When I left for this trip I was planning to see temples, swim in the ocean and eat weird food. But sometimes when you travel you experience things you weren’t really expecting to see and no one really mentions.
One of these phenomenons is “nap time.” Across SEA I’ve seen many people sleeping on the job in public places — everyone from desk attendants at a hostel, to vendors at a street market, to tuk-tuk drivers. In the States I’ll occasionally see a cab driver dozing between customers, but never to the extent I’ve noticed here. It makes me wonder if they are napping because it’s more socially acceptable or because they’re simply exhausted.
When I encountered a sleeping employee, I’d make a little noise in hopes it would wake them for a bit. One time, Mandy & I wandered into a massage parlor in Langkawi, Malaysia. We called “hello” when we didn’t see anyone. Mandy started to peek into the next room when I noticed the desk attendant was napping under the desk just inches from where we were standing. We quietly snuck out without disturbing her. In other cases a neighboring street vendor would wake them up if a customer was browsing through their merchandise. After all, you can’t make a sale if you’re asleep!
These photos are dedicated to all the sleepy heads out there counting sheep at work:
Hotel receptionist nap time
Double nap time
Nap time at a fruit stand
Taxi driver nap time
Tourist nap time
Day 1
Day 2
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