Time differences

I never really thought much about time differences until I moved here. I traveled a lot when I was a late teenager and 20something, but mainly in Europe and there are no time zones except if you cross the canal to Great Britain. The main concern when traveling was the different currencies... What bill could you use in which country and how could you keep those different coins separated when crossing the borders.

European travelers sure have it easier these days with the Euro....

Anyway. During my university years I did a one year exchange, but that was before e-mails and I was a poor student and international calls were expensive so I mostly stuck to letters (yes, you know these paper things with a stamp on?) for my communication and time difference doesn't really effect letters.

Now I live in this time difference mess...

If you live in California, the time difference to Sweden (and the rest of central Europe) is 9 hours. After. Which means subtract three hours and add half a day. It's 7 pm here now, 7-3 = 4 pm + half a day = 4 am. Easy!

Well actually I hardly calculate anymore. I have two internal clocks, I know what time it is in Sweden all the time (well, if I know what time it is here that is).

But you really have a pretty small window of opportunity when you can talk to family or colleagues... either you have to stay up very late (and catch some one pretty early in the morning) or you have to get up early (to catch someone late in the work day).

And sometimes an e-mail conversation takes 12 hours to complete, since someone has to sleep in the middle of it.

But at least it's faster than letters.