vegetarian groups on face book but havent had much luck yet, but ill try again tonight.

the starter kit thing sounds awesome! i tried to get one from peta awhile back, and they never sent me one so I guess they dont serve australian vegetarians lol.

Oh this so made me laugh yesterday. i got told that I was ruining farmers lives if i didnt buy and eat meat, and theyd all go bankrupt if we all went veg*n.... so yea i just laughed evilly and said Im ruining the economy, one person at a time. Currently targeting specifically the meat industry, and for my next attack I might target the dairy industry and stop farmers having to artificially inseminate their cows to have babies and make meat, and then id help stop the veal industry as well cuz so many baby calves wouldnt have to die hah aha... i thought it was hilarious. they just stared at me.

Its now my facebook description for my profile... ruining the economy, one person at a time :D

people are so funny

[chainalice]

Greetings to all aussies in here. I am from australia too (sydney) :)
I have a few acquaintances who are vegetarians but I don't personally know any vegans.
I dont understand either how people call themselves Vegetarian when they eat chicken or fish or any kind of 'white meat'. Is it the word vegetrarian derived from the word vegetable??? If I eat any kind of meat I wont call myself vegetarian.

[Kiz]

No, it's derived from the Latin word "vegetus" meaning "lively".

[kali]

i can count my veg*n mates on more than one hand so i consider myself quite lucky as i know there generally arent heaps of veg*ns around. some ive met through my hobbies & interests, and some ive met through my memberships to various veggie organisations. but what became my best and most important veg*n friendship to date started when i advertised online for someone to share my house with me. i wasnt really expecting that :)

[vefo]

Country Western Australia here.

I don't know any vegitarians and have never known a vegan. I had a cousin that was vegitarian but it turned out to be a uni fad. I run into people that say they are vegitarian but eat fish and or chicken.

[lirpa1]

Country Western Australia here.

I don't know any vegitarians and have never known a vegan. I had a cousin that was vegitarian but it turned out to be a uni fad. I run into people that say they are vegitarian but eat fish and or chicken.

What country area if you dont mind my asking? I used to live in Bullsbrook and then Gingin. Now im closer to perth tho.

Is it hard finding veg*n products out there?

[erin84]

My boyfriend (who I live with) is vegetarian, and I am vegan, but we both moved into it since being together. Most of his friends are very close minded about it, but many of my friends are vegan, vegetarian, locavores or have various other eating restrictions. In fact, eating out can be a real disaster now so we often eat at someone's house. I almost always cook because I have the most "restrictive" diet (not that I see it that way of course).

Someone I work with is vegetarian and we work in chemicals regulation and policy ... we both spend a lot of time finding products that we deem suitable, because we have a list of chemicals a metre long that we avoid, then add in animal products, an ethical producer and preferably Sydney based ... what a nightmare! We are yet to find a suitable face cleanser!

[vefo]

What country area if you dont mind my asking? I used to live in Bullsbrook and then Gingin. Now im closer to perth tho.

Is it hard finding veg*n products out there?


The midwest, Geraldton Area. Only sanitarium products, a little tofu, not much choice really.

[paulwalkersgirl]

I'm glad I don't live in the small country town, that I grew up in, anymore. My choices of vegan food would be LIMITED! My dad still lives there though... and almost all of the cafes, restaurants etc down there don't even have soy milk. BOO!!!!