The practical side of eating lunch at home

In my earlier years in France, I couldn't really understand when people tell me that they go back home during lunch break. Since eating out is relatively cheap, most Malaysians would go eating out with coworkers, or they bring their own lunch to work. I hardly hear people going home for lunch no matter how close by they live compare to where they work. For me, it is an important moment to hung out with coworkers, plus, it relaxes me thinking of which restaurant and what type of food I could eat that afternoon.

Little by little I understand the logic, eating out is expensive here so people prefer to have lunch at home. Plus, lunch break is longer, some people take around 1 hour 30 minutes compared to 1 hour in Malaysia. If you pay with restaurant ticket lunch is still quite affordable but not everyone has restaurant ticket, it depends on the company size. One of my coworkers told me that by eating lunch at home, she could eat in her garden during a sunny day and eventually take a nap.

Now that I'm working in my city 2 days per week, I'm seeing the practical side. My company is located a little more than 10 minutes from my apartment, it takes about 25 minutes for a round trip from the office and it still leaves me one hour to do my errand which I didn't manage to do when Aelig is around. I fix myself a quick lunch then I have time to sort through letters that need reply / action; tidy up the apartment; turn on the washing machine or dryer and do some ironing, make doctor appointments, thaw meat / fish for dinner later.

Now my company is trying out the working at home method. I hope it will come out successfully and that I'm entitled to it. In this case I can avoid all those travels to / from work and more time to take care of my own business lol.