Senegalese "Time"

So I'm fairly sure the phrase "on the dot" doesn't exist here.  The whole "when youre early your on time, when youre on time your late, and youre late don't bother..." slogan, yea...no translation.  When I first got here I bought a watch because I was lost for the time without my cell phone.  I probably would have been better off without one.  The only good it's done is that the babies like to pull on it, and its a lot less painful then those that latch on to one of my locs and pull for dear life.  My first week of work my host mom told me the car would be to pick me up at 8, so I gathered all my strength and pulled myself out of bed at the wee hours of the morning to be showered and ready on time...all for the driver to come sauntering in around 9:30 as if he was on time!  Trying not to let my frustration that he had single handedly deprived me of an hour and a half of sleep show, I smiled, said good morning and was off.  The next day I was sure to be smarter and set my alarm for 8, only to have my host mom wake me up at 7:30 anyway! No, the car wasn't there on time, again, and yes I was irritated..again.  So I've learned the way of things, I must always be ready, everyone else can take their sweet dandy time and then we must all smile and be happy.

This concept of time has transferred beyond my sleep schedule onto my beloved eating schedule as I was informed that lunch is served between 12-3 pm.  A 3 hour span...so, I just wait?? Yup that's right just wait until you hear the bell ring, and then you know its ready..sounds so simple. Luckily  I haven't been too bothered by lunch lately since I'm still fasting for Ramadan and when its time to break fast, everyone's always ready right away :)   Lately the biggest struggle has been leaving work to come back home.  I'm supposed to be driven home at 2pm, usually the time I really start to get hungry so it works out perfectly.  Besides, we feed the babies at 1 so most of them are full and sleepy and I just end up sitting around for an hour until the silence is broken by the first cry, followed as if on cue by all 50 babies crying for attention after their satisfying afternoon nap.  Anyway, it started off not too far off schedule, leaving at the latest by 2:30.  More recently I've found myself waiting and waiting till almost 4 or even 5 pm!  I get frustrated, get up and sit back down, pace, and ask over and over where my ride is only to be told "Wait" or "After".  Ugh, I roll my eyes, grumble under my breath and plop back down at my waiting post wondering "dont these people know I have things to do!" or sometimes "This  is ridiculous, I dont have time for this!" Only to realize..actually I dont have anything to do, and realistically, I have all the time in the world.  After work I dont have any obligations and usually spend time at home with my Senegalese family, watch tv or maybe go to the market or internet cafe. So then why, you ask, am I in such a big rush?  This is the question I'm now faced with.  I've discovered its not so much what else I have to do back home, but the time itself.  For the past 21 years, I've been taught how precious time is "time is money", right?  Here in a not so money driven society, where community involvement and interpersonal interaction is much more important, time doesn't seem to be an issue.  So im stuck in my Western ways missing out on the opportunity in the morning to get to know my Senegalese family a little better while I wait on the driver, or interact with the other volunteers as lunch is prepared.  Though this is quite possibly the toughest of my lessons so far, I must rid myself of the value I associate with time and realize what's really important.