is this comprehensible

[snade17]

Hi dear experts. I haven't been abroad and I don't know any native speakers, so I'd appreciate it a lot if you could check the following text:
Bulgarians have a rather relaxed pace of life. They are never late for an exam, or an interview, or a train, no matter how heavy the traffic jams, because there is no one to wait for them or excuse them for being late. For sure, those in charge of conducting the interview or the exam will not wait for them.
On the other hand, when attending business meetings, or going to dates, Bulgarians expect to be excused for being late. The following example is a good illustration of this Bulgarian phenomenon. Only half of the people supposed to be present at a conference have arrived. Twenty minutes later, the chairman announces that they have waited enough, excuses the people being late on account of the traffic jams and public transport, and opens the conference. Since those being late have their own perception of time, they continue to arrive, one by one, for as long as 40 minutes after the meeting has started.

[David L.]

no one to wait for them or excuse them for being late

This is a custom that is not familiar to UK and the States. You give one example but I am still perplexed.
You also start off in a puzzling way, saying 'relaxed way of life' yet 'never late' which suggests 'driven' personalities.

You then give the sentence above which is bewildering to us. 'No one to wait for us ' - but everybody at the conference is waiting for people to get there so they can start - and no one to excuse us?? Who is this nursemaid who is going to stand up and apologize for me??
What then eventuates is that, yes, they are late, but this custom comes into play so that it is not seen as 'being late' or, 'is excused'.

I'll have to clear my mind and come back with fresh logic on this one! But you need to alert the reader at the outset eg
Bulgarians have a rather relaxed pace of life, tempered with an idiosyncratic approach to/concept of punctuality.
then give examples of the differences eg never to late in this situation, yet in that situation something else would happen. Then how this is viewed from a Bulgarian perspective - why it is socially acceptable to Bulgarians.

[snade17]

Thank you very much, David. I agree that it doesn't sound OK. How about this?

Bulgarians have a rather relaxed perception of time. They are never late for an exam, or an interview, no matter how heavy the traffic jams, because no one will excuse them for being late, or wait for them to come. For sure, those in charge of conducting the interview or the exam will not wait for them.
However, when attending business meetings, or going to dates, Bulgarians expect to be excused for being late. The following example is a good illustration of this Bulgarian phenomenon. Only half of the Bulgarians supposed to be present at a conference in Bulgaria have arrived. Twenty minutes later, the chairman announces that they have waited enough, excuses the people being late on account of the traffic jams and public transport, and opens the conference. Those being late continue to arrive, one by one, for as long as 40 minutes after the meeting has started.

[David L.]

Now I get it ...and my perplexity was also due to my being a bit slow today.

Bulgarians have a rather relaxed perception of time. They would never be late for an exam or an interview,

because this would be regarded as inexcusable by those in charge.


. no matter how heavy the traffic jams: this seems odd because it is not practical. We too would not be late for these, but one cannot be gung-ho about heavy traffic jams: rain, snow, heavy traffic, I always get through!
NO - the only way would be to leave much earlier to compensate for this. So to state 'no matter how heavy...' when they have left home thinking they have left enough time, only to encounter a huge hold-up, how then will they not be late??
However, when attending business meetings, or going to appointments, Bulgarians expect to be excused for being late.


This Bulgarian phenomenon is illustrated, if, say, only half of the attendees at a conference in Bulgaria have arrived. Twenty minutes later, the chairman announces that they have waited enough, excuses further latecomers as being held up in traffic jams or delays in public transport, and opens the conference. The latecomers might continue to arrive for as much as 40 minutes after the meeting has started.

( I presume the chairman and everyone present know that this is not true?!)
I changed 'dates' to 'appointments'. Did you mean going on a date with a girl? If not, and it is 'appointments', how on earth do doctors and dentists run their practices??

[snade17]

Thank you very much, David. You were most helpful!!!

[susiedqq]

comprehensible

or comprehendible.