The Daily Immigrant: Always hungry and thirsty all the time

This post doesn't have that much to do with Australia or the people here, I just wanted to express my opinion on attitudes towards food. This all started with a seemingly innocent incident at our previous volunteer place, when our hostess once again got the urge to comment on something, as is the habit here. She commented on our eating habits. I am fully aware of the sad fact that my eating habits could cause an average, well-off family to go bankrupt in no time at all. You see, even my own parents calculated that it's cheaper to send me to South Korea for 6 months than feed me at home. Sorry Mom, sorry Dad, you guys would never do that to anyone, you are too fair and besides, you don't care how much people eat.

In addition I also know that I am a crappy roommate who vacuums to the bottomless pit of her stomach everything left unattended on the table. I am a shitty co-worker, who after finishing her own breakfast doesn't have any qualms about attacking colleagues' breakfasts. Lunchtime with me is a trial, too. After I have eaten mine, I keep directing meaningful glances towards your unfinished food until it kindly moves to my plate. Dogs use the same tactics. Sharing food is a basic human need, right?

This phở soup disappeared into my belly in Berlin

These spring rolls met their gory end just before the soup- if it makes you feel better, I shared these with my friend

Australia is the first country I've visited where they make eating (just like money) an issue in every situation possible. It doesn't matter where we've been, there has always been someone who has commented on how much we eat. I mean, I don't mind my own family and friends teasing me about my bottomless stomach, I do have some sense of humor, but I really don't like mere acquaintances making such personal comments about my appetite but I suppose that's also a habit here. But like I said, the average Aussie has the need to comment on everything, make small talk about everything, like the size of one's suitcase, appetite, money, you name it. I should learn to take it less seriously.

Korean BBQ- you'd assume eating so fatty food would make you gain a kilo or two, but rest assured I lost a couple of kgs in South Korea

The gall of that pig! After finishing the BBQ she actually moved on to gobble up dessert! Well, dear food police, if it makes you feel any better, this is just shaved ice, fruits, red bean paste and s dollop of ice cream shared between 3 people

But the thing that most annoys me in others pointing out that I am a pig is hearing it from people who are in desperate need of life style changes themselves. Yeah, I know I eat like a small bird, an amount equaling my weight every day, but I to not tend to get fat. I eat because I am hungry, not because it's so nice to stuff my face with chips, candy and ice cream iced with chocolate.

This is just starters

I still miss Cukiernia Sowa's hot chocolate and I'm not ashamed to admit it

Today we lost our tempers because our hostess started -once again- hint at our eating too much and too often, actually she seems to think we eat more food than the entire Australia can produce in one year. Anna reminded her that people are recommended to eat every four hours and asked if it's a problem in this household. Our hostess assured us it's not a problem "that was just a comment". No shit Sherlock. If you only eat after you've become starved, it's too late. You'll eat more than you actually need. And what do these strangers know, we might have diabetes and actually need to eat regularly. Wouldn't it be better to concentrate on one's own plate and let the others concentrate in theirs.

The pancakes in Manekin didn't stand a chance and were eaten almost before I had time to take the pic. Yes, I ate everything. As we are told as children, do not leave anything on the plate.

Irish pub food, everything was gone and I helped my friends to finish their meals, too. This meal didn't affect the size of my clothes, don't worry!

It is also worth noticing that Anna and I only eat vegan food. Anna is the real vegan here, but since we are travelling together, it's easier to cook together too, so I also follow the vegan diet to some extend. Veggies are usually low-calorie, high in water ingredients. If we eat hummus and salad, the meal contains a lot less energy than eating lasagna with cheese and minced meat. We can't survive on a kilo of carrots per day, you know. That's why it seems that we eat a lot.

Lunch in Cornucopia, a vegan restaurant in Dublin

The must restaurant in Gdansk, vegan Avocado serves the best meals you can imagine

I also wrote this post because it annoys me no end that the world seems to have strong prejudice against women who deign to perform such a disgusting act as enjoying a meal. Women are supposed to survive on breathing in the cooking smells. Everyone has to eat, just so you know, our existence depends on it. And I'm pretty sure no one keeps telling men that the second spoonful of carrots and cabbage salad was probably too much. It's a small wonder if eating disorders are not common in Australia. It is entirely possible that some poor girls seriously believe it when someone tells them they eat too much.