What time is it?
It depends on who you are.
What time is it?
It depends on where you are.
Is it time to wake or time to snooze?
Is it time for croissants or time for couscous?
What time is it?
Does it really matter?
Time is a thread woven into cultures,
Among the colored threads of the world’s tapestry.
“What time is it?” I asked Aicha, my Moroccan friend.
“Time for mint tea, etay, of course!”
A time is announced to dinner guests,
Although the feast adorns the table many hours later.
Sitting down for coffee and cakes,
“Please don’t leave, can’t you stay a little longer?”
An Arab proverb recounts, “A cup of coffee shared with a friend is . . .
Happiness tasted and time well spent.”
A watch guides time and schedule.
Why bother? We know that the cock crows and the sun rotates.
The nomad sleeps on his straw mat under the desert stars.
He knows that the sun will fall and the sun will rise.
The call to prayer blazes from the village mosque’s minaret.
Five times a day, the faithful are reminded of the time and the divine.
What time is it?
Does it really matter?
“What time is it?” I asked Stephanie, my American friend.
“Time for work, of course!”
A time is announced to dinner guests.
A few minutes’ delay suggests they may have forgotten.
Sitting down for coffee and cakes,
“I’m sorry, I must leave for another appointment!”
A child’s British tale recounts, “I’m late, I’m late, for a very important date.
No time to say ‘hello,’ ‘goodbye.’ I’m late, I’m late, I’m late!”
A watch guides time and schedule.
Who has time to wait for the cock’s cry or the sun’s dance?
The businessman sleeps on his bed beside the glow of his alarm.
He knows that his modern machines will wake him from slumber.
The bell rings on the hour from the town’s church steeple.
Twenty-four times a day, the faithful are reminded of the time and the divine.
What time is it?
Does it really matter?
It depends on who you are.
It depends on where you are.
Is it better or worse to follow the sun’s position?
Is it better or worse to follow the clock’s dial?
The global traveler must always remind himself,
It’s not better or worse, it’s just different!
Time is a thread woven into cultures,
Among the colored threads of the world’s tapestry.
—The Cultural Story-Weaver
Let’s Weave Cultures!
What does time look like in your culture? Do you wish that people were more time-oriented and respected your schedule more? Or do you wish that people would relax a bit more and not be victims of the clock? Whatever your cultural “time” tendency is, try a different cultural practice, just to see what it is like.
Or if you are going to see a friend from another culture, do some research, and find out what their cultural norm is? Respect it and adapt to it, even if it is very different from your own.
We invite you to tell us your own cultural stories and global adventures . . . as you engage with the world, breaking down barriers, building bridges, and “weaving cultures!” Write about them in the comment box below.
