My dad sent me
this article about
puentes, which is how Spaniards refer to long holiday weekends. The topic makes me smile, because it's one of those things where the people in the culture have a completely different perspective than people outside looking in.
If there's one stereotype about Spain that most of my Spanish friends dislike, it's the idea that Spaniards are lazy and that they don't work very hard. It hurts their dignity, I think, and quite understandably. The problem is that according to the standards of most foreigners, they actually don't work very hard, which of course gives the whole land a feeling of pleasant laziness. I don't mean actual hours of work or the generous stream of holidays, though those are factors –- it's more that the overall level of hustle would disappoint even the most lenient Little League baseball coach.
Anyway, I'm not saying this is a bad thing. Spain might not be a great place to get things done, but it sure is a nice place to relax and enjoy life.
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| Me attempting to enjoy life while holding a chicken on last December's puente. Experiment: failed. |
Oh boy...I would give anything for a puente right about now!
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