Archive for November, 2008

Service! The word which has been redefined by the IT people, atleast I have seen many such in Bangalore. They expect a lot from the staff working at the counter where they pay the bill. They want “Service”. Curse to the training given in their offices, they release all their anger on people like them and the auto-drivers.

You can’t expect quality from the staff, as they opt to choose this job because they have (maybe) no other vacancy.

I pondered upon this fact (told to me by my uncle), that we have no hesitation in paying extra in the mall for which we receive this kind of service and we bargain like a gladiator in a battle with the auto-driver for few bucks. Silly ain’t it?

Often I wondered whether I am introvert or an extrovert. Sometimes there are situations where you HAVE TO BE shy, like when your parents take you to their friends’ place, etc. When they offer you something to eat, YOU HAVE TO reject atleast for the first time (this is what I feel). And this kind of feeling, I put under Generation 2.

These days I have been observing the kids in my apartment, and my college friends. I categorize them in Generation 3. Their primary language is English. I am going to be a little blunt here by saying, no matter they want to or not, their parents too (who again want to or not), speak in English. Forced by the community? Maybe!
Their sentances like, “You have that book no?”, “You mad huh?”. Use of words like “Da”, which means “Dude” in Tamil/Kannada. Using words like “Guys” even for girls, when there is already “Gals”. Using “Dude” instead of “Dudette”.

Trying to speak in English has made others tag them “South Indians”, and this is precisely why people make fun of us.

Many a times, I have been called “Uncle” by these kids, why? Because there is no such word as “Bhaiyya” or “Anna”. They can’t call me “Bro” or “Dude” because they don’t know me well, also they use them only with those people who are close to them and are of same age.

Personally speaking, I am an extrovert with these kids, but how should I behave when I meet elder people or my classmates?

1) In which language should I speak? English or their mother-tongue? Speaking English will make them feel as I am trying to act smart (YES! Atleast that’s what I feel when someone is speaking with me even after knowing that we both know our mother-tongue very well).

2) Should I take what is offered to me in the first place itself, or should I wait for the next turn?

As Willy Shakey once wrote for Hamlet, “To be or not to be, that is the question;” Where I fall, is still a jigsaw to me.

(I am working on the follow-up article which is based on the use of English by people here)