AIBU?
To wonder why meat-eating colleague keeps banging on about it?
Ritascornershop · 19/12/2019 04:33
I work with just one other person (but in a building with dozens of other people in the same company, but who we rarely interact with).
My colleague doesn’t just eat meat, she really, really loves meat. That’s fine. I’ve been veggie for ethical reasons for decades. I understand that eating meat is a norm, but what I don’t understand is why she talks about it daily.
She orders books on how to make terrines and sausages and whatnot and has them delivered to work. Then she reads recipes out to me (while I say “you’ll enjoy that - I must get back to work now.” At the end of many work days she’ll tell me she’s “going home to cook a duck/lamb/some veal.” She leaves pieces of raw meat lying around our shared kitchen (shared between the 2 of us). She sits at her desk 4 feet from me eating a piece of pate the size of a piece of pie.
Am I being precious or is this a bit weird? There is literally not a day goes by without her talking about meat or leaving raw meat lying around. She’s quite nice so I don’t think she’s trying to unnerve me. AIBU?
Am I being unreasonable?
AIBUYou have one vote. All votes are anonymous.
CatintheFireplace · 19/12/2019 06:00
YANBU. People often complain about vegans wittering on but IME omnivores can be just as annoying and evangelical about meat. Leaving raw meat out in the kitchen is unhygienic - I would speak to her about that and ask her not to do it. The rest you probably just have to put up with though.
Ritascornershop · 19/12/2019 06:21
Why on earth would any of you think it’s a reverse?! It’s not. I’ve mostly, of course, worked with meat-eaters and I’ve never had anyone bring it up a few times a day. We work in an office-like environment and have a little area with a sink that she’s sort of adapted into a kitchen by bringing in a little fridge, a microwave, a soup-maker thing (not sure what it is, she chucks in veggies, stock, and hunks of meat) & a coffee machine.
I know it’s bonkers leaving raw meat out! People do a lot of mad things, that does not mean those mad things are illusory. She doesn’t leave the meat out all day obviously. She’ll start making soup or stew, then have to do some actual work and leave the meat out, then wanders back half an hour or so later and bungs it in.
I don’t really chat to her about my interests as they aren’t things she’d be interested in. I just chat about the weather, work events. Mostly I listen to her.
Ritascornershop · 19/12/2019 06:27
Not sashimi. I know it’s weird, but she brings ingredients and makes a meal (she eats what seems like huge quantities to me at lunchtime). It’s not every day, maybe 3/5.
It’s a bit Alice in Wonderland when my reality is firmly called a reverse. I don’t see what the point would be? Although I’m a longtime vegetarian I don’t normally care what other people eat, I just don’t necessarily want them going on about constantly. She’s one of those meat-eaters who says “I could never be a vegetarian, I just love meat too much!” I just say “Oh.”
She recently said “did you always dislike the taste of meat?!” And I explained that on the contrary, I really liked meat, I chose not to eat it for ethical reasons. She took a while to process that.
AuntieStella · 19/12/2019 06:33
"Why on earth would any of you think it’s a reverse?!"
Because usually it's vegans who bang on incessantly about dietary choices.
It's rather boring whatever diet is being advocated.
I think however YABU. to object to someone eating the lunch of their choice at their desk. Unless it is obviously very smelly, which pate is not (also not meaty in appearance)
Ritascornershop · 19/12/2019 06:41
I think pate looks incredibly meaty. But that is her business. It does stink up the kitchen area, but that’s closer to her desk, however I do do other work in that area (I go to the main staff room/kitchen for lunch as it’s a lot roomier and a change of scenery - she stays in the same room all day long).
It’s more the talking about mean so much. I don’t witter on about vegetarianism, or insist dog lovers listen to my cat stories, or whatever. It just seems odd to talk to a person with belief A about your very strong fondness for opposite view B all the time. I wouldn’t do it, why create a possibility for tension at work?
Ritascornershop · 19/12/2019 06:44
Clutterbugsmum, why would you think I talk about being a vegetarian? I don’t mention it at all. The only reason she knows is because she offered me some of her giant pot of soup one day and I said “no thanks” and so she wouldn’t offer daily I said “it looks great, but I don’t eat meat.” That was the last time I brought it up and that was 3 months ago.
Not a vegan reverse, but believe what you like.
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