In Senegal there is a saying that basically states that man controls time, not the other way around. This concept of time manifests itself in the Senegalese’s’ rather lax regard to deadlines, start/end times, time limits, etc. I have never been the most punctual person in the pack so adjusting to the Senegalese’s treatment of time was not too difficult. However, even for the non-punctual American like myself, I was still amazed at the widespread disregard for punctuality. On several occasions my microfinance professor showed up 20 or 30 minutes late. I would make dates with friends to go out and they would show up an hour or so after the agreed upon time. I quickly learned that the tardiness is not a sign of disrespect. My friends would show up late because they ran into another friend on the way and had a 30 minute conversation with them before continuing on their way. Or unexpected business came up in the home that they needed to help with. In the United States (and many other western countries) we feel controlled by time and we do everything by the clock. The time dictates what we can or cannot do. For example if I am running late to a class and I see a friend along the way, I give a quick wave or hello and keep it moving. Such behavior does not make sense to the Senegalese. After all, they ask, who created this sense of time? After spending four months in Senegal, I started asking the same question. For some foreigners in Senegal, the Senegalese’s conceptualization of time may be stressful but for me it became a breath of fresh air.