Reflections of the Lunch hour

Lunch hour, THE lunch hour, perhaps even hours if you are in France or Spain. After working in a few different countries I have noticed that the only place so far where the lunch hour isn’t sacred is in the US (and sometimes in Sweden). Everywhere else people seem to actually take their lunch hour seriously. Phones are turned off, operators don’t pick up, people are out eating lunch, taking a stroll, drinking coffee after the meal. No one is expected to answer their phone during lunch, and it’s okay, you just call back later. If you would get ahold of someone during lunch, they giggle a little at your mistake of calling during the holy hour, and tell you to call back later. No harm, no hard feelings, that’s just how it is. And it’s nice, and quiet if you are eating in the office.

Here in Hong Kong the lunch hour is the social hour, or so it feels. Everyone are working real hard before and after lunch, but during lunch, they don’t work. We may discuss work while eating, but that’s it. And since it’s usually cheap, (around 50 HKD or less for a set lunch), most people go out to eat. Of course there are a few people that still sit at their desk to eat lunch, but they are the exceptions that make the rule, or however you say it.

It’s nice to get away from the office for a while, especially with the weather being so nice here in Hong Kong during their winter season. People may have to work until 7 or 8pm at night, but that won’t stop them from taking that one hour break in the middle of the day. So don’t try to call someone working in Hong Kong between 1 and 2pm, they probably won’t answer… :)