Time is a fascinating construct. More specifically, how we choose to spend our time. In the United States, time is money. We move fast and work hard to maximize our leisure time. Work time and play time are kept separate. A standard work week is 40 hours in most cases. Lack of time is usually the most common barrier preventing people from engaging healthy behaviors which is reserved for leisure time. It is unacceptable to be late for anything in the United States. Meals times are very different. In the US, 12 pm is lunchtime (often eaten alone at work) and dinner is between 5 and 8 pm. And don’t get me started on daylight savings time!
For better or worse, time is spent differently in Spain. The work week can be shorter or broken up. Doctors in Spain work 8-3 pm (and also get paid much less). In rural areas, it’s common to work from 10-2 PM, take a 2 hour lunch at home with family, then come back and finish the workday from 4 to 7 pm. In these areas, shops close from 2 to 4 pm. With this discounted schedule, a leisurely lunch is integrated into the workday. Meal times in general are later with lunch at 2 pm and dinner at 9 or 10 pm. It’s also more socially acceptable to be fashionably late for events in Spain. (Hey, I could thrive here!!)
In Spain, Sundays are reserved for God and family. After church, most families spend the entire day together, cooking food, which usually consists of paella or roasted chicken. With all the socializing, you might think that Spaniards never work or that they might get sick of each other. But this does not seem to be the case. A student of mine suspects the socializing may be the result of Spains liberation from the dictator Franco in 1975. And there may be something to this. All indications suggest Spaniards relish every moment and prefer to spend their time with other others.
It is also clear that Spaniards are motivated a bit differently. The competitive, individualistic drive to secure wealth does not seem to be as high here. Our program directors reported tmany prefer a decent paying job that they enjoy over a high paying stressful job. This all comes back to how we choose to prioritize our time. Food for thought.
Yesterday our group spent our Sunday visiting El Rastro flea market, A massive market that’s been held in Madrid weekly since 1740! If you’re in the market for a leather jacket, purse, or soccer jersey, this is the place for you! There are also countless vendors selling clothes, jewelry, furniture, and antiques. Prices are low and the vibes are high. (I should patent that!)
Following the market, I went solo to the Banksy museum in Madrid. If you’re not familiar, Banksy is the street name for an anonymous artist who has been doing provocative and political street art for the past 25 years. Much of his or her work is anti-capitalism, anti-war, anti-fascism, and pro-environment. Banky’s work has shown up in cities all over the world, including LA, Paris, NYC, the Gaza Strip and war torn Ukraine. While anti-capitalism, Banksy’s work sells for more than nearly any artist in the world. The artist used recent proceeds to purchase a yacht which a donated to a cause to save immigrants who have been drowning in the Mediterranean Sea. Because it is all public, many pieces have been whitewashed, defaced, or destroyed. The art is not meant for personal consumption or to feed the art market. Rather the pieces are created for the sole purpose of inspiring ideas and making the world a better place. And in this way they are timeless. See what I did there? ;)
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