In my mind, showing up somewhere on time is considered late. Being 5 or more minutes early is important, and I am always sure to have an explanation ready if I arrive somewhere even 1 minute late. However, lateness seems to be a well-known trend in Georgia, and I am trying to understand it.
On my second day of class, I decided to take the bus instead of the metro. According to my phone, the bus was to arrive at 8:15; thus, the 30-35 minute bus ride would get me to class with plenty of time to spare. I arrived at the bus stop at 8:10, but as 8:15 hit, the bus was nowhere to be seen. 10 minutes later, nothing. Thus, I decided to order a yandex (basically Uber, but in Georgia). After travelling through endless morning traffic, I ended up having to run up to class. I ended up entering my class 3 minutes late, which is so unlike me! However, my professor wasn’t even in the classroom yet and the other students were also just settling in. Out of breath, I started to realize that being a few minutes late really isn’t an issue here.
I have had the opportunity to attend a few shows around the city here. When I wanted to attend a concert during my first week, my bus and marshrutka (a van) were running extremely late. Thus, I got out of the vehicle a few stops early and had to walk 15 minutes to the location. I ended up being 15 minutes late to the show, but as I walked in, the last show had just finished, and basically everyone else was showing up at the same time as me. Similarly, when I attended a ballet the next week, once again, my bus was late. But as I walked in 15 minutes late, most people hadn’t found their seat yet. I am getting used to the fact that the start time of many events is optional.
This trend is interesting to me, and it seems that it revolves around Georgians’ relaxedness. In American cities, the “hustle and bustle” culture causes a lot of stress, and I feel as though people don’t appreciate the little moments in life as much. Here, people are more relaxed and seem to enjoy life a bit more. I appreciate that Georgians are very hospitable and make sure to make their guests feel welcomed and important. Georgians say that visitors are a gift from God, so they ensure that their guests feel welcomed and loved. Thus, if running a few minutes late means that they can have more time to celebrate the people visiting them, I don’t see a problem. I had even read a legend that wrote:
“As it turns out, God was dividing the lands between His people. The Georgians, as always, were late. ‘Why are you late? Now there’s nothing left, what can I give you now?’ – God questioned. ‘We were raising so many toasts to you, how could we get here on time?!’- the Georgians answered right away. ‘Fair enough’, said God and decided to give Georgians the land that He had reserved for Himself.’” (georgia.travel).”
Even though I am getting used to everything running late around here, I still find it important to arrive early to everything. When I return to America, I do not want to be running 10 minutes late for class or for events. So, to avoid running late, I make sure to give myself 15-20 minutes of wiggle room, especially when taking public transport. I also prefer to take the metro now, since it sticks to a strict schedule. Thus, I am not usually running late.
Link to legend referenced: https://georgia.travel/georgia-as-told-by-legends