Althouse: "The modern life is a danger that we feel is against the siesta."

October 15, 2010

"The modern life is a danger that we feel is against the siesta."

"When you sleep la siesta everyone has the image that your life is calm, you have a good life. And then, the modern life is a direct attack."

16 comments:

Tim said...: Debt obligations resulting from the social welfare state the greatest enemy of "la siesta."

Pay your bills, or take a nap. The choice is yours, Spain.; 10/15/10, 10:33 PM
Tim said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 10/15/10, 10:34 PM
I'm Full of Soup said...: Can't argue with that.

Remember when a lot of people were predicting the 4 day work week and flex time for all? Instead we all became workaholics!; 10/15/10, 10:35 PM
former law student said...: La siesta is the Spanish equivalent of Daylight Savings Time -- to cope with summer, some of your sleep hours are shifted to the afternoon. When it's too hot to work, you take a nap, then go back to work refreshed. You don't eat supper or go out till 10 pm at the earliest. I didn't realize how much sense the siesta made till I moved to California.; 10/15/10, 10:49 PM
Chip Ahoy said...: Es un idea buena. Si ustedes se puede sacar sus ropa.; 10/15/10, 10:58 PM
MadisonMan said...: It's always been my understanding that Spaniards take a siesta 'cause they're up 'til 3 AM drinking.; 10/15/10, 11:20 PM
traditionalguy said...: I owe, I owe, it's off to work I go, sing most Americans. If you snooze, you lose, say more Americans. But stress like that is creating your own private Death Panel. Resting is the #1 sign of a free and blessed people. Sure we work 24/7 in the harvest times, but that is so we can stop working, rest and appreciate what we did.; 10/16/10, 12:14 AM
former law student said...: It's always been my understanding that Spaniards take a siesta 'cause they're up 'til 3 AM drinking.

You pretty much have to stay out till 3AM, because the discos don't open till midnight. Restaurants didn't open till 9, and that was just for the tourists -- a sort of early bird special hour, without the specials.

where's Lem? He should have something to say.; 10/16/10, 12:25 AM
Unknown said...: In Latin America, I'm told, siesta lasts through the heat of the day, because no one can work then. You build a standard day around it.

Leave it to the Euros to abuse it.; 10/16/10, 5:18 AM
ndspinelli said...: To judge a good siesta, one must check for drool on the pillow. Only a good nap produces drool.; 10/16/10, 5:56 AM
Bart Hall (Kansas, USA) said...: I farm for a living. In July and August I'm usually in the field by 05h30, and will work until about 12h30.

Then I have lunch and often take a nap and do some office work. Then it's back outside at 18h00 until dark three hours later.

Ten hours work outside, three hours work in the office. Six days a week, unless it rains, in which case it's office work and naps all day long.

Now, what was that about us siesta types being lazy?; 10/16/10, 6:24 AM
MadisonMan said...: I farm for a living

Have you had a good season? I know Dane County (surrounding Madison) farmers have had great weather luck this year, and corn prices are pretty high, so that's good for them. Not sure how the (rented-out) family farm in Illinois (corn and soybeans) has done this year. At least it's not in over-rained Iowa.

Thanks!; 10/16/10, 6:57 AM
SGT Ted said...: They do the same thing in Iraq in the summer.; 10/16/10, 8:39 AM
Dust Bunny Queen said...: Here in flyover country we call it napping. My husband and I usually can squeeze in naps several times a week and on always on weekends.

Like Bart, we can schedule our time. I just close my office for an extra long lunch hour and curl up on the couch in the back room. Hubby can sometimes come home from a pump job, lunch and nap and get back out there by 1 or 2 in the afternoon and knock out several more projects.

When I lived in Mexico as a child, not in cities, we would have lunch/siesta and dinner not until 9pm. The time change was hard on us children because we were accustomed, when in the States, to going to bed at 8pm so we could get up for school. We were always sent to bed just when the good stuff was happening. Biologically, we are supposed to nap during the day. I think that the constant noise and activity and NOISE of the modern world are detrimental to our health. We NEED to nap.; 10/16/10, 10:06 AM
I'm Full of Soup said...: Nspinelli:

Ha that drool test is a fact!; 10/16/10, 10:07 AM
Anonymous said...: Siesta today is a denial of the frenetic competition of the world outside. It takes some courage to say, I'll catch up to you later. I'm an American, I can't fall asleep in the middle of the day. Afraid I'll miss something.; 10/16/10, 11:20 AM