Time? Time. tic-toc, yes, I understand the concept of time. Or so I thought. Latin America has definitely stretched my vision and altered my navigation of time. The best way to explain it is through Spanish itself. "Ahora" is now. "Ito" or the feminine "ita" is a cute suffix added to the end of words, literally meaning "small." So guess which word most daily rings in my ears? "Ahorita." How can the word "now"-- technically an indication of an exact moment-- morph into "little now"? Welcome to Latin America.
Honestly, it's quite refreshing to live in a society where time is so malleable, especially as I come from an over-regulated country, where I once missed the bus because it came too early. "Tienes que dar tiempo al tiempo," I tell myself, and it's starting to grow on me...
Honestly, it's quite refreshing to live in a society where time is so malleable, especially as I come from an over-regulated country, where I once missed the bus because it came too early. "Tienes que dar tiempo al tiempo," I tell myself, and it's starting to grow on me...
"Dar tiempo al tiempo"-- these guys get it.A few of my favourites (only slightly exaggerated):
- Yes, we're all going out tonight-- be ready around 1 and don't expect to be back before 7 in the morning.
- The post office? Walk straight, one little minute. (*Ten minutes later*) The post office? Oh... right around the corner, five minutes, no more.
- Yes, the bus is supposed to start rolling at 9, so you can get here at 9:30.
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