South of the Equator

Yesterday I awoke on October 3, Sydney time, to yet another sunny day overlooking the blue-green Pacific Ocean and light summer breeze. Not a bad way to start my 29th birthday....or is it?? Well yes, it was a great start, but was this in fact my birthday? I was told once you cross the international dateline, all things revert to local time. But I still hold onto the fact that since I was born at 8:00 a.m. EST on October 3, 1978, whatever that day is here truly should be my birthday. However, since yesterday involved a visit the zoo, including a ferry ride along the glorious Sydney Harbor, and drinks with friends afterward, it seems like a much more fitting celebratory day than in front of my computer in an office.

But let's get back to this international dateline thing. I mean, I even think it's strange for some people in Indiana, who live on the same side of the street, but can be in different time zones. "Hey there, Wilbur, what time's the game on? 8:00 for me, Cletus, but 7:00 for you, lucky." Not that I think people in Indiana are hicks or anything.... But the idea of an international dateline means what? Time starts there? Wow, the closest country may be a little island in the middle of nowhere, but they can lay claim to just that: Tonga. Time starts with us.

I would think that should be an atraction during the flight down here. "If you folks look to your left, you'll see...nothing. But that's where time starts, so you pay respect, dammit." Along with the toilet flush thing (see last entry), I also somewhat expected the world around me to unravel once crossing the line....maybe food would taste different, people would talk funny or my general worldview would change. Nope, the egg omlet is just dandy, the Fijian peeps talk a little funny (but still English) and while I now find Chuck Klosterman amusing, I'm pretty much the same.

With this whole bday thing as an exception, of course. I guess New Years will kinda freak me out, too. So as October 3 concludes in the states and October 4 continues here, I guess I can take solace in the fact that next year, it will take an extra day to make me 30, and I'm just fine with that!