You know that if you live in eastern Canada or the USA, when you fly west you "gain time" as you move into different time zones. Since Canada and the USA are such large countries, it is fairly common to fly through two or three time zones as you move across the continent. And if you are flying east from Alberta to Ontario, you "lose" two hours as you move through two time zones.
When we arrived in Vietnam, I discovered that flying west does not always move your clock back. I think of it tonight because Jan is in Singapore (she will fly back tomorrow with a renewed 6 month visa) and she is one hour ahead of me. Even though Singapore is to the west of Hanoi! The same is true if she were in Kuala Lumpur. You don't believe me? Check a map! Check the time zones. So Jan can do what none of you could do tomorrow. When Jan flies east tomorrow, she will actually gain an hour.
I know, some of you are thinking, so what? Sorry, I just find this anomaly quite interesting. I also had never given much thought, until moving here, to the fact that a country as large as China maintains its entire country as one time zone. As we approach the longest nights of the year in the northern hemisphere, I am wondering just how late in the day comes the sunrise in the far northwest of the country - or in summer, how early comes the sunrise if you live in the northeast of the country.
OK, is that enough to give you deep thoughts today? Or at least at the office, you can ask someone, "Is it possible to fly east and gain an hour?" You can tell them that a friend of yours will do that on Wednesday! Amazing!
Far more amazing fact? One day, we will not be concerned about turning on lights,time zones or wondering about how much sunshine we will be receiving. That will indeed be wonderful and fascinating. (See Revelation 21, 22).
When we arrived in Vietnam, I discovered that flying west does not always move your clock back. I think of it tonight because Jan is in Singapore (she will fly back tomorrow with a renewed 6 month visa) and she is one hour ahead of me. Even though Singapore is to the west of Hanoi! The same is true if she were in Kuala Lumpur. You don't believe me? Check a map! Check the time zones. So Jan can do what none of you could do tomorrow. When Jan flies east tomorrow, she will actually gain an hour.
I know, some of you are thinking, so what? Sorry, I just find this anomaly quite interesting. I also had never given much thought, until moving here, to the fact that a country as large as China maintains its entire country as one time zone. As we approach the longest nights of the year in the northern hemisphere, I am wondering just how late in the day comes the sunrise in the far northwest of the country - or in summer, how early comes the sunrise if you live in the northeast of the country.
OK, is that enough to give you deep thoughts today? Or at least at the office, you can ask someone, "Is it possible to fly east and gain an hour?" You can tell them that a friend of yours will do that on Wednesday! Amazing!
Far more amazing fact? One day, we will not be concerned about turning on lights,time zones or wondering about how much sunshine we will be receiving. That will indeed be wonderful and fascinating. (See Revelation 21, 22).
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