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Sunday, February 27, 2011

Eating animals


Dear Jonathan Safran Foer

My name is Isabel, I am Spanish even if I live now in Italy.

I read yr. book. I like it very much. It didn't convince me of the kind of diet I have to follow since I was already convinced ,  I became vegetarian in 1983.





I would like to tell you my feelings on yr. book and my experience on this purpose .

When I was child and teen (in Spain) my home was at only 500 meters of  Local abattoir.

All kind of big animals were killed there:  sheeps, cows, pigs.

I am talking about the end of sixties and all seventies. My home town  Zaragoza, at that time wasn't a very big city and frequently you could see the shepherd  with his flock to arrive there walking !!! it was nice .



However,  when you were just passing by there you could hear how animals cried, ...  when you were just passing by there you could felt a terrible smell of death… and when you were  just passing by there you could see animal hanged, skinned and blood dripping.

This abattoir was  composed  by 3 porch buildings. In the middle  there was a patio.  Inside those porch there were many hooks where dead animals were hanged for dripping.



Practically during about 20 years, I everyday saw, hear and smelled that horrible situation, that nightmare !

At the beginning,  when I was child I couldn't  understand which was the point.

At home we ate meat, I liked it… even if I preferred fish.

Then in my youth,  I understood and in 1983 I became vegetarian.

1st I stopped to eat fresh meat, then stopped to eat ham or salami or any other cold meat….., then I understood and also fishes could feel pain and I stopped to eat fish.

 I don't eat anything food which  proceeds  from killed animals.

Your book  makes me dubious about the opportunity to stop also with eggs and cheeses. I buy only ORGANIC ones but I understood that it cannot guarantee animal life style.  Even if I think that here in Italy is less worse than the situation in the States., is it ?

I am always looking for natural and traditional systems.  Now, here in Italy  ZERO KMS. Markets are very common . I usually buy eggs and cheeses there, but not always.

I  thank you because I hope that persons who already  read or will read yr. book can understand the gravity of this situation and they do something to protect and preserve animals rights.

Bye  . Isabel


 

P.S. I don't remember when abattoir stopped its activity. Now, these 3 buildings are a Cultural center  called SALVADOR ALLENDE !!! 


 


 

Saturday, February 19, 2011

Bye winter, Hello spring


This winter has been a very rigid  winter for me.

I had a very hard time at work from the end of August till the middle of November. There were many, many things to do in a very short time.

They were very stressing months.

Then some other family problems had to be followed and the whole situation made me very tired and I felt very weak.

Then, from the beginning of December, we had a very humid winter here in Tuscany . Practically it was raining every day. Sometimes hardly, sometime softly but it was very difficult to do anything outside.



So, from the end of X'mas until now I hibernated inside my warm and comfortable home. I read many, many books. I checked many, many topics/matters in Internet and I made many, many biscuits, bread rolls, pizzas…… and others. I adore to do all these things specially if I can have a very nice cup of Japanese tea and during this winter, I almost finished all my provisions.



However today was a very beautiful day. In early morning it was a little bit chilly but around the afternoon we got 15°C. and a very nice sun was high in the sky .

I saw also that some flowers are open their beautiful faces to glad our days.




This situation encouraged me to go outside after lunch to work in my garden. 







I started seeding some vegetables into small vases. So now, I have to wait until the small plants will come out from mould and at that point, I will transfer them in the garden .





This summer I should have in my garden: carrots, tomatoes, cucumbers, courgettes, peppers and chilies. 
I keep you posted on development……

It was a very nice day!.