Intresting facts about time in Mexico

Today I also want to describe you an article that I have red recently. It was written by Susannah Rigg and published on the BBC travel site almost two years ago. I found it pretty intriguing as it refers to cultural differences, one of the topics that I’m most interested in. The article is titled “The confusing way Mexicans tell time” and describes a misconception that arouse as a result of a different perception of time by Mexicans and foreigners.  

The text begins with a short story, in which the author relates her experience during the first visit in Mexico. She speaks some Spanish and she understands a lot but she didn’t expect that a local ice-cream seller, who said to her that he will be back ‘ahorita’, (which translates to ‘right now’) actually meant an indeterminate period of time. After more than half an hour of waiting for her ice-cream, she decided to leave, thinking that the seller lied to her. But he didn’t.

  

A few years later, when the author moved to Mexico, she started to discover the Mexican definition of time. She found out that the meaning of ’ahorita’ depends on the context, and shouldn’t be interpreted literally as it can imply any amount of time. It can be confusing, but in fact, Mexicans use it to inform, that even they “don’t know exactly when” something will be done. Sometimes the expression is also used for refusing in a polite way.  

The interesting thing is that among all Spanish-speaking countries, just in Mexico the diminutive is used for decreasing the reserve between the speaker and the listener. Moreover, while in Spanish- speaking countries they are using the adverb ‘ahora’ in the diminutive form to emphasise an urgency, in Mexico the same expression reduces it.  

Living in Mexico the author observed Mexicans attitude to lateness and time management. While in the US or the UK people are used to be in a hurry, in Mexico, going over your allotted time will be really appreciated by your speaker or associate. And if you are going to throw a party at 7pm, expect first guests arriving at 8.30pm (or later). People from abroad recognize similar attitude as the lack of good manners but they just don’t understand that Mexicans perceive the time in a different way, as something flexible, which cannot be controlled. At the end of the article the author concludes, that living in Mexico let her be more relaxed. She admits that spontaneous lifestyle made her happier.