I promise to go informal vegetarian for 2 weeks if H1N1 does not affect Hall 2 FOC and SPMS FOC

A noble Hall 2 resident and capable OMC chair, Jiayin just posted on Facebook that she will go vegetarian for 2 weeks if H1N1 doesn't affect Hall 2 FOC. I decided to strengthen her blessing for Hall.

I, Hall 2 resident Tan Wen Yuan, code name Xiaolongnu, do hereby promise to go informal vegetarian for 2 weeks if H1N1 doesn't affect Hall 2 FOC and SPMS FOC this year. This includes weekends and public holidays, and is negotiable, which means I do not mind extending the interval.

I would have said "all FOC in Singapore" instead of only "Hall 2 FOC and SPMS FOC", but that might be too much to ask for.

Informal vegetarian is like normal vegetarian subject to a few exceptions. These exceptions are here due to various practical reasons.

1. Eggs are allowed.

Eggs may be eaten. Eggs these days rarely have embryoes, and even if they do, honestly, the embryoes cannot feel pain anyway. This includes chicken eggs as well as any other animal's egg, in any state.

2. Dairy products are allowed.

Milk and any form of dairy products are allowed except the meat of the animal itself. This includes milk and butter. Any type of milk from any animal is allowed.

3. Plants banned by traditional vegetarian rules are allowed.

This means onion and whatever else, to me, plants are plants. I dunno why they ban onion etc, but I dun think it is anything wrong other than the fact that it is not allowed, and I dun follow rules just because they are there.

4. Avoid meat but subject to feasibility only.

For those of u who are living in NTU five days a week and sometimes more, like me, u will understand that true vegetarian food is rare in NTU, and even around NTU. Therefore for practical reasons, the food need not be "certified" vegetarian. Where it is not possible to find vegetarian food, which is usually the case, it is sufficient to order dishes that are not predominantly meat. It is not necessary to go to the extent that as long as something has "touched" meat it is not edible. Finally, for any type of soup, including curry and paste, it is sufficient to not eat the meat inside it.

I really hope that the flu will not affect our FOC's in Hall and school. Already some camps have been called off as a result. This is a crisis but we must get our FOC done and carried out no matter what. Without FOC, Hall life and campus life will suffer yet another decline. Frankly speaking, I think that FOC should carry on whatever happens. We are all matured people, and ready to take the risk. Everyone who signed up for FOC know what they signed up for, and are prepared to take the risk of whatever happens.