Cultural Orders from the City of Madrid

(In the sleepy hours of a Spanish afternoon, I lay sleepy yet wide awake, annoyed that I'm not a a real madrileno and can't sleep the afternoon away)

The city of Madrid says, "Look into my eyes. You are getting sleepy....Okay, why aren't you in bed? It's three in the afternoon! "

Mike says, "But I don't nap. I'm guess I'm too American. I always need to be up and about until the sun shuts down and says, 'go to sleep!' I'm just not used to it."

Madrid: "Well, okay. If my people are partying the night away and your either sleeping alone or you find yourself mister tired grouchy-head on my morning streets, don't say I didin't warn you."

Almost everything useful is closed: banks, hardware stores, department stores, retail shops, book stores, you name it. Sure, restuarants are open. You can get a bite to eat. And if your a tourist, you could take a visit to the museums. But if you need a pair of shorts, or a lightbulb, or maybe you need to put some money in the bank...sorry. Try again after five. Or maybe try again tomorrow morning, if you need to cash in a check. Well, you my friend are in the Siesta zone. It's the Spanish time of day from two to five in the afternoon where you can eat your traditional 2 o' clock lunch, spend time with your family, and/or take that long needed nap to get you ready for those long Spanish nights.

Non-nappers beware. Enter Spain at your own risk. I am, unfortunately, one of these non-nappers. Keep in mind that the average familer dinner is served around 10pm. Today, in my freshman class, I told my students that Americans eat dinner at six. They laughed. Completely ridiculous for them. A light dinner should be taken anywhere after nine, nine being the earliest. A midnight dinner is common. Walk out of your apartment at midnight and do not be suprised if you see mothers riding their babies in strollers eating ice cream. The night is always young in Madrid. Madrilenos have their energy recharged after a long power nap and can take on the night in full-stride. I can't.

Curiously, every bedroom in Madrid is equipped with a large metal curtain that can be lowered to block away sunlight. If anyone ever wants to make an authentic Spanish dollhouse, these metal curtains are a must for any madrileno action figure (and don't forget the carton of cheap red wine).