My office building isn't exactly in the heart of downtown so when it comes to lunch there aren't too many options. I usually just get a sandwich from the cafeteria, and I mut say I never knew two slices of bread could be so filling, usually thats all I need to get me through the day. Day before yesterday I decided to try something new, I brought lunch from home. Lunch comprised of jollof rice and fried catfish which we bought from a nija store the day before. The food was actually supposed to my lunch/dinner but as usual I was stuffed from one sandwich lunch; a chicken salad sandwich and the only logical thing to do was to have it for lunch the next day. I must admit prior to this time I had never eaten fried catfish. To me catfish is something to be eaten boiled for no more than 15 mins, either in pepper soup or in a very hot (peppery) thin stew eaten with freshly boiled rice. I really enjoyed my lunch, and totting an extra bag to and from work wasn't as much as an ordeal as I had earlier imagined. Infact the whole experience was such a hit for me, I considered doing it again the very next day. Alas some confusion as to how I was going to get to work distracted me and I forgot. At about 10:30 I got an email from my boss; an invitation for lunch. I said a silent prayer of thanks fo forgeting my lunch as I replied that I would be available. At 11:15 we all gathered in the lobby (9 of us in total) then we carpooled to pappadeaux, a cajun restaurant like 2 miles from my office. We then proceeded on a 3 hr lunch (wetin concern me, i dey bill dem dey go). I have learned that the nicer looking an oyinbo dish is, the more likely it is to be totally tasteless so I approched the whole ordering business with a lot of seriousness. At the end of the day, I deided to have rice and shrimp stew (shrimp etoufee) and it was really good, so good I finished my serving. My last mouthful threatened to spoil my whole experience though, I don't quite know how to describe it in english, in yoruba I would say 'Ede yen npa okuta' (translation suggestions welcome). I think the shrimp wasn't properly cleaned cos it was sandy to the crunch. On a good day I would have promptly spat it out, but I am out with my project manager and there is the issue of exending my contract so I said a small prayer and swallowed. Well I am happy to report that I am very okay as I write this thankully. As I wiped my mouth (daintily) and laid my napkin aside, I heard someone mention dessert. Dessert ke! I was stuffed. When the dessert tray arrived however I couldn't resist the vanilla cheesecake (ole) I did try my best, but I couldn't do more than half. Back at my desk I wondered how I was going to manage to keep awake till 4:30 when I will be able to legally escape. Apparently no be only me dey suffer from the effects of lunch, and hour after we returned my supervisor was like he was off for the day and I was free to leave if I wanted to. There is a God kia I carried my bag I didn't even take the shuttle downtown, I walked to the train stop I was that full I needed the excercise.