Incognit-O(Monday Resident)- Yesterday
Yesterday
Have you ever gotten into a cab anywhere in the Arab world? Ever asked the driver to take the next right?
Do you remember his response?
“Insha’allah.”
“Take the next right please.”
“Insha’allah.”
…
…
So, what… Does that mean we might not make it? Or we will only make it if it God wills it to be the next right?
OK.
Different scenario.
Let’s take a supplier. A printer, a production manager, a media rep. Whomever you want.
“Can we make sure the material is delivered on the 3rd?”
“Insha’allah”.
Time in the Middle East seems to be of no value to anyone.
Not time.
Not deadlines.
Not their word.
Not even a Monday column on a blog…
The only response you ever get when you ask for anything having to do with the concept of time is…
Insha’allah.
God willing.
Even God – the only One who doesn’t really need to - had respect for time…(creating the world in 6 days and all). There must have been a timeline in there some where.
Ahhhhh, but here is the irony for you…
When a client asks you for the world, when does he want it?
(Sigh)
Yesterday.
posted by Nic at 9:27 AM
10 Comments:
Two days before the day after tomorrow...
This means I avert any and all responsibility, If you get there on time, give me a tip if you don’t then "it wasn't me".
Why is it that we, and I mean all of us, point out elements of our world we have no power in changing.
Cab drivers will always be an odd species and clients will always want things yesterday because invariably, they only realised they needed it themselves the day before yesterday...
Clients always get their requests on time though... Inshalla
Have you ever gotten into a cab anywhere in the western world? Ever asked the driver to take the next right?
Do you remember his response?
“………….”
“Take the next right please.”
“………” ( you might be lucky to get an approving glance through the rearview mirror!)
“ oh my GOD… watc…..” “BOOM”
Ambulance sirens …
So, what… Does that mean we DID NOT make it? Or we will only make it if God wills it to be the next right?
OK.
Different scenario.
Let’s take a supplier. A printer, a production manager, a media rep. Whomever you want.
“Can we make sure the material is delivered on the 30th?”
“Consider it done, sir”.
BOOM, Hurricane Katrina hits one day before!!!!!
Time in the West seems to be taken for granted.
Time.
Deadlines.
Promises.
EVEN OTHER PEOPLE.
Even an idiotic Monday column on a blog…
The common response you get when you ask for anything having to do with the concept of time is…
Consider it done (when it’s NOT)
“Even God – the only One who doesn’t really need to - had respect for time…(creating the world in 6 days and all). There must have been a timeline in there some where.”
Saying Insha’ALLAH has nothing to do with respect of time… so if your whole article was about the fact that “Arabs” do not respect time and that’s why they say Insh’ALLAH, I suggest you get your facts right. Insha’ALLAH ( God Willing) is taken from Islamic teachings. I would go into explaining the concept behind it, but a person who is as ignorant and narrow mindedly stereotypical as you are is not even worth it.
So, before you go on insulting a hole religion or culture (the culture that invented the oldest form of clocks - the Sundial clock was invented in Egypt) I think you should ask yourself one question, do all members of your culture meet deadlines and keep their “word” and RESPECT TIME?????????
People you are all extremely edgy...just take deep breaths every once in a while and i am sure you will all be fine.
'yesterday' .. yes many of our esteemed clients are like that, but once they come to the realization that we are not just any other supplier they will start to respect timelines.
many have already done so ... and that is because they value our contribution to their business ... i am talking about the multinationals of the world. There are some of them who remain to be ridiculously demanding but hey...
Are we all ignorant to the fact that it is widely know how little respect this part of the world has for time?
One theory is that those who have been around the longest have lost their respect for time. Take a look at the Arabs - been around for donkeys years but now they are lazy as hell. Now compare the Americans - been around for a couple hundred years and they want to make up for their lack of age byt trying to take over the world.
So it seems that those who have been around for ages really don't respect time and those who are new to this world can't seem to find enough time in the day.
But heres a thought! Lets see how all the ad people respect time when they move client side. I find it hard to believe that they will be running like clockwork.....
OK - haven't been on here for a while. Very interesting conversations seem to have sprouted up. I hope it's not too late to keep the conversations going.
To anonymous #1 ("Why is it that we, and I mean all of us, point out elements of our world we have no power in changing.")
Yes...tis true... I confess. I was ranting. :)
ranting is good incognito.
we are all guilty of doing so.
lets just hope that the ranting gets us somewhere.
i thought god created the world in 7 days!
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