They usually say that you should sit down and eat your meals in peace and enjoy every bite. I have never found the right frequency to feel that bullshit like that is worth listening to. I always do things while I eat; listen to the radio, watch TV, meet friends and have meetings. Eating together and doing things while you eat doesn’t invalidate the dining experience but reinforces all the impressions and senses.

Like taking a new acquaintance and drinking the world's tastiest soy latte at Cigarren on Järntorget in Gothenburg and pointing out the barista who once tricked me into thinking that he didn’t know who his parents were because he had been left at an airport as a baby. How I walked around for weeks and thinking about writing a book about him. Or like that time I took that artist out for Persian food and told him about my idea. How he munched and didn’t know how to deal with all the new flavors and fragrances he was experiencing. That he walked away thinking I was a nice guy with a thousand smart ideas. Thank you Persian rice. Thanks saffron yogurt.

They usually say that you should sit still and eat hot dogs without talking with food in your mouth with your arms and legs relaxed. I say you should flap every part of your body while you choose between your mezes. Walk with someone you don’t know, a colleague or your loved one and find a new sushi restaurant. Buy something that is mobile and flexible and walk while you eat. Find new places in your town while you masticate and comment on the ladies with their dogs in upper class neighborhoods. You not only get away from the bullshit meaning slung in the lunch room at your workplace, you’ll also get a lot of good ideas when you are away from your work.

Text: Navid Modiri