Random Developments

I don’t think language (any language) evolved to deal with timezones. The expressions we use to refer to time kind of break down when we have to refer to events that happened, are happening or will happen in a place with a large time difference. And Australia is the perfect place to notice this.

For example: today is the 3rd of November. The US election happens on the 2nd of November, that is, yesterday. However, as I write this, people are still voting in the whole country; it’s just past 5pm in the East Coast, and 2pm in the West. And let’s not even mention Hawaii. So, how should I refer to it? I can’t say that the elections were held yesterday, as they are still happening. But I can’t say they are today, as they’re not. And “the elections happening yesterday in the US” sounds weird. The only option seems to be to refer explicitly to the time zone where the event is happening: “the elections being held now in the US, Nov 2 US time, …”. The TV stations, though, simply talk about “today’s elections in the US”.

I guess the same problem happens in reverse when someone in the US needs to refer to an event in Australia. How do you refer to something that already happened here today, while it’s still yesterday where you are? “The thing that happened tomorrow morning in Melbourne…”? It’s confusing. What do TV broadcasters do when they refer to Australia? (my guess is that the answer is “they don’t”; I don’t remember seeing Australia much in the news while I was in the US)

We need new expressions for this kind of thing.