Earlier quoted context omitted.
Yet nobody I know in Spain likes the compulsory 2 hour lunch breaks.
Few places do this anymore, it's more common in the south which is insanely hot at mid day
Spaniards are less productive, constantly tired: Spain is in the wrong time zone
31–40 of 101 posts
Re: Spaniards are less productive, constantly tired: Spain is in the wrong time zone
#32This I found a bit condescending: 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…
Re: Spaniards are less productive, constantly tired: Spain is in the wrong time zone
#33Ha! I thought they were going to say that Spain should be in the Eastern Timezone of the United States. Seriously, the Spaniards I worked with were up until 2am regularly - and the country eats dinner at 10pm at the earliest - yet get up for a 9am workday. Is there any doubt why they are tired?
Re: Spaniards are less productive, constantly tired: Spain is in the wrong time zone
#34This I found a bit condescending: 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…
Re: Spaniards are less productive, constantly tired: Spain is in the wrong time zone
#35Hogwash. 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?
Re: Spaniards are less productive, constantly tired: Spain is in the wrong time zone
#36I 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.
Perhaps that was more of a culture coping mechanism? With an unemployment rate of a staggering 50% for those under 25, and with 68% of them leaving Spain to find work, and 12% overall unemployment for everyone else: that sounds like a lot of people that don't even have a job. That's not a good thing, perhaps the attitude of work to live, as said previously, is more of a coping mechanism. Otherwise, maybe this is at t…
If it's a new thing, it's a coping mechanism. (I'm pretty sure it's not)
Re: Spaniards are less productive, constantly tired: Spain is in the wrong time zone
#37Re: Spaniards are less productive, constantly tired: Spain is in the wrong time zone
#38Re: Spaniards are less productive, constantly tired: Spain is in the wrong time zone
#39This I found a bit condescending: 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 can only speak for Mexico, but the reason for this is that dinner is not the most important/bigger meal of the day, lunch is.
Mexico: medium breakfast, big lunch, small dinner.
USA: small breakfast, medium lunch, big dinner.
Over here people will just have a sandwich or two for dinner, that's why it doesn't matter if it happens at 8 or 9 p.m.
Re: Spaniards are less productive, constantly tired: Spain is in the wrong time zone
#40No, moving the clock an hour up or down is not going to have a huge effect into a country in the long term. That's magical thinking.