21–30 of 101 posts
Pd: If you see the stats is not really a problem. The differences aren't so big.
This extra-long workday has given us some fun Spanish cultural quirks, like the 9 p.m. dinner hour and the two-hour lunch break.
I know that folks in the US, Germany and some other countries eat at or around 6pm but I also know that folks in most of Latin America, India, Thailand, etc. eat at 8-9pm or so. So why is this considered a 'cultural quirk' ? A little culturally insensitive I must say.
This isn't a Spanish problem, it's a Southern European problem. You cannot be lazy and expect to lead a good life - the math just won't add up.
http://rwer.wordpress.com/2011/10/24/southern-european-worke...
http://rwer.wordpress.com/2012/11/29/jobs-and-productivity-i...
It looks like about half of the countries in that little map are off of their natural time zone by at least as much as Spain. Including basically all of the former Soviet Union, except the Ukraine and Baltics. And Iceland. And, well, France, which mostly overlaps Spain time-zone-wise.
I lived in Spain for about a year. Blame it on the time zone, but inherently the culture is "work to live" not "live to work". I miss it and sincerely cherish that country and all the great people in it.
When I entered Barcelona, my heart stayed there. Absolutely stunning city. Not to mention nearly every woman is a 9/10. I remember walking down the beach and joining a drum circle, started playing guitar with them. Someone passes me a joint, the cops roll by, and I tried to play it cool by putting it out and walking really fast away from the circle. I realized nobody was with me, I look back, cops talking to everyone…
Hogwash. What about the higher productivity of Scandinavians? They shift back and forth on "time-zones" due to the constant change of amount of light because of the very hash winter. Sometimes with as few as 3 hours of light, not sun, but still maintain the same level of productivity. Currently, Spanish primetime stretches until after midnight <- Well what about making less time for primetime? Or less siestas?
some of it is due to the really harsh climate. But I guess most of it might be lifestyle.. but then again, wouldn't that be due to climate in the first place?
Hogwash. What about the higher productivity of Scandinavians? They shift back and forth on "time-zones" due to the constant change of amount of light because of the very hash winter. Sometimes with as few as 3 hours of light, not sun, but still maintain the same level of productivity. Currently, Spanish primetime stretches until after midnight <- Well what about making less time for primetime? Or less siestas?
The so called (in English) "siesta", which in Spanish would be just "the lunch break", is a compulsory long break in many professions. Many would rather close shop at 5 or 6 than at 9pm, but everyone has to do it at once or it won't work. The solution most would expect to succeed is a legal one: I know of a dev shop that could easily switch to a 9-5 schedule, as many banks and civil servants have already, but it has…
Wait, how does extending lunch by an extra hour push closing time by 3-4 hours?
With regards to time spent at home, the Spanish seem to spend a far greater portion of their normal lives socialising. I really don't see how more time spent at home could be listed as a positive thing. In the UK it makes me think of long cold winters when no one wants to leave the house because it's so miserable outside.
This isn't a Spanish problem, it's a Southern European problem. You cannot be lazy and expect to lead a good life - the math just won't add up.
Spain has a higher productivity per employed worker than Germany, however since the collapse of the construction industry they have rampant unemployment. The Spanish are not lazy, although your argument certainly is. http://rwer.wordpress.com/2011/10/24/southern-european-worke... http://rwer.wordpress.com/2012/11/29/jobs-and-productivity-i...