As I was coming out of a class on Einstein’s theory of relativity last week, I saw John sitting on a bench all alone looking slightly flustered and bored out of his skull. Like the good friend I am, I never pass on a serendipitous opportunity to poke my head into a friend’s dilemma.
After quick exchange of greetings, I came to know that John was actually waiting for a common acquaintance of ours, Adam who incidentally was late again for the second time that day. They were supposed to meet at 9 in the morning but Adam arrived half an hour late. Now, he was waiting for Adam who told him that he will meet him there in 5 minutes but that was over twenty minutes ago.
In order to get a grip on the situation, it is important to know that John lives by his Chinese grandfather’s mantra that time is money and has always regarded punctuality as a virtue. Meanwhile, Adam is an exchange student from Maldives and they were both very close friends. With that in mind, let us get back to the story.
Although John was clearly frustrated, he seemed to make light of the issue by joking that he should have known better and woke up a little later himself that morning. We spoke for another ten minutes and Adam finally arrived. John waved his frustration away and soon they were both laughing together as if nothing had happened earlier on.
Looking back, the incident clearly indicated an intercultural difference with regard to time. Despite Adam’s insensitivity towards punctuality, John understood that in Maldives where the population is densely packed on a small island and the community is closely knit, it is acceptable to be late if one has to stop and greet an acquaintance along the way. Moreover, the sandy beaches lend a more laid back lifestyle where it is common to meet up for coffee breaks 5 times a day. Therefore, John had no problems brushing aside Adam’s tardiness.
Perhaps Einstein’s understood much about the different cultural norms of different countries when he stated the interconnection between space and time.
