Dinner Debate

Todd: So, Marion, what are you going to do for dinner tonight?

Marion: I think I'll go home, see what's in my fridge and in my cupboard and cook something up. I'm not sure what yet.

Todd: Ah, you're gonna cook?

Marion: Yeah, of course.

Todd: Actually, I almost never cook. I cook maybe once or twice a year.

Marion: Really? (Yeah) Well, what do you do then? What do you eat?

Todd: Oh, I always eat out. I buy my dinner every night. I think it's just better.

Marion: Oh, my God! Every night?

Todd: Every night.

Marion: How is it better, Todd? I don't understand.

Todd: Well, I mean, I know it's a waste of money, but it, I look at it, it just saves me a lot of time (Right, OK) so I don't have to go buy the food, store the food, and prepare the food, and cook the food, then clean up afterwards.

Marion: Yeah, I don't like that part so much.

Todd: Right. When you just eat out, you know, it's quick and easy. It saves you time.

Marion: Yeah, hmm, I think though, I can see what you're saying about the time factor but for me sometimes cooking is a way of almost relieving stress, you know, or if I'm thinking about the day that's gone by and maybe something has stressed me out, I'll just go to the kitchen, and as long as I'm on my own, cause I like to cook on my own, I don't have to talk to anybody, and I can think about things that are going on and while I'm shopping the onions, you know, or opening tins or whatever I'm doing, it's just a time for me where I don't have to think about anything else, really apart from the food I'm preparing and then if something floats into my mind, I can kind of deal with it at the same time. I find it quite relaxing.

Todd: Actually, I can see that. Actually, I run every night (Oh, yeah) you know, I love jogging and I usually jog for about an hour, and so when I come home, I'm sweaty, I need to take a shower, and I just don't have time them to use more time to cook cause I get home late from work so I just buy my food on the way home from my run to save time.

Marion: That surprises me actually because I know you, you run so you're really into your fitness but do you not consider the health factor about buying food all the time because it's always processed food, you know.

Todd: Yeah, that's true. Well, I try to go to the deli in the supermarket (Oh, OK) and you know, they always have nice people behind the counter, often some sweet old lady or something and she's made some nice salad, or some dish, and I always figure, she can make it better than me.
Marion: Right, probably.

Todd: And when I buy it I'm providing a job for somebody else, right, so there's a lot of good benefits by doing this system. Plus it's very social, right, because I live alone so I talk to the person at the counter, and I get variety every night.

Marion: Yeah, that's true though but if you went to the kitchen, and the place where you stay and you cook that would be very social as well, don't you think?

Todd: Yeah, but I live alone. Who would I talk to?

Marion: The other people in your communal kitchen. Don't you have a big communal kitchen?

Todd: No, no, no. I live alone. (Ah) I used to, I used to share a kitchen, but now I live alone.

Marion: OK, so then, I can understand the social aspect. I really enjoy going out for dinner actually with my friends. I really enjoy that part, but if it's just me, I kind of feel, I think in Japan it's easy to go into a restaurant on your own, but in Ireland I would feel very strange and awkward if I went to a restaurant on my own. I'd feel like people are looking at me and saying, "Oh, she's got no friends."

Todd: Ah, man, I do it all the time. (Yeah) and I have no friends.

Marion: That's not true.