“Anong kakainin natin for lunch? (What are we eating for lunch?” you’d hear the inter-office desk tummy grumbling buzz as the clock strikes at 11:00AM.
In all my working years, this is how it went down at lunch time. We were all contemplating on what to have for lunch as early as 11:00AM. Sometimes maybe even at 10:30AM. Or even 10:00AM over morning cups of coffee.
At 11:30AM, you start to hear the the rhythmic whir, snap, crackle and pop of the bubbling lunch boxes and slam of the office microwave oven. Then see the mile long queue at the lunch manong’s (man) corner. If you come in at 12NN, too bad. You just ran out of lunch. A whirlwind of hungry employees just ravaged lunch manong’s ware. You’d have to spend a lot extra at the food court or at the nearby restaurants and cafes for lunch for the day.
At 11:45AM, you could already get a whiff of what each is having for lunch.
At noon, the spoon and fork are crossed at the edge of the clean plate as it was taught to be good manners to end a meal as such. People are rubbing their tummies, drowsy from the full meal. Some are even already dozing off. Noon was sacred time for lunch.
Imagine how I felt when I learned that lunch time here started at 1:30PM. Sometimes even 2:00PM. *Faint*
Good thing that despite this unspoken late lunch time rule, I am thankful that I am free to grab my lunch anytime I want.
BIG WHEW! So what time is lunch in your corner of the world?
Delirious about late lunch time,
Didi
