Eating out alone. Would you do that?

Singapore
September 22, 2008 12:21pm CST
I live alone and I have to take care of my own meals. I don't cook so I have to buy my food each and every time. I would either eat out with my friends or bring the food home and eat at home. Sometimes when I crave eating at certain restaurants, like Swensens, I would not want to go there by myself because I would look stupid and lonely, quietly eating my own food with no one to talk to. Thats why I prefer to pack the food and bring it home while watching TV or browsing in internet. However, there are some people I see, eating alone at any restaurants or eateries and I really envy those people. I would not mind if I am to eat alone at school canteen or food courts but not restaurants. Would you share with me your preferences? Is there any advice for me so that I have the courage to eat out alone without depending on my friends? To me, people will perceive those who eat out alone as lonely rather than independent. What is your first impression when you see a person eating all by himself in restaurants or cafes?
1 response
@neztin (476)
• Singapore
22 Sep 08
hey there, i am at the exact same situation here. though i have my brother, but we are not living at the same house, so i am equal to living alone too. i can cook those simple dishes, but sometimes, no matter how well someone can cook, to prepare dishes for one person is really hard. not much variety can be used, and soon i'll get so boring to cooking my share,and i will prefer to eat out. the problem here is, everyone has their own family, so do most of my friends. it's hard for me to asking them out every now and then, once a while yes, but now everytime. and for my friends that are living alone, i can barely ask them out too as they are living TOO far from me. there is exactly NOONE that i can ask to accompany me to eat for every single day. i mean, i can find friends for a dinner every one week, but to find friends to accompany me to eat breakfast, lunch and dinner everyday, it's quiet an impossible task. thus, i usually eat out alone. usually i will prefer to eat out rather than have to bring it home, coz firstly the taste of food will not be as great as when im eating it there and the food will turn cold too by the time i bring home. at first i find it hard to eat out alone, but i realise that i cant be forever hiding at home nor i have to depend on my friends 24/7. so i took the courage to eating out started from hawker centre. from then on, i build up my confidence and started to try on other places like foodcourt, fastfoods, cafe and restaurants. nowadays, i have no problem on sitting alone in the cafes, i mean, just dont care what other people think of u. and for the restaurant, i know it's kind of pathetic to eat alone, i've ever been eating alone at delifrance bistro, and i know some people just couldnt help to stare at me, but i dont give a damn to them. instead, i make a friend with the waiter there, coz they see me eating alone,and they took the extra mile to talk to me :) i appreciated that effort. my 2 cents worth, just dont let others' judgement affecting you. you live for yourself and not for other. and if you start eating out, u will realise that actually there's lot's of people like you. i mean , based on my experience, there's alot of people eating out alone too. for instance, i've seen too many eating alone in the foodcourts, fastfoods rest and cafes. if they can do it, why cant you? i will not starve myself just for saving my face =P
@neztin (476)
• Singapore
22 Sep 08
oh yes, when i see people eating alone, especially if that person is around my age or older by not more than 10 years, i will come over to the table and ask whether i can sit on that. and some of the people is actually nice enough to have a chit chat, so at least, the experience is not that horrible to be eating alone. but usually i only did that in the hawker centre or foodcourts, i have not had the courage to do this on cafe and restaurant though.
• Singapore
23 Sep 08
Thank you for replying. You have exactly the same situation as me. Im not surprised though. Well, I have tried eating out alone in food courts and fast food but I haven't tried others though. I guess I should try from now on knowing that I can even make friends with the staff ^_^.