7 . Dining alone is becoming more common, and there’s absolutely nothing to be embarrassed about if you want to take yourself out for a nice meal! Eating a meal on your own simply shows that you’re comfortable with yourself and confident that you’ll enjoy your own company.     1     Hopefully, you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the experience.

Sit on the patio when the weather is nice to enjoy the fresh air. Being alone on the patio is also a way to feel less conspicuous if you’re a little nervous dining alone. Just think of how many times you’ve passed a cafe and seen a solo diner reading their book and enjoying a lunchtime break!     2    

Eat slowly and relish the flavors of your meal. You might want to eat as quickly as possible so you can leave, especially if you’re feeling self-conscious about eating alone.     3     Chew each bite thoroughly and think about the flavor profiles. Put your utensils down from time to time and look around or enjoy a sip of your drink.

Take a deep breath if you start to feel self-conscious.     4     You might feel like other people are looking at you or judging you, but try to remember that chances are, they’re too busy thinking about themselves. When negative feelings start to rise, pause, take a breath, and focus on your meal.

    5     Stepping away from phone calls, texts, emails, and social media might be just the thing you need to unwind from a busy day. Doing away with your phone will help you be more present, enjoy yourself, and appreciate your meal.

Does Takeaway Exist in Ancient China?

As early as in the Song Dynasty, “takeout” services were already available. In Zhang Zcduan's popular painting Riverside Scene at Qingming Festival, there is a restaurant boy who has just come out of the shop with “to-go boxes” in his left hand and tableware （餐具） in his right, still     1     (wear) the shop apron and seeming to deliver the food somewhere. That image     2     (believe) to be a reflection of the original takeaway boy.

In ancient times, there were three ways to order food. The first is servant order. Send a family retainer （仆人） to go to a restaurant and make     3     order. When the food is ready, there is someone who     4     (particular) delivers the food to the customer's home, and then gets paid. The second is agreed delivery. Sign a long-term     5     (agree) with the restaurant. The store,    6    every agreed day, will pack the food well and send it to the customer's home. The last one is door-to-door selling. The sellers from restaurants sell the food door to door, especially in the entertainment places like theatres,    7     are crowded with many people.

The to-go box, wenpan (warm tray),     8     (consist) of two layers of porcelain. When     9     (use),   hot water is injected into the interlayer of the plate     10     (keep) the dishes warm. In this way, the dish is still warm when it arrives at the customer's home.