*tick tock tick tock* "What's the time?"

This is a problem I've encountered when I moved half-way across the world.
It's not easy.
First, there's the time difference. Upon first arrival in South Africa from Malaysia, I fell asleep at 8pm and woke up at 6am. Many of my mates will know that this...is NOT me. =P
In addition to this, flying back to Malaysia was...needless to say, slightly traumatising because I fell asleep at 2am and woke up at 12pm. =/ Now I was just being a hardcore night owl.

And then there's the way people tell the time.
In Malaysia, when I asked for the time, I got something like: "2.20" for an answer, if it so happened to be 2.20pm. Or better yet: "Check your own watch." =P
In South Africa, I was greeted with a response like : "20 past."
At which point, I would think 20 past what?
Then I'd look at my watch and go: Oh, 20 past TWO...

Then, of course, if the time happened to be 2.45pm, I would get a response like: "Quarter to 3."
To which I would gaze in absolute confusion while I took all of 30 seconds to work out what a quarter to 3 was. XD
Now this isn't me being stupid, I DO know what a quarter to 3 is.
But I was so used to a straightforward '2.45' that quarter to 3 was completely out of this world for me.
It took me a complete 30 seconds if not more to process a mental image of the clock hands moving to a 'quarter to three'.

Then this is the absolute winner of it all.
Should the time have been 2.40pm, and I asked what time it was, it was incredibly likely that would get an aswer like: 'Five to quarter past.'
I have definitely gotten this response before (who from, I am no longer sure of), and it took me all of a minute to proccess the information, and convert it into a meaningful picture in my head.

So those are my times stories.
How do YOU tell the time?




Mishy <3