Educate Yourself! : Time

by Lauren Troxtel

All we need is time, time, all we need is time! In America, most of us often complain, “If only I had more time, I could be with my family more, exercise, travel, etc.” As Americans, we are so busy. Many people work at least 40 hours per week, have a family, are pursuing a higher education, on top of doing all the household activities and spending time with their friends. A lot of Americans are stressed out about life; we forget how to enjoy the small things, and make time for ourselves.

In Ethiopia, there seems to be almost too much time, especially for the men. Most women stay at home and do all the household activities; those that work have to do both (this is its own topic). However, it seems like the actual workday has too much time in it. Every day, work should start around 8 AM, but by the time people come into work it is about 9. Then you must have your tea/coffee break around 10:30 for about a half hour to an hour. After tea/coffee, you return to work until 12 PM. Everyone then has a two hour lunch break. That gives you enough time to walk home, eat lunch and take a nap (not such a bad thing J). At 2 PM, you return to work, again have tea/coffee around 3:30 for another half hour to an hour, and then work until 5pm. 

So you might think there is a lot of wasted time here, which I agree with to an extent. There are so many pointless meetings that take days and yet accomplish nothing, along with some idle time in the office. If there is work to be done, most people here will work hard. However, when you have that extra time to bond with your co-workers and friends, you really get to know them and understand what is going on in their daily lives. Most communities in Ethiopia are very close; everyone seems to know everyone. I want you to think about that. Ask yourself, “Do I know who my neighbors are, both at home and at work? Do we have a close relationship, or is it very surface-level? Do I wish I knew those around me better? Why don’t I know my neighbors better?”

Using our time wisely is important. I believe that if we could balance the American mindset of productivity and using our time wisely with the Ethiopian mindset of relaxing and enjoying our relationships, we would all be a lot better off. If Americans took some time out of their day to spend with people they enjoy—friends, family or neighbors—I think we would be a little less stressed. If Ethiopians made their meetings right to the point, more things would be accomplished in their communities. For those of you at home, I challenge you to do something for yourself every day; take 10-15 minutes out of your busy schedule and do something you love.

Fun facts about Ethiopian time

Like Americans, Ethiopians have 24 hours each day. They still go by a 12-hour clock, but their time starts at sunrise. At 6 am American time, it is 12 am Ethiopian time. At 7 am American time, it is 1 am Ethiopian time—and so on.

Basically, you add 6 hours from 1:00-6:00 and subtract 6 hours from 7:00-12:00. If you are still confused…welcome to a Peace Corps Volunteer’s daily life! We always have to clarify with people if we are on Ferengi (Foreigner) time or Ethiopian time. It gets confusing. If you think that is bad, let’s throw in the months!

Ethiopia is known for having “13 months of Sunshine”. Their calendar has thirteen months (all named differently from ours), and they are 7 years behind us. (It’s still 2006 here.) Their first month and New Year celebration is during our September. The Gregorian calendar is 8 days ahead of the Ethiopian calendar, so once again scheduling meetings and programs becomes difficult and you have to clarify which calendar you’re using. While in America we are in the middle of the month of December, Ethiopians are still in their equivalent of November. This makes things extremely complicated and confuses everyone! (Check out the breakdown below.) If you don’t understand, don’t worry…I am still confused to this day! In Ethiopia, you never know what your time will be like.

Ethiopian Calendar                                                      Gregorian Calendar

Meskerem        1- 30                                                    September 11 - October 10

Tikimiti            1- 30                                                    October 11 - November 9

Hidar               1- 30                                                    November 10 - December 9

Tahisas            1- 30                                                    December 10 – January 8

Tiri                   1- 30                                                    January 9 – February 7

Lakatit             1- 30                                                    February 8 – March 9

Megabit            1- 30                                                    March 10 – April 8

Miyaziya          1- 30                                                    April 9 – May 8

Ginbot             1- 30                                                    May 9 – June 7

Sena                 1- 30                                                    June 8 – July 7

Hamlie             1- 30                                                    July 8 – August 6

Nehassa           1- 30                                                    August 7 – September5

Pagumen          1- 5                                                      September 6 – September 10

*One of the major difficulties in trying to reach mutual understanding when discussing dates/appointments is: If an Ethiopian counterpart wants to schedule a training on Hidar 4, he will often tell you November 4, even though they are not fully equivalent. Because he uses the word “November,” you assume he is referring to the Gregorian Calendar. He isn’t. He still means the Ethiopian calendar; and Hidar 4 is actually November 13. And so, trainings are miss-scheduled unless you have the five-minute “Who’s on first?” discussion: “Your November or my November? Whose November?”, etc.