Time Change

This is the weekend to twist the clocks back an hour. This is the one day each year that I realize just how many clocks are in my house, vehicle, on my arm ..... they seem to be everywhere. For about a week, my house becomes divided into time zones. The zone where I have reset the clocks, and the "other" zone with the clocks I havent changed yet. Until it becomes a challange to remember which clock is correct, and I finally give in to updating all of them.

We are such a time sensative culture. Have you ever been in a place or country where they didnt care about the time? I was, for just a weekend, and what an adjustment for me! Many years ago I was in Tuktoyuktuk for the weekend of the Northern Winter Games. (Thats another story on its own.) But they dont (or at least they didnt then) care about time...at all! Oh they have schedules, they even print the schedule of events, and the location. Its just that they dont follow it. We are not talking about a delay of 15 minutes, or even an hour. Oh no, these winter games didnt take place until a day AFTER they were suppose to start. Why? The town didnt feel like it. Isnt that reason enough? They thought so.

I showed up on time, on location, and I was the only person there! So I started asking people, pointing to my printed schedule, is this time wrong? No, it wasnt wrong, they just dont do schedules. When the town feels like gathering, they just start getting together. When enough people gather, and they feel like starting the events, the word travels and things start happening.

If it happens today, its ok. If it happens tomorrow, thats ok too.

How do the businesses work? Well, there was only one store...the Hudson Bay. It had open hours posted, and the door was locked. Again...there is me walking down the street asking someone why the Hudson Bay wasnt open. Oh, turns out you knock on Annies door, and she will come open the store for you. It's all a bit odd when you come from a culture that has schedules, and times, and deadlines. What a relaxed way to live. I dont even know if these people had watches. Our culture would fall apart if we got rid of all track of time. But not the Tuk folks. It was totally working for them. Come to think of it, I've never heard of one of those locals having a heart attack either. Cultures are interesting, great to learn a little from eachother.

But in the mean time, I will start re-setting my clocks on Saturday night, and hopefully have the job done by end of the week.