Caribbean Time

I recently learned a new term from my dear friends L2 and L. I was busy being a typical New Yorker: complaining about things, but more specifically, about people who are perpetually 2-3 hours late. The term? Caribbean Time. Also known as Africa time.

Why call it this, you ask? Well, if I was living in the Caribbean I wouldn't show up on time for anything but a Pina Colada on the beach. And it's acceptable in these places.

But I am a prompt individual and while I recognize that it's completely fine for people to be 30 minutes to an hour late, depending on the situation, my issue is with those who are later. I have a friend who cannot arrive to anything close to the time it's scheduled to commence. I've even tried telling her to arrive two hours ahead by lying about the time, I've expressed my annoyance at her constant late arrivals (in a friendly way), and when when I go to anything she hosts (even late) she still hasn't even showered yet! So my question is this, why is she so late allllll the time? WHY? I just don't get it. What is she doing that she cannot be ready in time to be even an hour late? My friends and I have waited at bars for 4 hours for her before...not even sure why now that I'm looking back on it.

So here is the lesson/word of advice for this post: Don't be one of those people. Get your act together like the rest of us. You've been warned in advance when you are supposed to arrive so there are no excuses. People will stop inviting you to things.

K