Martha was an American high school student who was chosen to spend a summer in Indonesia as part of a student exchange program. When she got her letter of acceptance, she felt very lucky. She was sure it was going to be the most exciting experience of her life. She did not even feel a bit sad about leaving behind her busy schedule back home: her piano lessons, the diving team, her church youth group, and her baby-sitting job.

     The first few days after her arrival in Indonesia were filled with meeting her new Indonesian exchange family, trying new foods, walking around the neighborhood, and getting to know her Indonesian exchange sister, Ketty. It was just as exciting as Martha had hoped.  But by about her second week in Indonesia, Martha began to feel as if something was wrong.

    One morning, after breakfast, she looked at her watch and asked Ketty, "What are the plans for today? What are we going to do?"

    Ketty replied,  "Oh, I didn't really make any plans. My mother might want us to go shopping with her later. Then we'll see what we feel like doing. Maybe we could go downtown." 

    Martha answered, "What time is your mom going shopping?"

    "Oh, whenever she's ready. Are you getting bored, Martha? Maybe we should sign up for one of those guided tours of the city. The downtown hotels have them for American tourists. Would you like that?"

   "Oh, no, I don't want to be a tourist. I want to do just what you do. I guess I'm just used to being busy all the time. lt's hard for me to get used to not having plans," said Martha.

    " Doesn't it bother you to rush around so much? asked Ketty.

     "No, I love it when l'm busy. Sitting around wasting time makes me nervous. Let's go do something, Ketty. I'm only here for two months, after all. I don't want to leave Indonesia feeling that I haven't experienced as much as I can." Martha looked down at her watch again and said, "Goodness, it's almost 11 and all we've done is sit around talking!"

     I have been in the United States for approximately three years, and I still do not understand why people have to rush all the time. For example, when I walk around at lunch time, I see people walking and eating at the same time, eating and reading on the subway, and when the shuttle train arrives at 42nd Street-Times Square, they run to get on the train that will leave a few minutes earlier. It does not make sense to me.

      I am always late for my classes; however, I never mean to be rude to my teachers. It is something that I do normally. Anyway, to be late is part of my life, and because of that I got myself in trouble with my friends so many times. Now, when we go out, they always tell me to arrive at least thirty minutes earlier so that I will be on time. However, I think I am better than I used to be because I am only ten or twenty minutes late, instead of forty to fifty minutes. I guess I am learning the new culture.

      I just want to say that in Rio we have a different kind of life than we have in New York, and being late does not mean being lazy or irresponsible. The concept of time is part of a culture, and we cannot judge it by saying that it is right or wrong. We have to try to understand the way it is, accept it, and try to adjust to other people's culture. By the way, that is what, I am trying to do.