Likewise, since I have a little bit of a country accent, sometimes they do not understand me either! But thankfully, we all understand each other enough to know that a confused look on someone's face means they probably did not understand what was being said, so we should slow down and repeat it.
A big adjustment I have come to face is within my interactions with those who work in the service industry. Things more much slower here than in the U.S., so I have had to become more patient when waiting for my food to be prepared or having someone help me with something I cannot do on my own. The first time I experienced this was when I wanted to buy a cell phone plan. While I was being helped, the sales representative turned their attention to another customer who had a simple question, but then came back to help me finish buying a phone plan. I realized this was a standard practice in most retail stores, and I am learning to adjust to these situations.
Another cultural adjustment I have had to make is my perspective on time. Back home, events typically start around the time that they are scheduled to start. But here, things go according to island time. "Island time" is a phrase meaning that things tend to move slower and schedules are not as important. Recently, I was supposed to meet with a group to collect water samples at 9 a.m., but we did not end up leaving until close to 11:00 a.m. No one thought it was odd starting nearly two hours late because the people here are used to not leaving on time. Tthis is probably the most challenging thing I have encountered in Trinidad, because at home I am a very punctual person, but this is just the norm here. So now I know to ask, "Will be starting at 9 a.m. my time or 9 a.m.
