Paul Martin's.

A fact about me that a few people already know about me is that I do not eat red meat or pork. I haven't for about 7 months now. I want to clear up why I am doing this because recently people having been saying, "Shawn you're so skinny! Why would you not eat meat!" But the thing is, I'm not necessarily changing my eating habits for health reasons. Yes, not eating red meat does help me in avoiding unhealthy foods like fast-food burgers and what-not; and this is a great added bonus, but still not the reason I chose to eat this way. And I'm not doing it to save the animals either. When I go the the Philippines to visit family over the summer I'm going to be killing farm-raised chickens for my meals. So why am I doing this?

The fact is, I am working my way towards Environmental Vegetarianism, a practice based on the idea that animal production, particularly by intensive farming, is unsustainable. You can follow that link to find out more detailed information, but the problem is basically that the amount of water and land needed to produce a pound of beef is significantly greater than the amount needed for a pound of grain or vegetable crops. The amount of water needed for the meat does not only take into account the water the animal drinks, but the water needed to produce the food it eats, as well. We could be using the land used to grow crops that will be eaten by the animals for growing crops for our own consumption. We will be getting more food per acre if we do so.

Of course our agricultural system won't change simply because a few people have become vegetarian. But if the demand for meat decreases enough, major meat companies will get the message and cut back on how many cows or chickens they are raising, which will in turn save us water and land.

I will be attending Santa Clara University in the fall, and once I get there I plan to drop meat all together. I still eat poultry and fish because I thought I would not be able to handle full vegetarianism, but I think I might be able to change my diet for the better without regret now. Fingers crossed.


Also, I have an important announcement to make:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOMMY!!!

Yup, my mom turned a year younger today, and to celebrate we went to an awesome restaurant whose menu focuses on food that is (check this out) Organic, Sustainable, and Local. Sustainable farming is the key to our future, and Paul Martin's American Bistro knows this. Follow the link and you can see exactly where all of their food comes from. 80% of the food on their menu was grown and raised in California, not to mention the food selection is off the heezy. Explore the website and see what's on the menu. I ordered a three course meal: organic baby greens salad, Cedar Plank Salmon, and a raspberry creme brulee. It was all soooooo goooood.

You should def check this place out. It was MUY BUENO!!!



OH! And btw, I added a page for some of my friends who take photos. Check out their portfolios. They're all very talented.