Save the Siesta

Having not travelled much, in real life i've been to many places in my mind, when reading books. I've been on Giant peaches, with James, I've been to France with Lance,  and I've visited Spain, plenty of times with Ernest. Yeah i know that's crazy., but I always thought I got a good sense of Spain from Hemingway, one thing in particular that fascinated me was the Siesta, well that and the Bull run. Well it seems the western worlds levels of productivity have forced Spaniards to fore go their afternoon nap. I for one find this sad, cause i was moving there for damn sure.Well in order to save the siesta, this is what they came up with.








What is billed as Spain’s first national siesta championship is underway in Madrid. It’s something of a wake-up call for a country that’s become so fast-paced that many say the traditional siesta is at risk. “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,” said Daniel Blanco, president of the National Association of Friends of the Siesta. His group, which includes about 50 of his friends across Spain, persuaded a shopping center, Islazul, to host and pay prize money for the siesta competition. Nursing assistant Sara Ruz, 22, was one who stepped up to defend the siesta. She gobbled down a quick lunch of fried chicken from a shopping center stand, not mentioning that it’s just that kind of rushing which is blamed for hurting the siesta. The intricate rules award points to contestants depending on how long they sleep during the 20-minute competition time, any unusual positions they sleep in, eye-catching pajamas they might be wearing, and yes, a lot of extra points for snoring.  The traditional siesta in Spain often lasts an hour or more. The bustling shopping center where the siesta championship is being held is a prime example of the changing times in Spain. The stores don’t close at lunchtime — which is what used to happen with Spanish shops — so instead of sleeping the siesta, people are working or shopping. Siesta lovers complain that Spain’s frenetic push to compete in the global economy means longer, more pressure-package workdays, even if some Spanish workers still get a two-hour lunch break.


l.G