........The Art of the long lunch

[El Presidente]

Is it just me or is the "long Lunch" being slowly resigned to history?

I can't recall the last long lunch I have had. Once upon a time they were infamous, one of the most memorable being a long lunch in Singapore with a group of mates that went to 5am. When I tried to find my lawyer the next morning (he was with us...I wasn't asking for advice), he wouldn't answer his phone or his hotel door. We were in a mild panic by the time he called 10 hours later......from Australia. He caught the first flight home saying he couldn't take anymore

So this week Di said that I needed to get out for a long lunch. I suspect she just wants me out of Czars but hell, who am I to knock back that offer

I called my close mates and the stars alligned. All available. Restaurant booked. Cabs booked. I head off in 30 minutes and it will be a cracker hopefully returning to the deck some time tonight.

I haven't slept on the deck for a while

Sometimes you just need to let your hair down.

[polarbear]

We have long lunches in the Top End most Fridays

Normally we all head off to the pub at 11:30 for a beer, a counter lunch and to catch the "Ballet"

Anything from 3-12 hours later we come back to the workshop to switch the phones over and power everything down

[El Presidente]

We have long lunches in the Top End most Fridays

Normally we all head off to the pub at 11:30 for a beer, a counter lunch and to catch the "Ballet"

Anything from 3-12 hours later we come back to the workshop to switch the phones over and power everything down

...Darwin apparently hasn't changed

[First Lady]

Have a good lunch Rob :-) just don't lose your phone in the cab like last time LOLOL

[Colt45]

Is it just me or is the "long Lunch" being slowly resigned to history?

Not sure......

Last longy I had, this past November, started at noon, and for me finished around 1:00.

a.m.

[gersonmorelli]

Funny... Oddly enough I just came back from a very pleasant and long lunch with some friends. Started at 12:40pm and it's currently 10:57pm.

We had some (several) bottles of Portuguese and Spanish wine, great food and a great QdO Superior.

You gotta love these days!

[Overproof]

We have long lunches in the Top End most Fridays

Normally we all head off to the pub at 11:30 for a beer, a counter lunch and to catch the "Ballet"

Anything from 3-12 hours later we come back to the workshop to switch the phones over and power everything down

Haha god bless the beer and ballerina bliss Polar!

[Rye]

In my trade, we call it beer clouds, but it seems similar. Just a very spontaneous version of it!

[Guest rob]

Not sure......

Last longy I had, this past November, started at noon, and for me finished around 1:00.

a.m.

As long as the company, food, drink and cigars are good - then that sounds like a hell of a time

Best $10 pasta I've had in a loooong time!

[orangedog]

Not relegated to the annals of history, but rather the borders of Australia.

With the exception of one or two friends, the concept of the boozy lunch is most supported by my Aussie ex-pat friends. Even then it isn't long... I'm lucky to stretch one to two hours.

Here the corporate culture is that the grinder produces, and the producer is the winner. Production without grinding is the circumstance everyone knows exists, but no one acknowledges.

[WarriorPrincess]

All i can say is "Me and my big mouth" I felt sorry for him as he has been working some long hours...drinking on the deck by himself

So i said "you need to go out with your friends and have a good laugh" didn't think he would do it on a work day...more like a weekend

I will keep you posted on the state of Rob and his friends when they come back to office and go up on the deck after lunch, should be a laugh

[polarbear]

Ha!

I guess the road to hell really is paved with good intentions...

[Jeremy Festa]

Brilliant, enjoy!

And lucky my reminder for "that review" popped up on my screen at 2 today.

Could have been embarrassing.

[thecrowder]

The long lunch and the openness toward alcohol is actually what surprised me most about life in Australia. I rarely would have drinks with my co-workers in the US and I would go so far as to say I never had a boozy lunch while working in the US. On the other hand, drinks with co-workers seems to be basically the expectation in Australia and heading out of work around 3:00 on Friday to hit the pubs was something that I always looked forward to. I've had multiple long lunches during my short time in Sydney, but, I suspect if the same thing would have happened in the US I would have most likely been seriously reprimanded.

[NJP]

In Life we need the long lunch. Good for you mate. Last time I had one I came home "Outback Drunk" two and a bit days later.

[OZCUBAN]

Can't say I have ever had a "long Lunch" my lunch usually consist of half an hour ...how sad LOL

One day :-)

[Pilgrims]

Believe me when I say that with the likes of Wino and Tino on here the UK wine trade very much keeps the long lunch alive!! I've blogged quite a few afterwards (from notes and photos)...a good lunch starts at 12.30 and finished after 6pm some seem to just become dinner as well...you'll never (with a very few exceptions) make your millions in the wine trade but you do meet some fascinating and generous people and have a lot of fun...

[Fuzz AI]

Back when I was with my old company, I would have been fired for having a drink at lunch. They implemented a new policy about 10 yrs ago that banned alcoholic beverages during office hours after a couple of managers were caught drinking a little too much during a lunch, then going back to work later that arvo.

Usually, we were only given 30min for our lunch break, but I always took a full hour. Nobody complained as I usually worked 9-10hrs anyway. And before you say it Rob, I wasn't pulling a Costanza!!

[riazp]

All i can say is "Me and my big mouth" I felt sorry for him as he has been working some long hours...drinking on the deck by himself

So i said "you need to go out with your friends and have a good laugh" didn't think he would do it on a work day...more like a weekend

I will keep you posted on the state of Rob and his friends when they come back to office and go up on the deck after lunch, should be a laugh

Rob's a true trooper. He'll be in fine form!

[sabourin]

Believe me when I say that with the likes of Wino and Tino on here the UK wine trade very much keeps the long lunch alive!! I've blogged quite a few afterwards (from notes and photos)...a good lunch starts at 12.30 and finished after 6pm some seem to just become dinner as well...you'll never (with a very few exceptions) make your millions in the wine trade but you do meet some fascinating and generous people and have a lot of fun...

Agreed. There are many mornings where I wish they had been resigned to history but couldn't live them especially with BTOL

Hope you've enjoyed yours El Pres!

[Duxnutz]

In my line of work that's the best thing about international travel. You land in a foreign land have a nap at the hotel for a couple hrs then hit the pub for an afternoon session round 3pm local. Beers in the Sunshine, lunch/dinner and kick on until bar close.

Definitely not a "power lunch" by any stretch and you won't see a suit or tie but its as close as it gets for me.

[melies]

So can we expect a "long lunch sale" tonight Di?

Have a nice one Rob!

[CanuckSARTech]

Is it just me or is the "long Lunch" being slowly resigned to history?

I can't recall the last long lunch I have had. Once upon a time they were infamous, one of the most memorable being a long lunch in Singapore with a group of mates that went to 5am. When I tried to find my lawyer the next morning (he was with us...I wasn't asking for advice), he wouldn't answer his phone or his hotel door. We were in a mild panic by the time he called 10 hours later......from Australia. He caught the first flight home saying he couldn't take anymore

So this week Di said that I needed to get out for a long lunch. I suspect she just wants me out of Czars but hell, who am I to knock back that offer

I called my close mates and the stars alligned. All available. Restaurant booked. Cabs booked. I head off in 30 minutes and it will be a cracker hopefully returning to the deck some time tonight.

I haven't slept on the deck for a while

Sometimes you just need to let your hair down.

LOL. Sounds like a bit of what some of us Canucks tried to get going down in Cuba. The one day, Enis even powwed back 12 cigars in that one day, well into the night, to set a new record. One that we'll have to try to beat this upcoming trip.

Hmmmmm. Maybe we'll have to set this up for the next Havana trip in November. A "long lunch" that takes a whole day. Sounds like a Havana way of life!

[dangolf18]

I've experienced some long lunches but nothing really that long. Longest real lunch I've had was in France when I was about 10 years old. Was with my parents and we had around a 3 hour lunch at a nice place in the countryside (town called Gourdes). When I visit friends in Zurich, we tend to have 3-4 hour lunches. A lot of smoking going on (cigars, cigs , ******, etc ).

[IcedCanuck]

I always thought that was a UK thing and did not realize Aussies did it as well. Me and group of coworkers go to the local pub for lunch every now and then. Usually we split on pitchers of beer; I prefer the 1 to 2 person per pitcher rule . Never get drunk and go back to work because that would result in unemployment. I couldn't believe some of the stories I would hear from my UK friends when they tell me they go to the pub for lunch on a Friday and sometimes/usually don't go back to work that day.