Samoa to Move Forward in Time

by Jordan Yerman | May 9, 2011 at 07:26 am

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Samoa: 'We're Moving the Island'

Samoa is moving forward in time. Formerly on the eastern side of the International Date Line, Samoa is shifting westward... into the future.

Samoa's shift to the "tomorrow" side of the IDL is endemic of shifting economic realities. Whle Samoa originally wanted to operate on the same workweek-schedule as the western US, now the small island nation finds itself doing more business with Australia, New Zealand, and the rest of Asia-Pacific.

How Does Samoa Move in Time?

To move Samoa forward in Time, Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi is planning to have the nation celebrate New Year's Eve on December 30, thus scratching out December 31 and jumping straight to January 1. The alternative, descending into the well underneat the Orchid Station and turning the frozen donkey wheel, is not Malielegaoi's first choice, since it would mean he gets teleported off the island and cannot return.

This is, of course, presuming that the PM really is Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi, and not the smoke monster.
American Samoa will keep its original place in the timeline, so you can celebrate your birthday twice by flying between Samoa and American Samoa-- a one-hour hop.

"In doing business with New Zealand and Australia we're losing out on two working days a week," Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi said in a statement. "While it's Friday here, it's Saturday in New Zealand and when we're at church on Sunday, they're already conducting business in Sydney and Brisbane."