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Day Switch
I heard a rumor today that I am not sure is true…but strange. I heard that December 30th this year, we will switch to the other side of the dateline. I don’t know if this is true, as I heard it from someone reading the Samoan newspaper. American Samoa will stay where it is on the dateline, creating a days difference between us and our neighboring country.
If this is true and it does happen, Savai’i will no longer have boasting privileges as the last sunset in the world. Instead, Upolu will get the first sunset of each day. (Take that Tonga-we are stealing that away from you!)
Also they are doing it in prime time for the New Years. That way you can celebrate the start of 2012 in Western Samoa, then travel back to 2011 in a short 30 minute flight to American Samoa and bring in the New Year again. (A lot more inexpensive than previous options.)
It seems strange to think that a country is going in the direction of skipping an entire day, but I guess crazier things have happened.
I've just read this article, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-13334229, article, on the BBC's website about Samoa's plan to change its time zone. How this change (like the change to driving on the left) will benefit and improve the lives of Samoans is not apparent. Maybe, the Samoan Prime Minister has it mind that Samoa will become part of a New Zealand-Australian economic zone. A worthwile aim...
ReplyDeleteOr perhaps he and his government have it mind for Samoa to become a state of Australia or province of New Zealand. There are plenty of us Samoans living here in NZ and across in Aus...hehe
(TL)