This is the thing with being on the other side of the world from your family. The time difference.
I just can’t work it out, like ever, even after 5 years. But I am celver girl and usually google it, or ask Amy at work who works it out for me in her head like the genius that she is.
But it is a problem for my mother who in the five years I have lived in London has called me at a respectable hour about twice. Not twice a year but twice. Apparently you don't have google in new zealand.
So this is what happens the phone rings at 6:30 on a Tuesday morning. Here two things immediately run through my head One someone I love has been killed/injured or maimed and it is a New Zealand related emergency. Two Mum has got the time difference wrong again.
But I pick it up because could you imagine if I slept through it and then something has happened to my lovely family. I couldn’t live with myself.
So in stumble out of bed literally and turn on the bedroom light, so I can see the way to the lounge but mostly because I am angry if Jamie gets to sleep and I don’t.
And I answer the phone and when I say answer I mean groan.
And the conversation goes like this
Mum: Hi Honey
Andrea : grrrrr
Mum: Oh did I wake you?
Andrea: grrrrr
Mum: What’s the time there?
Andrea: 6:14
Mum: What in the morning?
Andrea: YES
Mum: That’s early
Andrea: I know
Mum: Oh I thought you would be up by now? What time do you go to work? I thought you would be up for work. You start work very late in London Does Jamie start work late? Oh I guess I got the time difference wrong again. I never seem to get it right. Is Jamie up? What time does he go to work? Are you still sleepy? It’s nice to hear your voice. How have you been? It’s nice weather here, rained a bit yesterday. What about London? Are you still sleepy? Should I call you back?
Andrea: Yes.
And then I hang up.
Because although I love my mum to death I don’t make any sense that early in the morning and she is paying to call me do she is basically flushing money down the toilet. And I just can’t do it.
And I emailed my sister and said let’s skype on Christmas eve and Christmas day. And she said that’s a good idea. I’ll be at Dads from 3:30 to 6:30. Which means I will have to talk to them at 5:30 in the morning (Amy worked this out for me) 5:30 in the morning at the latest. AT THE LATEST. Is she crazy! This is no way near a respectable time and then she said Mum coming over at 1:00 so we can talk then as well. 1:00 at lunchtime means 12:00 at night my time. Oh okay I’ll just wait up until 12:00 and then call you! I will have to be very drunk to do this which means it be an interesting Christmas phone call. It seems that time difference diffculties run deep in our family.
Anyway because it is Christmas and I have a generous soul I am setting my alarm and getting up and out of bed ridicously early to talk to my family. That’s how much I love them.
xxxxxx
