Time

Time here is used and thought of differently than in the States. This is especially true of start times for events. Whenever there is an event, a start time is assigned to it but this time does not mean that the event will begin at that time. An event here starts when all of the people or important attendees are there. This means that events almost always start late, usually by about two hours. If someone does not arrive "on time" that just means that the event has not started even if the "start time" has passed. This happens with informal and formal events. I am still getting used to this. I still try to arrive on time even though I know that the event will not start on time. I just always bring a book or something else to do until the event actually begins. So, time here is seen as when people are together and not what time the clock says.