Comments on: Funny Photo: A Humble Request from Flat Owner

By: GORIDEVI

GORIDEVI — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 23:30:20 +0000

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).

By: Sharell

Sharell — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 04:37:36 +0000

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!!

By: Raghu

Raghu — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 22:58:28 +0000

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.

By: Sharell

Sharell — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 14:30:11 +0000

That’s the attitude, Ramit! If you do have any funny photos, please send them to me and I’ll publish them for you!

By: Ramit

Ramit — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 09:11:35 +0000

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.

By: Sharell

Sharell — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 06:28:18 +0000

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.

By: Sharell

Sharell — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 19:22:20 +0000

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.

By: Sharell

Sharell — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 19:14:24 +0000

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!

By: IP

IP — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 19:08:27 +0000

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.

By: mowgli

mowgli — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 18:45:27 +0000

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 ?
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. ) as any other.

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.