Marc: Ham and Cheese Sandwiches with Baby Lettuce

When I first experienced working full time for a company 5 years ago, I was a production management assistant alongside Kris. Kris was a film major from the country's state university and had a penchant for discovering new music every day and reading blogs that were far from the usual mainstream fare while I, on the other hand, had more typical taste in things.

However, the one thing that was common to us was that we were both NBSBs at the time, which stands for "No Boyfriend Since Birth."

Today, we're both luckier in the relationship department: I got engaged this year while Kris got married! Incidentally our significant others are both named Marc/Mark.

Kris' husband is German and the couple now calls Christchurch, New Zealand their home, which they share with their cat, Walter. They met online when Marc stumbled across my friend's blog, leaving a trail of amusing comments that eventually led to regular chats, trips to New Zealand and finally, marriage.

With wedded life comes domestication and naturally, cooking for a spouse is probably among the first things that one will do for the other. In Filipino culture, any form of cooking ability other than boiling a pack of instant Beef Ramen is automatically seen as proof of "marriage-ability." 

"When I arrived in Christchurch, Marc tried making me scrambled eggs," Kris shares. "It was the worst eggs I've ever had and from then on I've taken over the cooking duties. Not that he minds. He'd rather bake than cook, and I don't bake, so it's a complimentary relationship."

Marc works as a Software Developer so he and Kris only get to eat lunch together on the weekends. Their midday meals are usually comprised of breakfast staples like Fried Spam, Toast and Omelettes. When they do eat out, the couple prefers Asian dishes. "Kiwi food is very bland," Kris relates.

Today, Kris prepared five sandwiches for Marc to take to work: Ham and Cheese with Baby Lettuce. "I think he likes them a lot," she says, even though Kris admits that she hardly changes her husband's sandwiches. "Marc's never complained. He's not a particularly picky eater." You can't deny the ability of good food to fuel married bliss.

Tammy: Inihaw na Bangus, Steamed Rice and Tomatoes

The standard lunch break lasts from 12:00 to 1:00 pm. In more flexible workplaces, it may extend till 2:30pm. If you're the boss or owner, it could very well take up the whole afternoon.

However, it was past midday when my officemate, Tammy sat down for her meal at 5pm: Grilled Bangus and rice. As a Project Manager, her day is focused on managing the projects of corporate clients for an activation agency. It is a tedious job that involves scouting for event venues, overseeing coordinators, auditioning talents--all the small details needed for successful implementation.

"I eat around 2, 3 or 4pm," Tammy says, as she wolfed down the boneless grilled fish, alongside a side dish of sliced fresh tomatoes and atchara. When one is focused so much on the nitty-gritty details, it's easy to lose track of time. She pairs the sweet, tangy Bangus with a spicy concoction of 3 pieces of crushed siling labuyo in soy sauce and calamansi juice--the perfect afternoon kick after a long day of poring over cost estimates.

Eating at odd times is something I've been guilty of. As a freelance floor director years back, I'd stand up for a full eight hours, refusing to remove my headphones and let go of the cue cards as I fully ignored the cold McDonald's Cheeseburger, stale fries and watered down Coke that sat at one sad corner: my lunch and dinner rolled into one meal, a reward for a job well-done.

Breakfast on the go has also taken on a whole new meaning. Both my mom and I would munch on granola and raisin bars while downing bottles of pine-orange juice as we switched lanes along EDSA. When the objective is to get to your meeting (which you're already late for due to Manila traffic alone), there's no time to think about sitting down for a proper brunch.

Yes, meals have migrated from dining tables to cars and workstations, from break time to crunch time. Constantly on overdrive, we rush our food to keep up with the pace of our professional lives. This is no longer the age of "dressing for dinner." The idea of eating properly and on time, let alone with a fork and spoon, has started to escape us faster than you can say "Drive Thru."

So, when was the last time you ate on time, I asked Tammy.

"Two months ago?" she answered. "I ate your baon, remember?"

That's when I realized I had left one-half of my Pork Sinigang that day she finished mine. That afternoon, I had to rush to a meeting.