Travel dilemma: should I remain raw/Wai?

jmbattle · Post by **jmbattle** » Mon 06 Mar 2006 09:17

Good afternoon everyone,

Well, my sister will finally come to visit me here in Japan at the end of March; I shall be something of a tour guide for one week as we take in the sights of Tokyo, then Kyoto, Osaka, Nara and possibly further beyond.

Following that, we intend to jet off to Thailand for a further week of lazy relaxation on the beach.

She is aware that I have been pursuing a raw-food lifestyle since the beginning of the year, however upon asking me, rather assumed that I would 'pack that in' when she visits.

Of course, I would like my sister to have an unforgettably positive trip, with the wonderful Japanese food obviously an important part of the experience (not to mention the delicious Thai cuisine!), yet I wonder how my body would cope, suddenly being exposed to all this rich, cooked food.

May I therefore ask if anyone has any suggestions? What do other Wai followers do when travelling abroad; have you ever taken a two week 'munch food' / non-raw hiatus?

Take care,
James
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Cairidh · Post by **Cairidh** » Mon 06 Mar 2006 09:59

People often go to Thailand for detox weeks, there are countless spas, involving raw food or colon cleanses etc. It's ironic you would be going there to retox.

If it was me, I'd stay raw. When you go to restaurants, she can eat the cuisine and you can eat raw - you would save money which could be spent on nice treats (non edible) for the two of you.

But it's up to you, life's too short to be obssessive. If it would give you a lot of pleasure to indulge, and make your holiday a lot better, then why not?
When I first went raw I was obssessed with trying to be normal, and trying to make my food look like what everyone else was eating. Now I wish I hadn't bothered. It doesn't really make any difference to other people what I eat. However it makes a heck of a lot of difference to my body! So I should try to please that, not other people. But ultimately you should please You not your body. It's just a space suit.

jmbattle · Post by **jmbattle** » Mon 06 Mar 2006 10:52

Thank you for your response Cairidh, however from my previous experiences of travelling around South-East Asia, I doubt remaining 'raw' in Thailand will be a problem.

The same cannot be said in Japan however. Of course, sashimi is plentiful, but we cannot eat just that all day - plus it would be a shame for her not to experience real soba, tempura, nabe, okonomiyake, etc.

Take care,
James
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Post by **Oscar** » Mon 06 Mar 2006 12:37

I'm not sure I understand why she would only be able to enjoy the japanese cooked foods if you also eat them. It feels a bit like asking a muslim to eat non-kosher food for 2 weeks (not that I want to compare the diet to a religion...far from it), or asking anyone to eat McDonalds for 2 weeks (Super Size Me anyone?

). But I think you will be able to have a good time with maybe only the smallest of compromises. In Thailand there will be enough fruits, but maybe it'll be difficult to get fresh eggs?

jmbattle · Post by **jmbattle** » Mon 06 Mar 2006 14:51

Well, I expect we shall be eating-out together most of the time. The majority of Japanese eateries do not cater terribly well for raw foodist, other than a salad soaked in dressing, which will undoubtedly cause conflict...

Take care,
James
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Post by **Oscar** » Tue 07 Mar 2006 00:22

Ahh, I guess I'm only used to the 'foreign' japanese restaurants, where they usually have a variety of foods, like sushi, sashimi, tempura, soba, etc. So basically in every japanese restaurant here, except for the specific teppanyaki ones, they serve some sashimi. If there's no such option there, then maybe try to minimize the damage...