Where are the veggies?

Malaysia is different.  It was apparently so as we boarded our Malaysian Airlines flight from Delhi to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia’s capitol city.  I parked my tush down on a newly upholstered, bright red seat.  I was hoping I would get an orange one.  The plane was squeaky clean and had fun, brightly covered seats of red, green, blue and orange.  It was a nice change from the regular, unexcitable and uninspiring navy blue ones.
Our flight went on without episode and we arrived safe and sound in Kuala Lumpur.  We proceeded to pick up our luggage and make our way to the Metro station but not before stepping outside for some air.  That is when were hit by the sauna.  It is HOT here, it is WET here and it all contributes the damp, murky smell that lingers in the air.  I take that back- it isn’t only in the air but in your food as well.
Speaking of food…..
I believe myself to be rather adventurous when it comes to cuisine but Asia takes the cake.  Back home I never lost my appetite- never!  I could have the most inappropriate and graphic conversation over my meal and not even lose my stride.  Here is an entirely different story.  I am shocked and spoiled.  I have just arrived from a country that is not only almost completely vegetarian, like me, but one that also considered the cow to be a sacred animal- I love cows!  I ate fresh and local and I enjoyed almost every dish that I had the pleasure of eating.  Now I’m here- and so far, I am hating the food.  Chinese is my least favourite ethnic cuisine and that is all I have encountered here is Malaysia.  Everything is fried, the meat of any and every form is added, then it is doused in sauce.  It is a vegetarians nightmare- meat, meat and more meat.  Frog anyone?  Don’t worry, they are still alive, so you can pick the one that looks tasty, or how about a fried goose, head and all- yum, yum :(
I do have one small loop hole in my otherwise meatless diet, in that I like to indulge in seafood, on the rare occasion.  I was looking forward to eating fish, fresh from the sea.  That was until I sat down at a dingy Chinese eatery, while looking over the menu I noticed that they sold Shark Fin Soup.  I lost my appetite for seafood.  We got up and left and not without telling the server why, but I think my cause was lost in translation.
I LOVE food, unfortunately you can now tell by my muffin top.  If Malaysia doesn’t dish out some good cuisine fast, I may have to check out- fast.  A girl can only survive on plain rice and juice for so long.
*** Dan’s note: I’ve rarely dreamt of food. In India, I did on more than one occasion, and it was not of the food I was being served. I dreamt of Beef, of chicken gravy, juicy and oozing. I conjured images of a thick knife cutting through an even thicker steak, rivers of juice flowing around the plate to be sopped up with a generous slice of garlic french bread. When I read ‘chilli’ anything on a menu, I though of that spicy, beefy, delicious stew, and how I would kill to have a bowl. While my wife delighted in her vegetarian utopia, I could not stomach another helping of Dal, another lentil or potato burger patty, another chapati. So when we landed in the very Western Kuala Lumpur, and from the baggage area I could see a Burger King, I knew things were looking up. While Elise has described some things in Malaysia that have turned my stomach as well, I have had beef every day, and the little Albertan inside me is happy as a clam (the clams here are also scrumptious!).***