I know this is an Australian blog, and that as a vegan there are certainly plenty of reasons to hate the American holiday of Thanksgiving. But as an American ex-pat myself, currently spending time with my family in the states, after a really tough few days, I felt the need to write. I hope you’ll forgive this far-more-personal-than-usual post.

I came back to California with my boyfriend, for the first time since moving to Sydney 10 months ago and spent a wonderful week visiting friends in the Bay Area. We drank wine in gorgeous Napa Valley, took the requisite dorky photos in front of the Golden Gate bridge, ate 7 different types of burritos, and dined in some of San Francisco’s finest vegan restaurants. And then on Saturday night we got held up at gunpoint in Oakland.

It was a pretty traumatic experience, but luckily we made it out safe. Unfortunately along with our wallets, my phone, and camera, they also got my passport. Luckily I was able to get on a plane to Las Vegas where we’re spending Thanksgiving with my family. However, without a passport I can’t come back to Australia. We’ve made about a hundred teary phone calls, visited a number of government offices, and it sounds like I should get a new passport Tuesday, but there may be some additional complications with the new visa I am on.

To make matters worse, it’s become clear this will be my last Thanksgiving with my Grandma. In addition to driving me all over Nevada to sort out paperwork, my Mom has been arranging hospice care and cremation services.

Anyway, all this is to say, it had not exactly been the most cheerful holiday around here. But I have had a lot of time to reflect on the last few days, and it’s made me realise just how lucky I really am, and how thankful I am this year.

I have some amazing friends in the Bay Area who went above and beyond to help us out, make sure we were well-fed, and generally lend their support. A million thanks to Laura, Jonas, Sammie, Tom, and Greg especially! And all of our friends back in Sydney have been wonderful, sending messages of support. We miss you all!

Though it’s tough for my family in a lot of ways right now, my parents are two of the strongest people I know, and we’re banding together to get through everything together and still laughing, relaxing, and eating. We cooked up an all-vegan dinner last night, and tonight they’re going nearly all vegan.

And a wonderful Aussie bloke named Jim changed my life this year, with his optimism, generosity, and humour. Without him by my side I’d probably be a mess right now.

I can’t wait to get back to my new home in Australia, but in the mean time I’m celebrating all of these amazing people and things in my life right now.

Over 120 bake sales have taken part in this year’s Worldwide Vegan Bake Sale and there are still more to come.

This year Australia had 8 bake sale sign ups in in 5 states. Next year I want to see every state participate, Tasmania, A.C.T and N.T – I’m looking at you!

Kayla and Kaeli in Adelaide held a picnic with bands, bellydancers and baked goods. They raised $533.45 for the Australian Marine Wildlife Research and Rescue Organistation (AMWRRO).

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Amanda Benham - accredited practising dietitian and vegan business owner

As a vegan, you have to be well-equipped with snappy responses, compelling stories and often the latest scientific data when confronted with the all too familiar question: “So, why are you a vegan?”

We all have our favourite responses. Every vegan has a unique and highly personal story they are usually more than happy to share. I can’t recall the number of times I have described the story that changed my eating patterns forever. Those poor chickens scrambling from the overturned truck couldn’t possibly have known how their suffering splashed across the evening news helped me in my evolution to eat cruelty-free. I have no hesitation in trundling out that well-worn tale of woe as part of my quest to help other people find their way to a more animal-friendly diet.

But sometimes tugging at the heart strings isn’t quite enough. If people are to give up factory farmed flesh, they need to know what is in it for them. It appears to be the way of the world we live in. People want to know how they will benefit from making compassionate food choices. This is where Amanda Benham can step in to help us fine tune our argument.

Amanda (proud owner of the Brisbane-based vegan grocery store The Green Edge) is an accredited practising dietitian who has made it one of her life missions to alert people to the health benefits of a plant-based diet. Her expertise and compassion have assisted many people in their journey to live healthier lives in a sustainable, planet-friendly way. I caught up with Amanda recently to discuss an upcoming free seminar she is hosting at her store during May.

Titled The how and why of plant-based eating, the seminar will explore the concept of plant-based eating and why it is booming in popularity. Amanda explained to me how she intends to give practical advice on how to maximise the health benefits associated with this type of diet. She wants to share what she sees as “vital information for anyone seeking a happier, healthier future for themselves and the planet”. So not only will Amanda arm you with the tools to be a healthier vegan, she will be giving you a few trade secrets for the next time someone wants to know what’s so special about saying no to eating animals.

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The how and why of plant-based eating

Monday 10 May, 2010

6:15pm – 8:30pm

The Green Edge 3/191 Wardell Street, Enoggera

Email: info@greenedgeonline.com.au     Phone: (07) 3855 5755

This is a free event. Booking is required

[Editor's Note: You can find this event and others like it in Brisbane and all over Australia on the vegaroo! events calendar.]

Bodhi in the Park is a family-run vegan restaurant and has been operating for more than 20 years. I’d heard it can be difficult to find but there are plenty of directions online. The restaurant is located below St Mary’s Cathedral’s forecourt, the stairs leading down are between the cathedral and the Phillip Park swimming pool.

I went for yum cha on a Saturday, we were seated outside and it’s a gorgeous setting for a restaurant as it over looks a park. As soon as we were seated we were being offered dishes and green tea.

We began with a salad in bean curd topped with satay sauce which was delicious and very refreshing. The next dish we tried was the satay tofu which was nutty and full of flavour and one of my favourite dishes.

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