From: kannan@lamar.ColoState.EDU (Kannan Subramanian)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.indian
Subject: A Vegetarian Reunion
Date: 16 Apr 92 02:41:54 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO  80523


		               A Vegetarian Reunion 
			       --------------------
                 
"Old fraud!" said a voice from behind me without warning, and having startled  
me thus rather rudely, "Whatever happened to all your hair?" it demanded to 
know. 

It never is an uplifting moment being called a fraud, of course, but in the 
peace and quiet of the local bookstore where silence is broken only by the
rustle of pages being turned, and merely a few minutes after filing one's
tax return, these words take on a sinister aspect calculated to uplift the said
moment even less. And so, I turn on my heel, well prepared to deliver the 
meaning glance and the annoyed "Just what do you mean stranger?" when I realise
that the voice does not belong to a stranger.

"Old horse" continues this scourge from the past, "what's with the beard and 
the metaphysics?" it inquires, pointing to the book I hold in one hand and 
grinning ear to ear. 

"Kudi, old eyesore!" I exclaim in astonishment, "What are *you* doing on this 
continent?"

Wincing visibly, Kudi lowers his voice, "Call me Swami" he pleads, "I'm on 
an 'official project', you know. Software!" he adds conspiratorially. Kudi 
has'nt changed at all. I'm relieved and pleased and punch him back.    

"Kudi Swami? Has a nice ring to it. You really don't have to worry, you know. 
Nobody understands Tamil here anyway."  

"But I don't drink anymore." Kudi protests. "So there's no need to rake up the 
past." he adds, working hard at his new image.  

"Another Kudi Kadai? Some things never change, do they?"

And five minutes later, as we step out into the 72 degree afternoon and merry
sunshine, Kudi has already informed me that he has become vegetarian, stopped 
smoking, and that from what he saw on the MacNeil/Lehrer news hour, there was
no hope for this country.

"You watch the news hour?" I asked him suspiciously. 

"Sure. This Jerry Brown isn't going to win, you know. And Clinton is upto his
eyeballs in scandals. And Bush. Darned if he can ..." 

"Hold it!" I cried. "When did all this happen?" 

"All what?" 

"You watching the news, becoming vegetarian. And given up smoking? Since when?
When did you land here anyway?"

"Two weeks ago."

"You gave up smoking two weeks ago?" 

"No. Day before yesterday. This time, its final. Yaar, nobody smokes in the 
office. They have building rules and besides it causes cancer."

"And what about turning vegetarian and giving up drinking?" 

"I arrived two weeks ago. I became vegetarian last week and stopped drinking
yesterday."

"Whatever for?" 

"Yaar, don't you know anything? Vegetables are good for you. No cholestrol. And
Nancy was telling me these meat companies don't treat the animals well. Its also
well known that alcohol impairs your ability to drive a car and operate 
machinery."

I could hardly believe my ears. It was becoming hard to follow this conversation
and I gave myself the proverbial pinch test for obvious reasons. 

"Old scoundrel, what's come over you? And who's Nancy?" I asked. 

"Oh just a friend. My neighbor in Boulder." he said, blushing like a tomato. 

I was relieved. Let me see, I said. This Nancy, she is vegetarian, does 
aerobics at 6 am every day, runs 5 miles in the evening, ultra left wing 
liberal views, rides her bike to work, recycles *everything*, is an 
environmental crusader, is interested in Indian and oriental cultures,
occasionally has out-of-body experiences and shops at health food stores, 
right?

Kudi was impressed. 

"More or less. Do you know her?" 

"No. Just a lucky guess." I said, grinning widely as Kudi awaited 
enlightenment. 

Boulder has that effect on people. Its denizens, besides 
being good citizens, are steeped in exceptional awareness, pursuit of the
good life and all that elevates and instructs, with serious belief and a high 
seriousness. Its innumerable streetside cafes and restaurants all have a page
of vegetarian delights on the menu, and health conscious patrons are hard to  
please if the house runs out of the seven-grain roll and offers with the entree
instead, the 4 seed muffin. "Can't one get a seven-grain roll anymore? What's
this country coming to?" demands the disappointed patron. And free street 
entertainment on summer evenings includes classical music, belly dancing,
scottish bagpipes, piano/cello/violin/saxophone  or string quartets and even 
glimpses of hippy/woodstock culture all preserved for posterity. 

Its effect on Kudi was obvious. He had become the hippy yuppy in under two 
weeks. How much Nancy had to do with such accelerated results was anybody's 
guess. 

Later that evening, "What will you have, sir?" asked our waitress, as Kudi 
sipped iced tea and eyed my beer disapprovingly.

"Spinach salad, side order of alfalfa-with-shredded-baby-carrots, and a 
vinegrette dressing." said Kudi crisply. 

I figured what the heck. "Make that two, please."

"So, Kudi, old conman, how official is your software project, anyway?" I asked, 
waiting patiently for him to finish admiring our receding waitress. His head
turned reluctantly. 

"What was that again? What did you say?" 

"Just tell me about Nancy."

			  -- x --
Newsgroups: soc.culture.indian