Life now, unlike those of our grandparents, is in for a fast ride. No room nor time for dilly-dallying. Delays do not have space in the agenda. Nowadays, unlike those they reminiscently call the good ol’ days, people make it a point to savor every passing minute as if that would be their last. Advances science and technology, quite curiously, have not seemed to make life any easier. Time, so it seems, has even become a more precious and rare commodity.
Another interesting outcome of 21st century life is the sheer abundance of food of all shapes, sizes, tastes, and packages. Gone are the days of manual labor to till, plant, water, and harvest food straight from the field. For most urban dwellers, farming for food is as outmoded as the rotary dial on a 50s production model telephone. Add to this the proliferation of a thousand and one fast food joints that churn out quick, fried food. Time pressure and deadlines have become the most reliable business allies of fast food companies. Indeed, the current work and personal lifestyles are so fast-paced that even our eating habits need to be adjusted.
But against a backdrop of economic and...