This is Amanda's mom from South Dakota writing my very first comment on a blog - OK, you can stop laughing now :) Thanks for the pictures and info. It is wonderful to experience this trip with you vicariously.
The following is Martin’s comment submitted after missing the bus to lunch in Cairo…..
You know time is a funny thing…..
I have no idea when American became so obsessed with time. In America, there is almost no way to get through life without a watch, whether it was the Mayans, Gregorians or as our guide Amr swears, the Egyptians who decided to divide the day into a set number of hours. Despite the fact it seems only the Japanese and Swiss can truly mark the time, it seems that Americans have perfected its usage.
I’m not here to judge whether or not this is good - - it just is. I’d like to say it was a conscious choice that I’d looked deeply into my life and decided that it was too closely wrapped up in the eternal unstoppable and finely tuned moments of fly wheels, gears, cogs and quartz or the slow trickle of monkey urine (read about that at the Egyptian museum) but that is a story for another time.
Trust me, it’s not what you think. Actually, I’ve no idea that you are thinking at the point. It was a decision based on the fact that I don’t own a watch. I figured I would be in nice hotels that had alarm clocks and I would be around others with watches. However, this did not bear itself to be true.
In Rome, I learned that time was mostly a suggestion. In Cairo, I’ve heard people use the phrase American minutes in a referring to distance. Largely, I truly appreciate this laid back aspect of their cultures. And, you know what they say, when in Rome, do as the Romans do. To truly lean about a culture, you should immerse yourself into it and let it wash over you so in this spirit, I decided to turn my bad position into a good one. I dived right into a culture that simply has a different perspective of time.
However, afraid that my distinguished colleagues wouldn’t understand my beautifully progressive and extremely brave choice and finding myself alone more than I thought, I decided to acquiesce to discretion being the better part of valor. So when I tell you that I missed the bus to lunch because I was negotiating for a watch that I never brought, one could think that was maybe the most ironic thing they had ever heard. Or could make jokes (everyone get one…. right guys unless you name is Sam Balentine who apparently gets 12). Or you could thank your lucky starts for amazing friends (thanks for staying behind Tom). You could thank your lucky starts that you get an opportunity to have a great conversation with said wonderful friend (thanks again Tom). And you could be eternally grateful that you got to see more of a fascinating city on a beautiful walk with said amazing friend (thanks Cairo and seriously, THANK Tom!!!)
Therefore, I’m calling upon all my friends and colleagues to follow my intrepid and inspired leadership example and truly immerse themselves in all of the amazing experiences available to them abroad and at home. While it can be said I did not physically make it to the bus, it can not be said that I “missed” anything.
2 comments:
This is Amanda's mom from South Dakota writing my very first comment on a blog - OK, you can stop laughing now :) Thanks for the pictures and info. It is wonderful to experience this trip with you vicariously.
The following is Martin’s comment submitted after missing the bus to lunch in Cairo…..
You know time is a funny thing…..
I have no idea when American became so obsessed with time. In America, there is almost no way to get through life without a watch, whether it was the Mayans, Gregorians or as our guide Amr swears, the Egyptians who decided to divide the day into a set number of hours. Despite the fact it seems only the Japanese and Swiss can truly mark the time, it seems that Americans have perfected its usage.
I’m not here to judge whether or not this is good - - it just is. I’d like to say it was a conscious choice that I’d looked deeply into my life and decided that it was too closely wrapped up in the eternal unstoppable and finely tuned moments of fly wheels, gears, cogs and quartz or the slow trickle of monkey urine (read about that at the Egyptian museum) but that is a story for another time.
Trust me, it’s not what you think. Actually, I’ve no idea that you are thinking at the point.
It was a decision based on the fact that I don’t own a watch. I figured I would be in nice hotels that had alarm clocks and I would be around others with watches. However, this did not bear itself to be true.
In Rome, I learned that time was mostly a suggestion. In Cairo, I’ve heard people use the phrase American minutes in a referring to distance. Largely, I truly appreciate this laid back aspect of their cultures. And, you know what they say, when in Rome, do as the Romans do. To truly lean about a culture, you should immerse yourself into it and let it wash over you so in this spirit, I decided to turn my bad position into a good one. I dived right into a culture that simply has a different perspective of time.
However, afraid that my distinguished colleagues wouldn’t understand my beautifully progressive and extremely brave choice and finding myself alone more than I thought, I decided to acquiesce to discretion being the better part of valor. So when I tell you that I missed the bus to lunch because I was negotiating for a watch that I never brought, one could think that was maybe the most ironic thing they had ever heard. Or could make jokes (everyone get one…. right guys unless you name is Sam Balentine who apparently gets 12). Or you could thank your lucky starts for amazing friends (thanks for staying behind Tom). You could thank your lucky starts that you get an opportunity to have a great conversation with said wonderful friend (thanks again Tom). And you could be eternally grateful that you got to see more of a fascinating city on a beautiful walk with said amazing friend (thanks Cairo and seriously, THANK Tom!!!)
Therefore, I’m calling upon all my friends and colleagues to follow my intrepid and inspired leadership example and truly immerse themselves in all of the amazing experiences available to them abroad and at home. While it can be said I did not physically make it to the bus, it can not be said that I “missed” anything.
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