I really like articles like this because it allows you to get a great glimpse of a different mode of living. And it makes you realize that a comfortable life is still very possible even without extremely advanced technology.

A while ago in high school I wrote a paper about lifestyle changes as a result of technology, and one interesting observation was the idea that, after 19th century standardization of time, people started becoming more rigidly strict to appointment times and work hours. Sorry for not including more sources here, but I also recall a contemporary news article that bemoaned how standardized time was forcing people to become slaves to punctuality, adding an extra source of anxiety that was a hindrance to the modern human.

Nowadays, if you show up 30 minutes late to brunch, you might really annoy your good friends. But it seems that this behavior is actually a very recent phenomenon.