You're very welcome to visit me in Thailand where I have lived for 17 years and Buddhism is the official state religion. Sorry to disappoint you but quite a few of the things you mention aren't true in all the strands of Buddhism. Thai monks MUST eat everything they are offered by way of alms and are not allowed to be so "individual" as to choose to be vegetarian. If the faithful offer them chicken curry, they must eat. I can also assure you that Thai monks and buddhists are not oatmeal fans. 🤣 Sticky rice for the win.

5am is the latest start time here and many temples start at 3am and sound the gongs at 4am. Eating after midday is also an absolute no-no in Thai Buddhist culture. One meal a day only.

I guess Buddhism is to western people what Christianity is to Thai people - Thai people have NO IDEA of the differences between protestants and catholics, and they don't care. They also think white western people - Americans, Israelis, Italians, French or Russian - are "all the same".

What a diverse world we live in, no???

What I love most about Buddhism it is the lunar calendar and the one day every week that is "buddha day" - punctuated by the phases of the moon. That always feel so organic and lovely to me.