03-07-2008, 04:09 AM
must read -
<b>'I feel at home in the US military'</b><!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Do you have any problems being a vegetarian in the army?</b>
I have never had a problem with being a vegetarian. The army supplies what we call MRE [Meals Ready to Eat]. I think out of every six meals supplied by the MRE at least one is vegetarian. Vegetarian meals are available in the combat zones, too.
You may find it difficult to believe this: But there are some people who wonder whether vegetarians can really fight in an army.
[Chuckles]. I am not in a body-building business. The idea is to have an athlete's body and a sharp mind. And I have that. I eat healthy food, and I think I am in excellent shape because of my diet. I don't think, because of my diet and my healthy lifestyle, I will have to worry about my health even as I grow older.
<b>You grew up in a small Virginia city. Was being a vegetarian a problem for you?</b>
It was never a problem. My mother is an excellent cook and anything she cooks, be it North Indian or South Indian vegetarian food, I have enjoyed it.
Many young Indian Americans say they were bullied in school because their classmates could not understand them being vegetarians.
Surely, it happened to me, too. I was bullied and teased about my diet. Some of my classmates thought I was on a strange diet. But I kept my course and never wavered. Ours is a close-knit family, and family values are very important to me. I knew my family wanted me to be a vegetarian for good reasons. So I did not succumb to bullies. And I never felt something was wrong with my diet.
<b>How did you handle your classmates? </b>
For one thing, I told my classmates that my parents had instilled in me a respect for all living creatures and I was following a Hindu religious tradition. Slowly, they got to appreciate my position. They also knew that I was not blindly following something my parents had told me.
What life lessons did you learn from that school experience?
It showed me how to stick to my convictions. I learned how to argue well. I learned about integrity and fortitude. I learned about being social and at the same time maintaining my own identity.
Many immigrants, including South Asians here, either change one of their names or edit them. So you have a Krishna becoming Chris, and Mukesh turning into Mike.
It is true! I have heard of many such names, and I have wondered why people do such things.
<b>You never edited your name or asked someone to call you Roger or Rich?</b>
It took my teachers a long time in the school to get my name right! But right from my childhood, I never thought of getting an American name, even if some people made fun of my given name. Later, I would tell myself that I will never change my name if I were to discover that the name meant something offensive, for instance a curse word, in any other language. Besides, I always remember that I really do not own the name, Rajiv Srinivasan.
What do you mean by that?
This name, Rajiv Srinivasan, I am carrying for my parents. They had a good reason to choose my name, I am carrying their tradition. If I were to change my name, I would be giving away the gift my parents gave me. To change it would be disrespectful to my parents.
..............
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<b>'I feel at home in the US military'</b><!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Do you have any problems being a vegetarian in the army?</b>
I have never had a problem with being a vegetarian. The army supplies what we call MRE [Meals Ready to Eat]. I think out of every six meals supplied by the MRE at least one is vegetarian. Vegetarian meals are available in the combat zones, too.
You may find it difficult to believe this: But there are some people who wonder whether vegetarians can really fight in an army.
[Chuckles]. I am not in a body-building business. The idea is to have an athlete's body and a sharp mind. And I have that. I eat healthy food, and I think I am in excellent shape because of my diet. I don't think, because of my diet and my healthy lifestyle, I will have to worry about my health even as I grow older.
<b>You grew up in a small Virginia city. Was being a vegetarian a problem for you?</b>
It was never a problem. My mother is an excellent cook and anything she cooks, be it North Indian or South Indian vegetarian food, I have enjoyed it.
Many young Indian Americans say they were bullied in school because their classmates could not understand them being vegetarians.
Surely, it happened to me, too. I was bullied and teased about my diet. Some of my classmates thought I was on a strange diet. But I kept my course and never wavered. Ours is a close-knit family, and family values are very important to me. I knew my family wanted me to be a vegetarian for good reasons. So I did not succumb to bullies. And I never felt something was wrong with my diet.
<b>How did you handle your classmates? </b>
For one thing, I told my classmates that my parents had instilled in me a respect for all living creatures and I was following a Hindu religious tradition. Slowly, they got to appreciate my position. They also knew that I was not blindly following something my parents had told me.
What life lessons did you learn from that school experience?
It showed me how to stick to my convictions. I learned how to argue well. I learned about integrity and fortitude. I learned about being social and at the same time maintaining my own identity.
Many immigrants, including South Asians here, either change one of their names or edit them. So you have a Krishna becoming Chris, and Mukesh turning into Mike.
It is true! I have heard of many such names, and I have wondered why people do such things.
<b>You never edited your name or asked someone to call you Roger or Rich?</b>
It took my teachers a long time in the school to get my name right! But right from my childhood, I never thought of getting an American name, even if some people made fun of my given name. Later, I would tell myself that I will never change my name if I were to discover that the name meant something offensive, for instance a curse word, in any other language. Besides, I always remember that I really do not own the name, Rajiv Srinivasan.
What do you mean by that?
This name, Rajiv Srinivasan, I am carrying for my parents. They had a good reason to choose my name, I am carrying their tradition. If I were to change my name, I would be giving away the gift my parents gave me. To change it would be disrespectful to my parents.
..............
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