Punctuality

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What makes it even worse is when he tries to "spoon" you at night...

Edit: for anyone unclear, that was supoosed to be a joke.

 

(...awaiting sarky LKD response...)

 

SARKy? As in a response appropriate to the lieutenant in TRON? Hmm, don't have one handy. I'd try for a snarky one but nothing comes to mind.

I'll just point out that I overheat when spooning.

I'll also say that, as per threads on Scouting made clear, my camping days are done unless there's a cabin with 8 appliances involved. But if I WERE to go camping, I'd meet my fellow campers on time!!

 

We are the happy campers. You will be assimilated. Your biological and technological distinctiveness will be added to our collective. Resistance is futile.

...and will be punished. Welcome to the happy campers!

Seriously, being late is not intentional, or a result of avoidable laziness. LKD envisions latecomers as having gotten up at the same time as him & just as easily, and listening to their favourite song a few more times than him in the morning. But people are all very different. There are morning people, and evening people. I'm definitely more of an evening person. When I have to be at work at 08:30, like this morning, I don't get out of bed when the alarm goes off at 07:30. I hit the snooze button until 07:55. Then I get into the shower quickly. I hope to finish showering around 08:08, but if I was preoccupied with other tasks between that, then it might be as late as 08:18. Then I have to rush to get dressed. Sometimes I arrive late, and my boss has decided to start applying the clause in my contract that reduces my salary per minute of being late.

So, can you picture it now? I didn't have breakfast, nor coffee. I didn't sit around listening to music (music in the morning? ugh...), and I didn't do anything enjoyable.

 

It depends on the situation. Some things are OK to be late for, like a party, because being late doesn't disrupt other people.

But I experience lateness every day at work. My job involves lots of meetings (lots) and I would hate to add up the amount of time I waste sitting in a meeting room for five minutes waiting for the person I am meeting to dawdle in, usually blaming their previous meeting for running over. I once had a boss who would lock the door on important meetings once the start time had gone, so anyone who was late didn't get to be involved.

 

Morning persons do not have problems to be on time. I get up at 6.45, drive to work at 7.00. I make it a sport by driving leisurely to arrive just in time. (8.00).

Morning is the best part of the day.

I know three guys on my fieldhockeyteam who think of a set time as a guideline. One arrives late-ish at the field,(not a pitch) one arrives just late and one arrives far too late. Are they too late? No! Since we know that they are coming we begin on time when they arrive. So they cannot be late, proving time is flexible.

The third one always looks like he just got out of bed.

 

If you being late causes OTHER people to just idly wait for you or even worse, miss time-critical points on the agenda, there just aren't many good excuses for being late.

Then again, there is a big difference between a dead serious deadline and more diffuse "any time between now and a bit later is okay". I find it's just plain easier, both socially and mentally, to take any given time as a sharp deadline, unless specifically told otherwise. Otherwise you're just being obnoxious and rude.

 

As a chronic latecomers, I'd say it's irresponsible of people to engage in non-essential activities, if your lateness inconveniences others. It's why I haven't engaged in many sports during my lifetime. When I did, I tried my best to take it seriously and be punctual, but eventually gave up on the activity, because it was often too straining on my schedule. I almost never attended morning karate classes in the weekend, but I'd be on time for the weekday lessons, which were held in the evening.

 

That sort of consideration for others, coin, is admirable. The consideration for others' feelings and time is what I intended for this thread to really be about.

 

I used to be punctual or a bit early, depending on my luck with the travel time estimation errors.

But, I soon realised that there is nobody who would value that, since I was always the first one on the scene.

 

A person who is habitually late is automatically labeled as a self-centered twit who doesn't care about the other people counting on that person. The habitualy tardy person will lose friend, jobs, and respect of others -- that's just the way it is.

It really doesn't matter how a person sees themselves in this, that late person may just be disorganized or easily distracted or too focused on a task. The way other see it is that late person seems to believe their time is more important than everyone elses -- that may be true but it's awefully rude to act that way.

 

Wow - this is hilarious!

Incidentally, I found coin's long post quite interesting and I had no idea it was going to turn into a weird drama situation. I'd never thought about things in quite that way before, and it made sense (other than the political party part), especially considering where I fall on the whole punctuality scale.

I struggle to get places on time, particularly in the morning, but there's nothing I hate more than being late. In fact, I always like to be the FIRST person there so that I can relax and get into the setting before I have to immediately start dealing with whatever the thing is. This is particularly true for school classes (I'm also a teacher). When I was student teaching, I HATED the days when we had morning meetings because it would always end up that I'd arrive back at my classroom EXACTLY on time and have to start teaching immediately. I much prefer having some time to get settled.

But because of my combination of finding it difficult and HATING being late, naturally, I am always convinced and anxious that I'm going to be late only to arrive about 5-10 minutes early. There are some things I'm often a little (~5 minutes) late to, such as meetings with friends or other informal events, but mostly, I'm early. I don't mind waiting for others; in fact, as I mentioned earlier, I prefer to wait FOR people than for people to wait for me.

At the same time, my morning looks remarkably like coin's except that I never shower in the morning, only at night, and I do take time to drink coffee and "wake up" -- mostly so I don't drive into a ditch on the way to work.

Oh, and my parents are both "busybodies" and extremely punctual. I think that's partly where I get my anxiety about being late. Perhaps if I'd had tardy/relaxed parents, I'd be a chronically late person rather than a neurotic early one.

 

My first lesson in the morning is a song class for 3-6 year olds. It's awful, because I don't have any materials/music, and I just sing the songs I could find online in the little time I got to prepare the class. Chinese parents often send 3-year olds to English class, to get them started learning English before they've even grasped Chinese. I feel it's immoral, and I shudder to think what the spoiled little rich kids will become like when they grow up...
Over half the class is reluctant (and those who aren't like to fondle me), and assistants need to be on hand to encourage them to participate. One girl cries through the whole lesson coz she wants her mommy. And the parents happily watch me do my 45-minute performance for their gratification. Teaching in China is all about making people happy, and I satisfy these busybodies' desire to push their children at a too young age. I call it torture class.
I'm glad I had a childhood, and I'll make sure my half-Chinese son gets one too, even if I have to argue with my in-laws every day.

 

That is hilarious, Coin! I remember Japanese kids treated me similarly. I don't like to be touched (or fondled, for that matter) so I had a tough time being polite as I told them that LKD was a hands free zone.

 

One kid does it regularly. One time I angrily pushed his touchy-feely hands away, and then that kid went and got into fights with 2 other kids in the classroom. The teaching assistant keeps an eye out for any excessive fondling, but I just have to accept the occasional grope, unfortunately.

What makes matters worse, is that parents are watching everything from a widescreen TV in the lounge, like I'm some sort of circus act. If you ever find work as teacher in China, avoid Chinese private schools and children; teach adults in private schools, or go for real international schools.

 

Will keep that in mind, not that I ever considered teaching such young children but now I know that even if I would become almost desperate it is not a good idea.

 

Well, it seems my boss can't get me the right visa, so I'm pleased to say I'll be finding another job soon. This time I'll try teaching older children and adults only!