One of the big differences between Brazil and the UK is in the conception of time. I'd been warned about it, but I didn't quite expect this...
In England, there normally seems to be a margin of error of 5 minutes or so for business events and 15 minutes for social activities. In Brazil, 1 hour is closer to the mark. And even then, sometimes it's days.
In my time here, I've been told to meet someone at 8:30. They arrived at 9:15, which was "slightly late". It seems to be taught as well (of course) - in conversation with someone I've seen them look at the clock and say "Ah, it's 10 o'clock". The clock read 10:10. I don't think I've seen that in England.
This also seems to run to matters of organisation - I found out yesterday afternoon that I'm probably going to be away from the internet for a few days, starting today. So apologies for any lack of posts - it isn't for lack of things to say.
On the other hand, Brazillians can be very punctual when they really need to be. There was a long queue for the film last night, which started pretty much on time. It's more just a normally relaxed attitude to time-keeping, which just means that people whose natural inclination is to be more punctual (like me) need to learn to take a book along, or to spend the extra time praying, or something.
3 comments:
I know I keep on making the comparison with the US, which isn't always justified, but strangely several of my American friends (including my husband) seem to read the time rounded up or down to the nearest half hour as well... I wondered whether it was partly connected with being brought up on a 12 hour clock conception. Hm.
Hope you are adjusting ok to the differences, and especially everything seeming to run to a different schedule, and that you're not finding them too stressful.
We lived in Brazil for seven years, and my dad said the country was essentially run by teenagers. Which is what makes it so much fun.
Some Brazillians I was chatting to were genuinely shocked that in the North, meetings and public transport and so on are specified by the minute....
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