Eating breakfast in government offices and other places of work has now become part of the job. We all know the importance of the first meal of the day; breakfast provides us with the initial energy we need to carry out our day’s activities. We also know that many people have no appetite for an early morning meal which is why they head straight for work on an empty stomach.
Leaving for work without breakfast, however, is no excuse for these people to turn their places of work into dining rooms or restaurants. Some people have made it a habit. When the time comes, the same group of employees from the same department, sometimes joined by friends, start doing what they first learned from those who worked in those jobs before them. They sit down to have breakfast without showing any respect for the workplace or feeling any shame or hesitation over such an act.
What happens in places which employ women is very interesting. In them, the dishes on offer overflow with everything from appetizers to roasts. Preparing the food and bringing it to the office is done in turn and every member of the group is well aware of what she must do and when her turn is. Lists are carefully prepared and each member is asked to write down the dishes they would like to bring. Selecting the place where the meal will be taken is of great importance because the group must feel comfortable and at ease. It does not matter how much time is spent eating and chatting as long as no one complains. The larger the number of participants, the more diverse and interesting the discussion will be. The favorite topic these days is of course the war in Iraq and its effects on the region. The truth is that it is not unusual to see the entire staff in one office leaving their workplace in response to an invitation from their friends and acquaintances in another office.
So this is the reason paperwork keeps piling up, day after day, with employees unable or unwilling to finish their jobs on time. People’s time is being wasted and the best answer any member of the public can hope for is, “Come back tomorrow.” And of course all this “eating so much and working so little” produces obesity. What can we do about this problem which is also very serious?
Arab News From the Local Press 21 April 2003
