Indian Stretchable Time Meets Google Calendar: Rethinking Punctuality

When an Indian friend in Portland invites you for dinner at 7 p.m., ask one friendly follow up. “Do you mean 7 sharp or 7 Indian time?” The answer decides whether you arrive to sizzling pakoras or a host in pajamas still chopping onions.

💡 QUICK INTEL

• Phrase: “Indian Stretchable Time” (IST) = flexible idea of punctuality

• West Coast Norm: Calendar blocks, reminders, starting on time

• Real Issue: Time as relationship vs time as resource

• Travel Tip: In India, check what “on time” means in each context

How time works in everyday India

In many Indian settings, time is approximate. Weddings rarely begin at the printed hour. Trains can be early one day and late the next. A “five minute” errand may stretch because you meet three people you know on the way and each conversation matters.

This is not only disorganization. It reflects a different hierarchy of values. Relationships, chance encounters and unfolding situations can take priority over the clock. People are used to layered plans and contingencies. If the doctor is delayed, we get snacks. If the bus does not come, we figure out a shared auto.

West Coast time: sliced, synced, defended

On the West Coast, time is often treated like a limited budget. Calendars are shared. Meetings start and end on the half hour. Being more than ten minutes late without a message feels rude. Social plans are scheduled weeks ahead and tucked in between work, childcare and self-care.

For visitors from India, this can feel both deeply respectful and slightly rigid. The upside is fewer wasted trips and a clearer sense of what your day will look like. The downside is that spontaneity turns into a rare luxury that has to be scheduled like anything else.

West Coast Indians living on two clocks

Indians in Portland, Seattle and Vancouver often keep two internal settings. At work, they appear five minutes early and are ready with agendas and notes. With Indian friends, they accept and sometimes contribute to softer start times. Community events often include a quiet 30 minute arrival window in practice if not on the flyer.

Back in India, their West Coast habits stand out. They turn up to weddings at the printed time and wonder why the mandap is still being decorated. They build in extra time for traffic and then arrive before the hosts are dressed. Eventually they re-learn the local distinctions. Job interviews, government offices and hospitals expect close to true punctuality. Family events and casual dinners follow a vaguer schedule.

“India taught me that time expands when you let life interrupt you. The West Coast taught me that if you do not protect your hours, someone else will fill them.”

— Priya

The Verdict: Instead of mocking “Indian Stretchable Time” or worshipping Google Calendar, pay attention to what each system values. In India, lateness may signal that something or someone else needed care. On the West Coast, punctuality can be its own form of respect. If you ask which rules apply and adjust with some grace, you will spend less energy being annoyed at clocks and more energy actually living in the time you have.