Comment posted Funny Photo: A Humble Request from Flat Owner by Raghu.
Hi Sharell,
I am an Indian working in USA after completing my master’s, and had not been to India for 3 years. I happened to see your blog accidentally. I read all the topics and comments and I felt very impressed.
I have never come across a blog so complete as this. It reminds of the typical mix of feelings of my country – often proud, shameful, laughing, thoughtful, unique, and nostalgic.
Keep posting new topics in the same simple, honest, and balanced manner.
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are purely based on what I have observed on this trip. Our trip is by no...
{ 43 comments }
Is he concerned or was it that some1 threw garbage in his corridor which prompted him to post this notice.
Anyways I would still appreciate this guy for raising his voice against the most pathetic habit of Indians: keep your home clean and treat your surroundings as a dust-bin. Throwing garbage outside should be a punishable offense in India, but then where would you throw it, there is no garbage disposal system in place.
Love it. Hindlish is a great skill to master and this ones got it perfect!
love the selective capitals!! and the fact that he typed and printed it out!!!
I REALLY REALLY hope that the notice has some impact. No one did anything out of the usual. (Maybe it was the new neighbours that wrote the note). People are just generally filthy. They do spit everywhere and our balcony is constantly covered by rubbish thrown out from apartment windows on the top floors. People have been told so many times to stop it, but they never do. It’s like fighting a losing battle.
Many of my friends had the same problem, now they have installed “religious tiles” of Hindu, Muslim and Christian symbols in each corner of the common apt. areas, so people do not spit in the corners and stain it yucky red.
You could just buy and paste/tape those religious posters in the corners of your apt. building.
That’s a good idea (it’s like what they do around the city to stop men from urinating). Something needs to be done. The lobby of our apartment building is covered in disgusting paan spit stains. They look like they’ve been there for a long time, and nobody has bothered to clean them up. This is supposed to be a middle class apartment building, yet people do behave like pigs.
Loved Swati’s idea…….. its fabulous……… seriously something needs to be done about this filthy habit of people spitting and throwing rubbish and whats the best part, when these same people visit abroad, they behave like civilized people and dare spit or throw garbage !!!
But the notice written is rather cute and concerning too, its more about the sentiments of the person rather than the spellings !!! Appreciate the effort..dnt u think so ?
I just hope that the notice is understood by everyone. Many of the older people in the apartment building don’t even speak English. Sometimes I think that they’d be better off writing their notices in Hindi, although it wouldn’t be so entertaining.
Actions of people make huge impact on the collective identity of the nation. Hope someday things will change. We all who want to make Mumbai/India our home for somewhile would then feel welcomed.
/seriousness hat off
Hopefully the building people heed his request.
Sharell: You Bombayites… well ok … Mumbaikars…can’t speak English properly….can barely muster up some Marathi…. about Hindi less said the better ….
/seriousness hat on
The person who put up that notice has my deepest respects.
ooppppsssss, then they better write it in the language that the others would well understand and specially the people who throw the stuff !!
How about someone messing their flats, when they are being so inconsiderate, why not someone else mess their part of the area too ? What Say ?
As per the entertaining factor I completely agree with you
… something this kinda stuff is loads of fun !!!
I was once dating someone whose first language was different from mine. Once I was making fun of her accent when speaking ‘my’ language. She patiently pointed out to me that – accent or not – she spoke ‘my’ language a hundred times better than I spoke ‘hers’.
How many here would try writing *one* grammatical sentence in Hindi/Marathi/Gujrati ?
I thought so.
Mujhe Gujurati aur Marathi nahin aati. Lekin, mein Hindi me hamesha koshish kar rahi hoon! Zaruur, yeh mushkil hai. Lekin bolni sabse mushkil hai!
Now someone please tell me how many grammatical errors are in that! I’m sure it’s not perfect.
But the point is, there’s no need for someone to write a notice in English when the majority of the people in the apartment building only speak Gujurati and Hindi. Why not communicate in a language that everyone knows? And one that you can write in properly. Or is it a case of that Indian tendency of: when a point is to be made, make it in English to try and establish a position of superiority.
I have to admit though, that I’ve come across Indians whose English is so good that they use impressive words that I’ve never heard of. I do stop and think, wow!
Sharell, if *everyone* speaks both Gujrati and Hindi, I would take back what I said. But this is unlikely – do *you* for instance, read one or both ?
) as any other.
Most neighbourhoods in Bombay have a mix of people speaking several different languages – and English is as likely to be a good choice (bad accent/grammar and all.
Laughing at someone’s English in India is like laughing at someone’s stutter. It is mean minded and ignores the basic purpose of communication.
hi Sharell
“when a point is to be made, make it in English to try and establish a position of superiority.”
You are wrong sister.
In a highly multi-lingual country like India English is often used TO BRIDGE THE GAP.
Look at me, i am a Bengali living in kolkata . I only know two languages that i can WRITE AND READ AND SPEAK- Bengali and English.i can SPEAK HINDI FLUENTLY but cannot read it. Of course i can read hindi only when hindi words are written in english like u do.
So for someone like me, English often comes to my rescue when i travel in India. It helps me read the signboards and all.
So u must understand why English is used when making a public statement.
IP – I’m glad you said that. It does make me feel better about the use of English. It’s just that there have been times when I’ve heard a couple of Indians arguing — strangers — they start out in Hindi, then one will ultimately switch to English to try and get the upper hand!
Mowgli – I can read Hindi but I unfortunately I don’t yet know the meaning of all the words I read! The building is a middle class Gujurati building. I know so many families in the building who don’t speak good English, and certainly the older generation who live here don’t. I have to speak to many of my neighbours in Hindi because they don’t understand English. It’s great that someone has had a go at writing the note in English. Good on them. All I’m saying is that I guarantee that if I showed it to a number of my neighbours, they wouldn’t understand it. Someone would have to translate it for them. On another note, I showed the notice to my Gujurati landlord and he was the one who laughed most of all!
The thing is, who is most likely to be making the mess and spitting paan? I don’t want to generalise and I’m sure someone will correct me if I’m wrong, but I see less of the younger English speaking generation doing it. Like Shalini said, the notice needs to be directed in an understandable manner to its target audience!
BTW, I NEVER laugh at people who try to speak to ME in English. I always appreciate their efforts, and fully encourage them and help them.
I did ask my husband if people would laugh if I wrote a notice in Hindi that contained amusing grammatical mistakes and other errors, and he said absolutely they would. Life in India is tough. Anything that brings a smile to someone’s face has to be appreciated for it’s amusement value!
People have laughed in my face over my Hindi and its amusing mistakes. I tend to do literal translations from English to Hindi and it can produce funny results. I remember I once said to a friend in Hindi, as I would in English, “goodnight, I’m going to bed now” (Abhi mein palang ko ja rahi hoon). People thought it was hilarious. Apparently you can’t speak like that in Hindi because it’s “suggestive”. No one says “I’m going to bed”. You either must say I’m going to lie down or I’m going to sleep.
Hey people lets just smile a little now. The notice was indeed cute & amusing! I’ll be sure to lookout for them in the future and try & take pictures for all of you.
That’s the attitude, Ramit!
If you do have any funny photos, please send them to me and I’ll publish them for you!
Hi Sharell,
I am an Indian working in USA after completing my master’s, and had not been to India for 3 years. I happened to see your blog accidentally. I read all the topics and comments and I felt very impressed.
I have never come across a blog so complete as this. It reminds of the typical mix of feelings of my country – often proud, shameful, laughing, thoughtful, unique, and nostalgic.
Keep posting new topics in the same simple, honest, and balanced manner.
Hi Raghu, welcome and thanks for your kind feedback. The blog is a labour of love!
There’s just so much about India to write on, I feel like I have to share it. Plus it stops me from driving my husband crazy with “why like this?” questions and observations about India every day!! 
Sharrell, I think I may have given you this idea before. Since you are living in an all-vegetarian apartment complex and since many people who live in such buildings are observant Hindus or Jains, if you make a shrine on your veranda with an icon like Ganesh, Shiva or Durga, and put a sign up saying “Durga Mandir Here”… people will NOT throw trash down on your veranda ever more. You can even put out a little donation box and they will probably throw in a ruppee or two when passing by. (be sure the donation box is chained and locked to something).
Love your blog! I’m an Indonesian marry to an Indian, stay in UAE. Complicated, i know… :p
Here in UAE, 80% of the population are Indians. So you can imagine, hindlish, arlish (arabic-english), all the mix-lish things… combined with my limited understanding of English also! it will took me a while sometimes just to understand what they are trying to say. What you will think of a patisserie called “SWEETBUTT” ? Its happening!!
@ Sharell
“Now, if only the author of the notice wrote like an educated person, it might be more convincing!
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Do knowledge of English Grammar and Vocab only make a person ‘Educated’ ??
I really want an honest answer, because I was really tired of ‘Educated Indians” , for whom an English Literate is “Intelligent” and other “Rigional Language” literate are some ignorant and oudated species.And Now I see an Aussie girls saying things like that..
Infact , any person with least knowledge of English can understand ,what , the person(who wrote that notice , and hats off to him for his great intentions),so why make an issue of grammatical errors..
Most of French , Italian , Spanish , Germans , Japaneese , Chineese dont speak or know English. Does thta make them Uneducated…
So poor judgement and I didnt like the Idea of ridiculing a guy , who wanted his scoiety , his city and his country to be clean , just beacuse of some typing or grammatical errors…!!!!
My point was, why write something in English when you don’t have a good grasp of the language, and not everyone in the apartment building speaks English. Write it competently in Hindi, then everyone will understand (and some silly Aussie won’t come along and make a joke of it!
). The issue is that people in India tend to use English to try and appear authoritative, however it will have the opposite effect if it’s not good English!
Now, don’t confuse intelligence with speaking English. There are plenty of Indians who are intelligent but don’t speak English (my in laws included). Furthermore, one doesn’t need to be intelligent to speak English. However, those who do speak English well are invariably educated properly to do so.
I ask you: why did the author of this notice think his own language wasn’t good enough to write it in? Why did he write in English when it was unnecessary and his English is poor?
@ Sharell
“I ask you: why did the author of this notice think his own language wasn’t good enough to write it in? Why did he write in English when it was unnecessary and his English is poor?”
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Most probably because , he was so sure , that his mother-toungue was not understood by all. And knowing that all of the flat-owners dont speak the same laguage , he tried it in English,as it is understood by a fair number of people in India , who live in ‘Flats’ that too in Mumbai.
And tell me frankly , didnt you understand what he wanted to say??
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“The issue is that people in India tend to use English to try and appear authoritative”
That is the thing , I really really dont like about ‘Educated Indians’.
Beeing an uneducated Indian , I make it a point to converse Air hostesses of domestic and foreign airlines in Hindi
Dont we say , “Be Roman , When in Rome” , then why these airhostess cant speak in Hindi when their employer come to India for business..
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“Now, don’t confuse intelligence with speaking English. There are plenty of Indians who are intelligent but don’t speak English (my in laws included)”
I dont confuse it but ‘Educated Indians” do. And sharell , please dont duck my question by indulging in the debate about the difference between ‘Intelligent’ and ‘Educated’ you said following..
““Now, if only the author of the notice wrote like an educated person, it might be more convincing!
It clearly shows that , according to you , lack of gud knowledge of English makes a person uneducated.
You just cant back-track now..
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“and some silly Aussie won’t come along and make a joke of it! ”
Tough I didnt say it , but now I have got a nickname for you and adress you by that only ..beware.. !!!
Of course, I understood it because I speak English! I know for a fact that many people in that apartment complex (middle class Gujurati building, in a conservative neighbourhood where English was not widely spoken and foreigners were not seen) didn’t, especially the older generation.
So, given that arguement, the author of that notice should’ve written it in Hindi (or even Gujurati if he really wanted). No need for English at all!
Often, if a person can’t speak good English it does mean they are uneducated. Someone with a formal education in English would not be writing a notice containing such ridiculous errors!
If you don’t speak or write good English then people have as much a right to laugh at you as if you think 1 + 4 = 3 or if you think the capital of India is Nepal. It’s a sign that you’re not well educated. If you don’t think so then don’t bother going to an English medium school or sending your kids to one. The control of knowledge of English, in the name of protecting culture or fighting elitism, is being used to suppress the poor in India. Bal Thackeray, supremo of the uber-patriotic Shiv Sena, sends his grandchildren to the elite Cathedral and John Connon school. Mulayam Singh Yadav, the champion of the poor who wanted to ban English and Computers, sent his son to The University of Sydney.
The Chinese and Japanese often complement Indians on their English. They see it as a sign of how open-minded we are when it comes to our education.
@ Sharell
Often, if a person can’t speak good English it does mean they are uneducated. Someone with a formal education in English would not be writing a notice containing such ridiculous errors!
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I strongly object…!!!!!!!!!!!
My School principal was not very well at speaking English(Beeing a PHD in Hindi) but a damn educated and learned one.
Its so night that my mind is not recalling the names of many but I will tell you tomorrow who dont know English but are very educated..
common English is just a medium… let it be , not the destination……….
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“So, given that arguement, the author of that notice should’ve written it in Hindi (or even Gujurati if he really wanted). No need for English at all! ”
Again , you are changing the base of your argument.Ok now we come to a conclusion.
Please tell me , if you wanted him to use another Language to write notice or You just wanted him to write proper English.
To make it simpler , Do People would have been more receptive to his good suggestion if he would have written it in Gujrati , Hindi or Proper English.
Now , I make it simplest ..in one line..
“Do you dislike him for the wrong selection of language or wrong selection of words ??
Bingo !! now I got got it what I really wanted too ask…. sometimes questions are more difficult than answers..!!!
Its ur turn to answer..!!!
@ Satish
“If you don’t speak or write good English then people have as much a right to laugh at you as if you think 1 + 4 = 3 or if you think the capital of India is Nepal.”
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Those who laugh at someone’s inefficiency in one of many medium of communication ,which we call language , are having real issues those run deep down their hear and minds.
So , Now , I know , that Charak , Sushrut , Ramanuj , Vishnugupta ,all were worth laughing on , because they didnt know how to write,read or speak English.
Pathetic assumptions..!!!
And in this purely specific discussion , how these politicians like mulayam and Bal thackrey came in?I am not flagbearer of anti-english brigade !!!
And by the grace of God and extreme liberal-minded Parents , I had the priviledge of doing my schooling in a Hindi Medium School which happened to be one of the best schools in India
Atleast my parents were not not so obsessed by English like my relative , who were desperate to sent their children to any “St A,B,C,D, ..X,Y.Z ” type school.
And now I really thank my parents , becasue interestingly , I am better than my cousins, who went to convents(and very reputed ones), in reading , writing and speaking English(which ,I am not very proud of ) and ofcourse knowledge of Hindi , Sanskrit , Religions , Politics , and awareness.
Dont get me wrong here , I am not trying to say that Hindi medium schools are better, but Just want to say that “Quality , not the medium of Education matters ”
I am very open to all the languages of world and would like to learn all , if somebody teach me.
But , I would never like to become one of ‘Educated Indians’ who converse in English even , while meeting in a family functions.
I didn’t dislike anything about it…. I just found it very funny, that’s all. It made me laugh and we all need laughter in our lives. Everyone else has turned it into an arguement, and missed the funny side of it!! Don’t take it so seriously.
Mohit, you’re going against your own arguement! This guy was unnecessarily conversing in English when Hindi would’ve sufficed perfectly well.
For the sake of the arguement, what I was saying about education is that he clearly is not educated in English. It doesn’t matter if he has a vast education in other fields. He’s showing that he’s not educated in English by writing a notice full of errors like that…. that’s what the post is about… a poorly written sign in English, not knowledge of other subject.
I don’t expect people to speak perfect English here, or even want them to. It’s just amusing when they write it with such gusto and make such comical errors!
@ Mohit Gupta:
English is considered a language of the educated in India because the better schools and universities in India impart their education in this language. In the countries that you mentioned, elite education is imparted in their native languages and hence, English doesn’t enjoy a position of superiority over local languages.
And by the way, the picture here is posted because it is funny; a cross-translation gaffe to laugh about. It would have been equally funny if a Sharell made a similar gaffe trying to say something in Hindi. It is in no way meant to ridicule Indian people, unless you think that not being able to speak good English is a handicap.
@ Sharell:
Writing the notice in Hindi might invite the wrath of Marathi nationalists, if they chance across it. English is safer – it is a neutral language, as far as Indians are concerned. English bridges the gaps between the 300 or so languages spoken India.
Yes, and it happens often. I think I recall I wrote something in the comments section of this post about the time I told one of my husband’s friends, “Good night, abhi, main palang ko ja rahi hoon). (Literally: Goodnight, I’m going to bed now). Seems it’s not said like that in Hindi!!!
@ satish, “…The Chinese and Japanese often complement Indians on their English…”
Do Chinese/Japanese *complement* Indians as you claimed above or do Chinese/Japanese just *compliment* Indians as I am claiming here? I think you too have been deprived of the national language of the enlightenment just like majority of stupid Gujaratis. As laughable and poor as they are!
And yes after all, Chinese/Japanese are equally amazed by a fact: “How in the world these dumb Indians speak the language spoken by the white Gods? Had we mastered English *well*, more of our women would have been able to sleep *well* with the Anglo-Saxon-males!”
@ sharell
“I didn’t dislike anything about it…. I just found it very funny, that’s all.”
There is no harm in accepting ur fault.Please accept it , you have done a mistake.
If you didnt dislike anything then you wouldnt have said the following.
“Now, if only the author of the notice wrote like an educated person.”
Chalo koi baat nahin..mat mano…
Beeing funny is really good for health because according to great philosopher Mohit ..
“Dont take life so seriously , because either way , you wont come out alive”
@ Sharell
Final verdict..!!!
The angle , on which , no one really thought is the technicalities of writing in Devnagri script.
Now , I think , Notice-Man didnt write in Hindi because he was not having Hindi Fonts in his PC. ..
Iti Siddham !!!!
Mohit, you miss the subtleties of my sense of humour. It was intended as a joke more than anything. Now stop bullying me to accept faults that don’t exist!
And notice how I’m being very tolerant of your English “mistakes”… which are by the way made and not done!
I’ll admit you could be right about that Mohit! At last the truth is out!!
@ sharell
And notice how I’m being very tolerant of your English “mistakes”… which are by the way made and not done!
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You have to be. As I am not one of ‘Educated Indians’.
Ah well, kudos to your very excellent neighbour for initiative, at least. Many people have a nasty habit of creating pristine islands of sterile cleanliness inside their houses while also creating a sea of filth right outside.
It works like the concept of entropy (randomness) in thermodynamics. You can reduce the amount of randomness in an isolated system but only at the cost of using energy which increases the randomness of the rest of the universe. Lol.
As for the english, I guess s/he won’t take long to improve, what with a native english speaker next door and everything!
So there you have it, mates. Please behave like educated, qualified and civilized individuals, yeah? Thanks a ton.
Heh heh. Indians sometimes suck at sentence construction and writing style.
But Indians aren’t alone. There’s a pretty well known sign on the Oslo metro line’s vending machines, giving instructions on how to use them. The vending machines, though, seem to go far beyond just selling tickets. Here are the instructions:
1. Velg hvor du vil i livet.
2. Legg på penger.
3. Ta billeten. Ha en fin tur.
Translation:
1. Choose where you want to go in life.
2. Insert money
3. Take your ticket. Have a nice trip.
#1 one pretty much had me in splits! It sounds even funnier in Norwegian, actually, because there’s a double meaning.
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