Jono, Ben & Megan - The Podcast - Country in the world where it's still 2016!

Episode Date: June 17, 2024

Welcome to the untamed realm of the world's Wild Wild Web!  This African country is seven year and eight months 'behind' most of the world... See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today on the Wild Wild Web, Ben you're coming to the party. Oh yeah, why is 2016, the year 2016, in a country in the world right now? Welcome to the untamed realm of the world's wide web. A swirling vortex of weirdness, bullying, and self-obsessed social media posts. In this digital jungle, Jono and Vienna, your fearless guides. Leading you through the wildest parts of the wild, wild web. This is the wild, wild web. Welcome along to another edition of the wild, wild web where we say something at the start that sounds wild.

And today I've never seen anything wilder. So there's a country right now, we'll get straight into it, we'll rip the plaster off. Yeah, because yesterday I came, I'm coming hot off the heels of Megan's eel facts from Elon Musk yesterday. Which they were astonishing. If you'd like to recap. So no one really knows where eels come from.

They don't have any reproductive organs. Scientists find them hard to study because they all travel to one spot to reproduce. A lot of them travel to the Bermuda Triangle and then the ones down here travel to all one spot. Yeah, out in the ocean, out in the rivers and stuff to breed. And they can live for like 100 years. At the end of their life, they pretty much breed.

So they go home. They're probably exhausted from that long swim. But anyway, that was just this. I don't really know where they come from. Crazy fact. That feels like a big end of life task that you're like, oh, jeez, I've gone 100 years and now I need to give birth?

Birth and... It's my last thing? But does that also mean they're only doing it once in their life? Oh, maybe. Well, who knows? The signs are still... They don't know, do they? No.

So you... Yeah, have you ever seen two eels make love? No. No. No. And then you had a theory That there was An enormous Meteor

That landed In the exact location Of the Bermuda Triangle Thousands of years ago Well that was Elon's theory And so like They were wondering Did they

Are they aliens They come from there Are they aliens Because that's meant to be Like a A place in the ocean Where planes have crashed And boats have sunk

And stuff like that Is it like a magnetic situation? I actually saw it. I was on a boat that went through it but I didn't know until the next day. Someone was like,

oh, do you know, last night we went through the Bermuda Triangle. I was like, no. Oh, you're fine. Yeah, I was fine. But yeah, I would probably be more nervous

knowing about going through it. That was not one of those ones where you're like, oh, did you know? And I'm like, no, I didn't but we did. But there's not like, sorry, we're getting caught on this again but there's ones where you're like, oh, did you know? And I'm like, no, I didn't, but we did. But there's not like, sorry, we're getting caught on this again,

but there's not like a consistent like, only a few things have happened. It's not like every ship that goes through sinks and disappears. No, you're right. No, but there's been like multiple occasions of like ships and planes and stuff going down in that area. A few little things that happen from time to time. You're like, oh yeah. How many ships and planes have disappeared? But right now it says it sustains heavy daily traffic both by sea and by yeah so the amount of times that people go through like myself fine fine oh 50 ships 20 airplanes i mean that's a lot yeah but you're right but in the grand scheme of yeah how many pass through yeah

um so i said at the start and this is something that blew my mind now i'm trying to get my head around it um but there is and this is this is blew my mind. Now, I'm trying to get my head around it, but there is, and this is not like a clickbait thing. You'll click on and you'll go, oh, that was lies. There's a country in the world right now that is seven years and eight months behind most of the world, Ethiopia. Now, this is, wow. So in September the 1st this year, Ethiopia will be going from 2016 to 2017, the year.

So they're behind. How? How did we forget them? Yeah, so I was like, what? They're like, yeah, so seven months, eight months behind the rest of the world. Did we send them a calendar invite? Well, so what happened is the birth of Jesus Christ recognized as seven or eight years later in the Gregorian or Western calendar.

So it was introduced by the Pope in 1582. He was like, this is where the birth was. We're going to realign all our dates to this. And that's going to be where everyone's going to see it. And Ethiopia were like, well, no, we don't believe that this was quite the case. We'll continue on with our calendar. And they have.

And since then they have. And so instead of jumping forward like everyone else, like seven, eight years, they just stuck with their calendar. So, yeah. So the rest of the world, I guess, had kind of moved on, or a lot of the other world kind of moved on to another date, and they've decided to stick with the ancient dates. You know what?

We're going to go back to 2017. Are we going to go? Is that the year? Yeah. It will be 2017 in September. So they also have 13 months of the year. They don't have 12 months. What's the extra month called?

I don't know. And the final months consists of just five days or six days in Olympia. So a really short last month. You didn't recognise the number you dialed. All the 12 months last for 30 days, except for the final one just five days and or six days in alipia so yeah a lot of them end in burr right so you've gone back in time technically if you travel to ethiopia there's an article i was reading about it and they were like to be honest the guy's living there and he's like we all kind of switch between the two if you have any dealings with other places like we all kind of it's not

like oh wow it's a real it's probably like you just understand like if you talk to someone in australia there's two hours difference you kind of yeah they're like we're not idiots yeah no we can yeah we are right it's not like we're living like it's 2016 did you say that the last month only has five days that's what they said yeah in this article yeah do you know what it's called why pagume p-a-G-U-M-E. Pagume? Pagume. December. Pagume. And it's five, you're like,

what was your short mark? It's five days or six in a week. You're like, I'm going to go to the gym every day this month. I'm going to quit booze for a month. That's a great, that's a great. Dry, dry pagume. I'll do dry pagume.

You know, that would be the month to get around every day. You'd be like, you know, every day this month I've read a book. You're like, wow, that's awesome.

You know, so what are you trying to read? Parched pagume. It took me that long to get an alliteration. We'll do that. where they go you'll be like do you know every day this month I've read a book you'll be like wow that's awesome you know so what are you trying to read parched pergume it took me that long to get an alliteration we'll do that this year five days

Monday to Friday and then I was parched for all the pergume start on Sunday and then on Thursday Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday yeah you're right

then you can drink Friday, Saturday yeah it sounds fun I'm trying to call Ethiopia to see if we can talk to anyone, but I'm having an absolute shocker, to be honest. So if you can continue on with your banter.

Oh, yeah, I just thought that was really, really interesting. It comes from the Greek word, I can't pronounce it, which means days forgotten when a year is calculated. Bloody hell. So that's why it's just like the extra added days. John, I'm trying. Sorry, you know you're doing well. How long do I need a pad for?

Yeah, I know, you're doing really good. I'm going to take a quick break from this. We'll be back shortly. Welcome back. What happens if you sign a contract with someone from Ethiopia? Whose year do you recognise? Like an international, say you're a peach supplier. Right, and then you...

Yeah, that would be confusing. Yeah, I guess I guess yeah as this article says they flick between the two it doesn't become much of an issue when you're there but you're

right it'd probably be one of those things. I'm sure there are a couple of things. Anyway I've tried to call you over

I can't sorry. You can't and you want to verify? I mean this is quite a reputable news site that says it sounds yeah I thought

it was wild. You know you know you feel like you know lots about the world and then all of a sudden you're like huh.

Okay if you're going to pinpoint a year, one year that was like, jeez, that was a good year. What are you going? I don't know. Every year has its shit. Yeah, years always have ups and downs, don't they? I never know. I always struggle to know exactly what year things were too.

Yeah. Like I'm never like, oh, yeah, that year was 2001. That was a great year. I'm going to go, okay, so I was about 18 or 19. So it was the turn of the new millennium. Right. You know, you're kind of fresh out of school. You've got all your newfound freedom.

And I remember we went to New Year's Eve at Mount Whanganui and had no accommodation. Didn't care. You just sleep on the beach. Didn't care. I sleep in my car a lot. Then we ended up in those buddies. I've slept in a car on New Year's Eve at Mount Whanganui.

Yeah, you just put a sleeping bag in the car and a pillow, and you're like, yeah, sweet, it's fine. Yeah, you slept in the boot like a kidnap victim. Yeah, I did. You're right. And that's why I'm like, well, I wouldn't do that now. I wouldn't go to Mount Maunui

With no plans For accommodation But that's a more Freeing sort of Isn't it Yeah but I kind of think That's a good thing Are you missing those days

I think the Yeah Oh okay Yeah no Well maybe not missing them But at the time You're like this is great Enjoying it

This is exciting And I remember The following year We met my friend Johnny Humphrey We drove from Auckland Far far, far north. And we ended up staying on someone's marae. We had no plans for a couple.

They're like, yeah, come stay here. And then one of the guy's uncles, he made bootleg vodka that kind of made you go tepid really blind. We drank that on New Year's Eve. That was a fun day. Those were the days. Probably unsafe, but an adventure.

I do remember growing up in Marston, when I had my licence, my friend was just like, should we drive to Wellington? You're like, yeah, okay. Same thing. Just didn't know what we were going to do. Ended up sleeping in the car, parked up somewhere. You had the time of your life. No, I do miss my responsibilities.

That's fun. Well, that was wild. Now you're like, wow. So for that period, I'd go 2000, 2001, and you're kind of just getting into the workforce and you're like, oh my god mum, I'm on $22,000 a year. And you make it work. Just. I remember getting paid $300 a week and my rent was $250.

I had $50 to play with. In Auckland. And you did it. And it was like fuel and food. You know what your budget used to be for the supermarket. I don't even know how I survived. You go around with a calculator and you want things. And you're like, oh, I couldn't do that. Put this back or whatever, you know.

And you're here today. But you live on a lot of radio food. Somehow there just manages to be radio, like food and radio. And party pills. There was a lot of party pills. I love party pills. I survived on those too. They keep you going For a couple of days

Without eating I think But you could also Sell CDs I used to sell so many Oh my gosh I went down to Real Groovy At one point And the guy was like

Mate We do not need Any more three doors down They're like Can you please just take Your radio station Sticker off them Before you give it

Because you could go down there And you could get Store credit Which more Or you could get you know money you know right you sometimes you'll have like 40 cds like yeah we'll give you 22 bucks or what yeah or we'll give you like 50 store credit you'll buy a hoodie or something you know like oh god that's so sad that's what life was like a radio hey it was fun it fun. It was fun. It was fun. It was a fun time. Yeah, I know. Hey, mate. Can't hear you.

I just waved to someone outside of the studio if you're wondering why I said, hey, mate. Hey, mate. Yeah. So, yeah, for that I'll go that sort of 2000 to 2005. Wonderful. Wonderful. I was going to go, like, when I got married or when, like,

my children were born, but you're going to go with that. So that's cool. Oh, that's nice. You can go there. Why would you? Okay. Give us good things about that then.

Well, the birth was horrific. First wedding or second wedding? Second. Okay. So just clarifying. The first one, you know, obviously didn't work out. The second wedding was better, although there were dickheads there too. So, you know.

Yeah, right. You're never going to have it perfect. But you go, I guess if you look at every chapter in your life, there's great highlights. Yeah. Like when you do meet someone and you start a family, you're like exhausted and tired, but you're like, you get through it and you do it and you appreciate it. Yeah. You know, that just gets better and better.

There can be high highs and low lows in one year. You wait until, you know, Bessie and I are sort of 11, 14. You've got a whole different relationship with your kids then. Yeah. What, good or bad? Great. Great. Well, we're very lucky.

I know Sienna's a lovely young girl, as is Indy, Ben's daughter. I'm very blessed, too, with two good kids. But, you know, you just become. We'll see. Yeah. I mean, you hope that. No, but then we look back at everyone's childhoods as well you know growing up there's obviously things that are good and

things are bad that you know yeah the way you navigate through those those teenage years yeah i mean hey we've probably still got the wildest waters to treacherously make our way through but do you find like having your kids are older than mine i I feel like every moment in their life, people have been like, you wait, it's going to be horrendous. Like, when they're born, horrendous. When they're two, terrible twos, horrendous. And, like, the three-nagers. And I'm like, I don't think it's been that bad.

I think that maybe people just talk it off. Talk about the worst parts. Well, maybe. But then maybe every kid's different and stuff too. But do we have a tendency just to focus on all the neggy stuff? Maybe. When you get pregnant, everyone's like, oh, the birth. Tell you all these terrible stories.

And then better bank your sleep. You're never going to sleep again. And it's just like, oh, my God. Let's focus on the positive stuff. And then when the negative stuff comes up, you're like, why did no one tell me about this? Yeah, yeah, yeah. You said it was going to be fine.

You said it was all unicorns and rainbows. Yeah, no, but... Just trying to make you feel like I'm... Have you got a parking ticket of you? No, no. This is a good letter from Waka Kotahi. Usually when a letter comes from Waka Kotahi... Yeah, I was just thinking, yeah.

Nah, it's a Renew You Bloody. Oh, it's a Renew You Bloody. Just a run of the mill. Not a ticket. We've done well without tickets For the last month or so Though I did go down A bloody bus lane The other day

Not intentionally I turned I got in there Just a tad too early To turn left Yeah gotcha Can you not argue Your way out of that one

Because some of those ones They It's a lane It's 50 metres Yeah there's like a certain Yeah And then it turns into A turning lane It's like well I need to go down there you've got a 50 minute i know you can't do it until after yes i've hit oh it's good to know yeah you can't just go oh sweet see your

suckers later especially when yeah the lane i mean it does feel like you can you know like you're just making sure down there yeah i've gone there i'm left yeah in about four k's i'm turning left yeah is that what you did yeah so uh, I'll be expecting that one to come up. But has anyone got anything else to add for the old? No, it's good. There you go. Ethiopia. Hey, so shout out.

They'll be getting this one in eight years' time, this podcast. They'll be coming out and they'll be like, oh, wow. But their history books, sorry to go back around, their history books would be like, okay, Donald Trump was elected president. So that was happening in. Yeah, how does that work? Is that years? Do they acknowledge that years behind the rest of the world?

Maybe they have like a signal for like everywhere else. You know, a word for like everywhere else. Everyone else was having it in the 20 whatever. Yeah, right. When was he? 2019? Who knows? What if they call us all the idiots?

The other idiots were having it in 20... Yeah. Ethiopia time 2011 That's probably What they put after You know how you do The GMT Yeah

Yeah you're right I think also In this article too Which is kind of cool They're kind of like Because they weren't Form what the article Was saying colonized

And all that You know like Switched over to the Calendar of the western world They kind of take it as like Oh this is our thing This is you know We're stuck

You know It's like Adelaide Whether it's half an hour Time this is our thing. This is, you know, we're stuck, you know. It's like Adelaide, but it's half an hour time difference. Yeah, you're right. Which is, yeah, it's like we haven't been taken over by the thing. And why should we change? Like, no, like, good on them. Stick to your guns. It's definitely not annoying at all for anyone else.

Well, you know. And did you, had it ever come up in your life? Like, until now? No. To be fair, it has never annoyed me. So is it affecting you at all day to day no Ethiopia

you keep being you yeah