Most working Beijingers do just fine for breakfast and dinner, but lunches at work are a real headache. So, some women office workers have come up with the idea of bringing their own lunches from home. A very old-fashioned practice that previously seemed reserved for elders, actually, bringing a lunch from home has several advantages.

 

 

Zhang Jing works in an office building in Beijing's central business district. Everyday she brings her own lunch from home in a small lunchbox. When many of her colleagues are thinking hard about what and where to eat, after just heating up her meal in the microwave, Zhang Jing can enjoy her lunch right in the office. But, she has her own reasons for bringing a home-cooked lunch. "I'm not used to the food at restaurants and feel more comfortable eating home-cooked meals. Besides, I like cooking myself."

 

Perhaps influenced by Zhang Jing, more women in her office have started packing their lunches to the workplace, saving themselves both money and time. "If we choose to dine out at the restaurants nearby, it's very expensive. I've calculated that it costs over a thousand yuan a month if I have lunch at the restaurants here."

 

"The lunch break is not long. So if I choose to dine out, it has to be in a rush. It's almost impossible for me to enjoy my meal."

 

Actually most of those that work in the over 3000 enterprises with offices in Beijing's CBD face similar problems. Dining at a nearby restaurant costs at least 30 to 40 yuan every time. Although they earn a lot, to spend so much just on lunch is still too costly. Especially when there is no canteen in the office building, packing a lunch from home is a good solution.

 

Now during every lunch hour, Zhang Jing and several of her colleagues gather in their small meeting room and eat their lunches together. Lunch has, quite unexpectedly, become a time for them to chat leisurely, share their home-cooked meals and exchange cooking experiences.

 

Miss Wang is one of the lunch group. "If someone brings a very good dish, she shares it with the rest of us. And we often talk about our cooking experiences. All of this makes lunchtime very enjoyable."

 

Packing a lunch is common among elder generations in China, who value a thrifty lifestyle. But now, as more and more young office workers in Beijing follow the practice, it may become yet another fashion in style in the modern workplace.

 

(CRI September 19, 2006)