‘No African time, please!’
How possible is it to live in a country where you have to schedule weeks ahead to have a dinner date with a friend; a country where you may not be able to build your dream house without getting approval from the Ministry of Housing; a country where employees pay up to 50 percent income tax and where shopping malls close at 5pm and don’t even open on public holidays? It may not be an interesting place to live in, not with the kind of lifestyle one is used to in Nigeria. But that is the kind of lifestyle that Netherlands has to offer! It is not just Netherlands, the whole of Europe and America are pretty the same. It is this precision for everything, time in particular, that struck me travelling to some cities in Europe. In Holland, for example, I was in a store one particular evening. It was few minutes to five, the usual closing time, when one of the attendants signalled the one attending to me that
it was closing time. I was shocked because I was not done with my shopping yet. And I was amazed at how precious time was for the Dutch and not the money. Back home, the money counts for a shopkeeper who would not mind staying extra hours if there are still customers in his shop. This is one aspect of Netherlands that I find fascinating. Their precision for time. They are always on time. “Is satisfaction measured by such a boring routine or well-structured system?” asked Claire, a journalist from Kenya. “Don’t we always need friends around, reachable anytime? What about the freedom to your own house, have access to the malls, cinemas, and coffee shops 24 hours a day or at least till bedtime?” “But that rule does not apply here, it is only applicable in Africa,” I answered. “Privacy is key here. They don’t interfere in other people’s affair. They close on time because they don’t believe they have to be overworked. Besides, some of
them are paid hourly, so staying extra hours may not be compensated if there is no arrangement for that.” “In Lagos, it is possible for me to pick a bus at any point and at any time on arrival at the bus-stops, but Holland does not afford me that luxury of moving at my own pace. It has to be at the tempo determined by the bus schedules,” added Mary. Nigeria is a country where bus drivers and their conductors beckon at prospective passengers, announcing their routes. Walking by the roadside is enough to attract their attention. The bus drivers and conductors would compete to be the first to get a passenger on board. This is not the norm in Netherlands. You dare not try to stop the bus after it has left the bus-stop! In The Netherlands, schedules are strictly observed because people want to have their own privacy to do the things that they love to do. This is not the practice in Nigeria. A friend or relative can visit you unannounced and most times
we take it in our strides without expressing any kind of displeasure. We inconvenience ourselves because we want to be polite. That’s not the case here. Displeasures are voiced, not hidden. Timeliness is a practice that cuts through all aspects of the Dutch society. The trains and buses are always on time. Most times in the mornings, I see people running to catch up the train or bus as soon as they spot it from a distance. No bus or train will wait for you. Everything is about punctuality because it has to be at the next stop where other passengers are waiting. And if it would arrive late, it is announced. This is not a country where you have buses shouting at the top of their voices for passengers. Each bus has its route and the time it must be at the bus-stop. If you are one minute late, it will not stop anymore. As soon as the passengers are on board, it leaves. The situation is not different with offices. Every worker gets to the office on time
and closes at the dot of 5pm. I could recall an incident that happened last week when Joeri, one of the course instructors, decided to stay a little late teaching us. “Joeri, you are still teaching. It’s weekend,” observed Abi, the course leader, as she walked into the room. “I know,” replied Jeori. Jeori is just one of the few who stay back for an extra minute or two. The Dutch live some kind of a balanced life. The 40-hour work week is strictly dedicated to performing their jobs. The rest of the time is devoted to rest. Weekends are devoted to gardening or attending to family or friend’s affairs and travel is part of the yearly itinerary. In Amsterdam, no African time. Everything is programmed, it seems!
FUNKE OSAE-BROWN