Spring Forward, Fall Back
I noticed the new comments at my site had a time-stamp that was an hour early, and then remembered this weekend is when the clocks change in countries that do it.
Do it?
Move the time back an hour. This is done in countries with the four seasons.
Why?
Cuz in winter, the sun rises and sets earlier. How early? It could be bright as day at 4:00 a.m. and gloomy dark by 3:30 p.m. When I was studying in England, I used to be wide awake at that hour cuz the sun was streaming into my room, and then hate it when I had to walk back home in the dark at 3:30 in the afternoon!
Anyway, as usual, I digress …
So, the “wrong” time for the new comments alerted me to the fact that this weekend, clocks change in the “cold” countries.
Does it matter?
To me, yes.
For the next six months, Chet & Beth in Turners Falls, MA, USA, and mellowbug in Toronto, Canada, will be 13 hours behind Malaysian Time. Mama Bai Yun and baby Mei Sheng at the San Diego Zoo will be 16 hours behind. 16 hours!! When I sit in front of my computer from around 9:00 p.m. in the evenings to go online, they’d still be asleep as it would only be 5:00 a.m. where they are, and not 6:00 a.m.
For the next six months!!
It also means if I need to talk with Beth, I’d have to wait an hour later than when I normally see her online.
Well, when I was studying in England, and later the States, I had to do the same, too – “change clocks” twice a year, once in spring and once in fall.
It was only recently I learned of a way to remember what to do each time (not that I need to do it now) …
Spring forward, fall back
In the Spring, move the clock forward one hour, and in the Fall, move it back one hour.
This weekend, people in the “cold” countries get an extra hour of sleep. But in the spring, the first Sunday when the clocks are moved forward can be quite confusing for some. I’ve had friends tell of turning up for church at the usual time and wondering why nobody else has turned up. That’s because they forgot to move the time forward an hour so they’re a whole hour early for church service!
Oh, here’s a good article about Daylight Saving Time.
