Saturday 16 August 2008

This City Loves to Sleep...


I walk around the city, stopping at all sorts of famous buildings, temples, museums, and stores--some days, we are out almost the whole day. I feel slightly worn near the evening rush hour, but I catch my second wind right around supper. But it seems like everywhere I go, I see random people catching a short little snooze in the most public of places! The MRT seems to be the most common that I see. Little old men, business men in their pressed suits, school children, mothers, everyone seems to be able to fall asleep sitting completely upright; a skill that I have never been able achieve. But what baffles me about these dozing people, is that the seem to wake up completely alert moments before their stop. If I was to, on the rarest of chances, fall asleep on a mode of transportation, I would be the crazy fool that falls off the chair and curls up in the fetal position, snoring like a ban saw.
What kills me, to the point of hysterics, is the fact that I was at the Sun Yut San Memorial today, and I saw three men sleeping in an informational movie viewing room...and the movie wasn't even playing. There were people snoozing on benches against the wall, their shoes off and up resting on the other end of the bench; there was a man sleeping on a park bench, sprawled out as if he was on his bed at home; people randomly taking naps on the floor and on small chairs in the book store. Why are they so tired?
I wonder sometimes, what does the world know that we Americans don't. It seems like the people from around the world take a portion of their DAY to dedicate to sleep, and yet we quit this wonderful concept after the age of 6. I remember times when sleep was a form of punishment. But now, I would give my right foot (or maybe the left) for a good solid nap every afternoon. So maybe, next time I'm coming home on the MRT, I'll try to catch 3 or 4 ZZZ's...even at the risk of falling off of that plastic blue chair, snoring loudly on the panelled floor.

No comments: