All of us have different quirks which makes us unique, sometimes these are amusing to others or at times they are annoying. I for instance like to read a magazine always from the back or in a supermarket or bookstore, I won't pick up the first packet/book kept on the front but the second or third one. These nuances makes us who we are.
G has lot of those as well, I call him quite obsessive at times with his habits. In particular he has certain quirks regarding his food. Now, we both don't carry a lunchbox to our work place, me for reasons of a busy morning and G because primarily he doesn't want to trouble me and because he doesn't like carry one with him. I would also add that he is pretty forgetful with bringing back his lunchboxes, so unless I have a stock of disposable boxes sending a box is not an ideal solution.
So coming back to the lunch hour, that wonderful and yet very fast moving time at a workplace, we both have lunch at our canteen and food court respectively.
While travelling back together from our workplaces...
Day 1
Me: How was your day?
G: Was good, the usual. There is this new app that the client want us to make.....(the rest of it, is him explaining me in detail the entire app animatedly)
Me: That's interesting! well mine was a hectic day. Its close to submission time so lots of work pending. How was Lunch?
G: Not that great..
Me: Why wasn't the food good? What did you have?
G: Its not the food! Its just that I have group of work colleagues and we all eat together during lunch...
Me: I think I know where this is going
See G is particular about his Lunch plate, for starters, none of his food should touch with the other so if there are different bowls or compartments within the plate, it is an ideal deal for him. He also prefers to not have a very messy meal which will involve oozing out of wraps or subs. But the thing that irks him most is if someone sitting with him is having something messy with their hand like Rasam rice (South Indian food) or the likes and dips their hand to taste his food. That grosses him out, I cant blame him since I feel the same about it but maybe not as strongly.
Now sharing Lunches and tasting other's food around a table is very common in Chennai, it shows that they are comfortable with you and consider you a friend. It is odd for them if you think that it is gross.
G: So like I was saying, we all sit together and have lunch. I like having conversations with them, but this work colleague of mine, who is a great guy has this habit of tasting fries of my plate with messy hands. He doesn't realize it but it grosses me out. He considers me a good friend and I like him a lot too but I like to eat my fries in peace!
Me: Ha ha! Well can't you tell him subtly?
G: How can one do that! 'hey my fries don't like to be touched by you!'... Do you have any other advice?
Me: Hmm telling him this directly would hurt him, since he is doing it to show that he considers you a friend. Also he is a work colleague. Generally I know you would prefer to be direct
G: Yes exactly, see these are the kind of social situations I am not comfortable with!
Me: *laughing for a good minute* Maybe leave for lunch early.
G: I can try that tomorrow.
Day 2
Me: So how did lunch go?
G: Well everything was according to plan, I even finished working early. As I was leaving, I peeped to see if anyone was around and when the coast was clear I went to have lunch. I sat down with my plate and I hear my colleague behind me saying that he din't know that I was having lunch early and that it is a good idea to do it since we can avoid crowd. So he sat down next to me with his plate and the rest you know, is history
Me: *laughing*
G: Ya so any other idea because he says we can go together early from now on.
Me: *remembering a 'Friends episode' (T.V series)*. Why not get an extra plate for the table, that way if they want they can share and yet not spoil your food
G: Genius! pure Genius! yes I will try that tomorrow.
Day 3
Me: Dare I ask?
G: AGRH! well I did like you said, got an extra plate for the table, they ate that and still had time to dive into mine. This situation of mine is getting out of hand. Infact I even tried sitting on the other end of the table, but I underestimated his long arms!!!!
Me: Couldn't you eat faster!
G: Seriously! that is your solution now!
Me:Well, I am running out of ideas!!
G: I have one, why don't you come over here and we can have lunch together. That way I can always escape during lunchtime
Me: You know I would love to do that but work is getting stricter and they have a time rule now. I have to devour my lunch in the limited time *eye rolling*
G: Well then I have no choice, I will have to make my peace with this or order similar to their meal! *sounding retired*
Our 'situation ' did improve eventually, I managed to meet him up for lunch at times, he would try and order more healthier (non appetizing) options and sometimes if he was in luck had lunch alone!
Thankfully for G he was later shifted to another block in his workplace so their food court was different, so the problem solved itself altogether.
It is difficult for us to lose these knots that we tie in our habits, it is amusing and also funny at times but we still are tied with those quirks and it is not easy to let go.
G has lot of those as well, I call him quite obsessive at times with his habits. In particular he has certain quirks regarding his food. Now, we both don't carry a lunchbox to our work place, me for reasons of a busy morning and G because primarily he doesn't want to trouble me and because he doesn't like carry one with him. I would also add that he is pretty forgetful with bringing back his lunchboxes, so unless I have a stock of disposable boxes sending a box is not an ideal solution.
So coming back to the lunch hour, that wonderful and yet very fast moving time at a workplace, we both have lunch at our canteen and food court respectively.
While travelling back together from our workplaces...
Day 1
Me: How was your day?
G: Was good, the usual. There is this new app that the client want us to make.....(the rest of it, is him explaining me in detail the entire app animatedly)
Me: That's interesting! well mine was a hectic day. Its close to submission time so lots of work pending. How was Lunch?
G: Not that great..
Me: Why wasn't the food good? What did you have?
G: Its not the food! Its just that I have group of work colleagues and we all eat together during lunch...
Me: I think I know where this is going
See G is particular about his Lunch plate, for starters, none of his food should touch with the other so if there are different bowls or compartments within the plate, it is an ideal deal for him. He also prefers to not have a very messy meal which will involve oozing out of wraps or subs. But the thing that irks him most is if someone sitting with him is having something messy with their hand like Rasam rice (South Indian food) or the likes and dips their hand to taste his food. That grosses him out, I cant blame him since I feel the same about it but maybe not as strongly.
Now sharing Lunches and tasting other's food around a table is very common in Chennai, it shows that they are comfortable with you and consider you a friend. It is odd for them if you think that it is gross.
G: So like I was saying, we all sit together and have lunch. I like having conversations with them, but this work colleague of mine, who is a great guy has this habit of tasting fries of my plate with messy hands. He doesn't realize it but it grosses me out. He considers me a good friend and I like him a lot too but I like to eat my fries in peace!
Me: Ha ha! Well can't you tell him subtly?
G: How can one do that! 'hey my fries don't like to be touched by you!'... Do you have any other advice?
Me: Hmm telling him this directly would hurt him, since he is doing it to show that he considers you a friend. Also he is a work colleague. Generally I know you would prefer to be direct
G: Yes exactly, see these are the kind of social situations I am not comfortable with!
Me: *laughing for a good minute* Maybe leave for lunch early.
G: I can try that tomorrow.
Day 2
Me: So how did lunch go?
G: Well everything was according to plan, I even finished working early. As I was leaving, I peeped to see if anyone was around and when the coast was clear I went to have lunch. I sat down with my plate and I hear my colleague behind me saying that he din't know that I was having lunch early and that it is a good idea to do it since we can avoid crowd. So he sat down next to me with his plate and the rest you know, is history
Me: *laughing*
G: Ya so any other idea because he says we can go together early from now on.
Me: *remembering a 'Friends episode' (T.V series)*. Why not get an extra plate for the table, that way if they want they can share and yet not spoil your food
G: Genius! pure Genius! yes I will try that tomorrow.
Day 3
Me: Dare I ask?
G: AGRH! well I did like you said, got an extra plate for the table, they ate that and still had time to dive into mine. This situation of mine is getting out of hand. Infact I even tried sitting on the other end of the table, but I underestimated his long arms!!!!
Me: Couldn't you eat faster!
G: Seriously! that is your solution now!
Me:Well, I am running out of ideas!!
G: I have one, why don't you come over here and we can have lunch together. That way I can always escape during lunchtime
Me: You know I would love to do that but work is getting stricter and they have a time rule now. I have to devour my lunch in the limited time *eye rolling*
G: Well then I have no choice, I will have to make my peace with this or order similar to their meal! *sounding retired*
Our 'situation ' did improve eventually, I managed to meet him up for lunch at times, he would try and order more healthier (non appetizing) options and sometimes if he was in luck had lunch alone!
Thankfully for G he was later shifted to another block in his workplace so their food court was different, so the problem solved itself altogether.
It is difficult for us to lose these knots that we tie in our habits, it is amusing and also funny at times but we still are tied with those quirks and it is not easy to let go.
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