VSS eNews, 23 Dec 2008
VSS NEWS
VSS Exhibition Moves To Jurong Regional Library 24 Dec
This E-Newsletter Tops 4,000 Addresses
GENERAL NEWS
One-Day Organic Singapore Tour – Date Correction
More Classes From Wholesome Living
Zero Waste Singapore Website Launched
Vegaquarian???
Awareness Place Offers New Learning Experiences
VSS NEWS
VSS Exhibition Moves To Jurong Regional Library 24 Dec
On 24 Dec, our library exhibition opens at Jurong Regional Library after a two-week stay at AMK Community Library. Here are the details on the exhibition’s new home in Jurong.
Dates: 24 Dec - 14 Jan
Times: Daily, 10am-9pm, Closed at 5.00pm on eves of Christmas and New Year
Address: 21 Jurong East Central 1, Singapore 609732
Tel: 6332.3255
Nearest MRT Station: Jurong East
Nearest Bus Interchange: Jurong East
Buses: SBS Transit 51, 52, 66, 78, 79, 97, 98, 105, 143, 160, 183, 197, 333, 334, 335, 506 (via Jurong East Bus Interchange)
SMRT 176, 178 (via Jurong Town Hall Road)
Map: http://www.nlb.gov.sg/library/
Please visit the exhibition. Your feedback is most welcome as to how to improve the way that VSS attempts to spread the veg message. Also, please consider whether the exhibition might fit where you study, work, worship, etc.
Finally, if you can help staff the exhibition – shifts are 3-4 hours - please contact wenjin@vegetarian-society.org
This E-Newsletter Tops 4,000 Addresses
There are now more than 4,000 email addresses subscribed to the free VSS eNewsletter. Let’s try for 40,000! The newsletter is a great way for people to find out what’s happening around the island – cooking classes, exhibitions, new food outlets, talks, other events – and around the world. Information and inspiration.
People can sign-up for the free eNewsletter via the VSS website
- http://vegetarian-society.org/
or they can send their email address to us
at info@vegetarian-society.org and we’ll add them.
Even better, in addition to receiving the VSS eNewsletter, why not also become a VSS member at $30/year or a life member at $300? The discounts and restaurant vouchers you receive can more than repay you the membership fee. More importantly, your membership fee supports the important work done by VSS.
GENERAL NEWS
One-Day Organic Singapore Tour – Date Correction
Cielo Sereno is organizing a one-day Mandarin organic tour to farms, shops and restaurants around Singapore. The date is 4 Jan (Sun). The fee of $65 includes transport and 3 healthy, organic, vegetarian meals. Among the stops on the tour are FireFlies Eco-Farm, Kampung Senang – Aljunied and Nutrihub.
To register, 9362.7493 / 9006.5525 / 9006.2569 (after 6pm) or CieloSerenoMail@gmail.com or www.CieloSereno.net (new web address)
More Classes From
Chef Oh Chong Fah has a new set of classes to get you into the holiday spirit:
Homemade Spread (I) – Jam
27 Dec, Sat, 3-5:30pm
Traditional Chinese Snack Bing 2 (Leavened Dough Type)
28 Dec, Sun, 3-6pm
Fermentation 1
3 & 10 Jan, Sat, 2 session, 3-6pm
Supercharged with Raw Energy 1
4 & 11 Jan, Sun, 2-session, 3-6pm
CNY Reunion Dishes 1
17 Jan 09, Sat, 3-6pm
Details at http://www.wholesomeliving-sg.
Also, Chong Fah is looking for people interested in both working and investing in Vegetarian F&B. Anyone there? Call him at 9653.1734
Zero Waste Singapore Website Launched
Zero Waste Singapore - http://www.zerowastesg.com - is a new online community dedicated to help Singapore eliminate the concept of waste and move towards the goal of zero waste. They aim to educate individuals, communities, schools and businesses on Zero Waste and the 3 Rs (Reduce, Reuse and Recycle), and to help them take action through useful information, news, tips and resources.
The organisers asked for advice on how to improve the already very nice website. VSS wrote to suggest that eating less or no meat be added as a good way to reduce waste. We explained that meat causes a great deal of waste because of the inefficiency of meat. Many KGs of plant food needs to be fed to the non-human animals whom we eat. This unnecessary plant production means more trees cut down, more water and other inputs used to grown and transport the plant food and meat, more waste (excretions) produced by these cruelly mistreated animals whose short lives are misery from day 1.
Vegaquarian???
Society’s move away from meat is spawning new words to describe our eating habits. Examples of new terms are ‘flexitarian’, i.e., someone who is usually vegetarian but occasionally eats dead animal flesh, and ‘meat reducer’, i.e., someone making an effort to reduce their meat consumption.
Here’s one we encountered earlier this month: ‘vegaquarian’, i.e., someone who has chosen to eat marine animals, but for some reason chosen to spare other non-human animals. Reasons we’ve heard (but don’t agree with) for being vegaquarian include:
a) Marine animals are the plants of the sea; they have no feelings
b) Eating marine animals exposes us to less of the harmful chemicals found in the flesh of land animals raised on factory farms
c) Foods derived from marine animals contain nutrients that can’t be found in plant foods
Here are some responses you might use the next time you meet a vegaquarian:
a) Marine animals are animals too. They feel pain; they want to lead their lives. Imagine aliens from who knows where coming to Earth to harvest humans for food.
b) A growing percentage of the marine animals we eat do not live in open water but on marine farms. These are similar to the factory farms in which lands animals are raised for food. These ‘farms’ cause pollution, the animals are crowded together and they are fed plant foods that could feed hungry humans.
c) Modern drift net fishing methods catch and kill huge number of animals, including those not intended to be caught, for example dolphins and turtles. Such practices wreak havoc on marine eco-systems.
d) Pollution of the seas means that eating marine animals is eating pollution.
e) All the nutrients found in fish, such as Omega-3 fatty acids, can also be found in plant foods; so, why cause all the mess listed above just for a few seconds of pleasure for our taste buds, pleasure which, with a bit of rethinking, can be gained from plant foods?
Some useful websites:
http://www.ciwf.org.uk/farm_
http://www.panda.org/about_
http://www.animalaid.org.uk/h/
Awareness Place Offers New Learning Experiences
(1) Organic Educational Tour (conducted in Mandarin)
Date/Time: 15 Mar, Sun, 7.30am – 6.45pm
Fee: $65 (includes 3 organic meals – breakfast, lunch & dinner)
Details: Conducted by Mr. Wong Kew Yew, dedicated to public education including interviews and cooking demos on Radio FM 95.8; worked in life science research sector for 8 years; interest in preventive medicine and health science.
http://www.awarenessplace.com/
(2) Vegetarian Wellness Course
Comprehensive classes with in depth understanding to truly benefit vegetarians and would be vegetarians. How can we convince ourselves to be vegetarians? Clarify myths of vege, fruits, nuts & seeds. Learn to detox the vege way. End product we protect the environment. We are healthy vegetarians. We can be mentors.
Dates/Times: 26/4, 3/5, 24/5, 31/5, 14/6, 5/7, 12/7, 19/7 Sun, 2pm – 4pm
OR 21/6, One Full Day
Fee: $200 (9 lessons)
(includes organic educational trip, lectures and cooking)
Details: Conducted by Mr. Wong Kew Yew (Bach, Biotech), qualifications as listed above.
*max of 40pax only
http://www.awarenessplace.com/
Visit http://www.vegetarian-society.
or email us at info@vegetarian-society.org to notify us of new places.
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