Monday, April 27, 2009

Time

This is one of the dimensions of culture I find most interesting - and challenging.

I had not done alot of thinking about how time might be perceived in Guatemala and, not surprisingly, I should have. I returned to some of Hall and Hall´s writings (Understanding Cultural Differences Boston; Intercultural Press 1990) and that provided a frame for what I was experiencing. They talk about monochromatic and polychromatic ways of living time. In short, those who live the ¨Northern¨ life style tend to live in monochromatic time, where time has a value, where events are segmented off, where time is linear.

Polychromatic time sees many things happening at once, is less tangible and according to Hall and Hall is a point rather than a line. I am actually becoming more comfortable with the analogy of the point extended to be a circle ( this comes from Trompenaar and Turner´s work Riding the Waves of Culture) which allows many events to exist at the same time and even allows for the past, present and future to come together.

And in the Mayan world I have been living in time is much more polychromatic. Some of the typical characteristics of this way of experiencing and living time include the normalacy of interruption (which in itself is a culturally laden term), commitments are not givens but to be achieved if possible, people and relationships come first, changing a plan is the norm and building relationships comes before getting things done.

And for those of you who know me and my penchant for trying to get more done than time will allow, you can imagine the adjustments I needed to make to keep myself sane and more importantly to be able to understand, appreciate and particpate in a different way of being. One of my personal goals in this adventure was to find some ways to slow down a little, to not drive myself and those I work with quite so hard, and here I had the perfect opportunity to do just that.

I still make my lists and sort through my priorities for the day BUT I have learned to be more open to what the day might bring. I have had days with no structure at all ( almost unheard of for me) and enjoyed wonderful adventures because I could be open to what possibilities arose.

Take yesterday for instance. I arrived in Antigua with no plans beyond enjoying the city and hopefully linking up with a friend. The power was out and I had an interior room, so no light. I made my way to a wonderful roof top terrance were I did some thinking, had a nap and read. My friend texted ( is that a word?) me and, get this, I texted her back ( yet another new skill for a first time cell phone owner). We rendevoused at 4 and had a wonderful conversation and meal - and while she wrote some cards to mutual friends - I watched the sun set and then a fireworks display with volcanoes as a backdrop from the Cafe Sky ( a rooftop patio three stories up). Ahhh, lets here it for operating closer to polychronc time!

So how does a society work on polychronic time? Just fine thank you very much. A friend who moved to Pana from South Africa nine years ago tells me that the stress she experiences when she is in the US to visit friends and family just does not exist in Guatemala. The need to be ¨ on schedule¨ does not exist in the same where here. For example if the party is at 3, arriving some time after three and maybe even at 4 or 4;30 is just fine. No worries. ´

And it is very heartwarming to live and work in within a culture where I am more imp0rtant than the time on the clock. The extended recesses at school which allowed us to finish conversations, the random conversations on the street filled with news about what a child had accomplished or how a family member was and the extended lunches that moved from idea to idea. All examples of how people and relationship some first.

This is not to say that time and schedules do not exist in the modern Mayan world. It is just much more flexible. And I like it!

And now as I contemplate returning to the North I am also contemplating how I can integrate just a little of this polychronic time into my life at work and at home.

Adios, Colina

No comments:

Post a Comment