The Racist Monkey...

Yes it is Racist, or so thought Symonds. It is present in the Cassell Dictionary of Slang and is a very versatile racist word, being used by most to describe African Americans. A very common slang used in India turned out to be a red card for our own dear Bhajji. Going through news channels obsessed with the NSE crash got on Gopu’s nerves. But he could relate to this. His conclusion though not rare was quite practical. Had cricket been played amongst countries with similar cultural orientation alone, a monkey would be taken to mean the “Simian Primate” that is its zoological identity.
Gopu took a trip down memory lane ; he was fresh out of college with a much coveted degree. Thanks to globalization, the right people had access to a plethora of opportunities, each coming with its own set of challenges. Gopu was glad to get his dream job with ‘Bells Cargo Ltd’. This was the opportunity, what followed next were challenges. Gopu remembered being glad that the global presence of his company would mandate interaction with Russians, Americans, Germans and others, giving him better exposure.
One fine morning Gopu was told by an American colleague, Jim, that "It might be a good idea to add more details to the test plan". Gopu being his naïve self took it as a humble suggestion and battling through his daily responsibilities managed to forget it. He was taken aback when his plan was rejected and a mail was sent asking him to make the necessary corrections. He was perplexed - suggestions-are-to-be-overlooked was his time tested assumption –why hadn’t it worked this time? Thankfully his manager Deva came to his rescue, explaining that for Americans, saying things that had been said were often polite ways of communicating direct orders. Therefore, it was important to be aware of the subconscious assumptions being made about such communications and to make sure that any possible misinterpretations were avoided.
Gopu enriched by his past experience and broadened vision set foot in Japan-another great opportunity, which brought an even more interesting episode. While traveling from one city to another, the airline clerk said "Perhaps you would prefer to take the train." Gopu insisted "No, I want to fly." Quick came the reply "There are many other ways to go". Perplexed he said "Yes, but I think it would be best to fly." She said "It would be very difficult". Eventually, he found out that there were no flights between those cities. Unavailability of flights wasn’t an issue as the trains in Japan would give many an airline a run for its money. What was intriguing and difficult to understand was the Japanese way of saying it…nevertheless he had learnt another difference in the manner of “putting things”, affected by culture.
But the best was yet to come-a linguistic faux pas which cost Gopu his lunch. On a business trip to London his cordial British boss asked him if he would like to have an early lunch at 11 am each day. Blessed with a forever healthy appetite, he was very happy about an early fill and said ‘Yeah that would be great!' To his consternation and immense disappointment, the boss immediately replied curtly, "With that kind of attitude, you might as well forget about lunch!”. Each was wondering what was wrong with the other...only days later; Gopu learnt that in England, saying "yeah" in that context is seen as rude and disrespectful.
For Gopu, Bhajji-Symonds feud was just another learning experience, reinforcing his belief that in the present “Global Village”, it is vital if not mandatory for a person to be aware of cultural variations. Knowledge about these differences will help one to tap them as sources of strength and opportunity, allowing one to build successful and mutually beneficial relationships. He was indifferent about the fact that his own experiences of a similar nature had never caught the eye of media. Yet, he wished that other potential global citizens would take a cue from his experiences and avoid going through the same rigmarole- while ignorance might be bliss, it definitely did not compensate for a missed lunch.

My Tryst with Calamity...

Things which change meaning everytime I approach them are the things which attract me the most...Life by far is leading the list...I think its an amazing teacher...I also believe firmly in a fact that whatever goes comes back...It wasn't that one fine morning it stuck me to think about this hackneyed word "Love"...It wasn't by virtue of idleness that I was forced to tread into this world of thoughts...Circumstances flanked me through the path, the end of which lead to this calamity...Calamity, yes or that is what I thought about it then...Things have, by far, changed a great deal but in the ordeal it has left me with a little insight about things which I otherwise understood a little...I came under influence or confluence of various school of thoughts doctored by my friends mostly...Doctored because I was reviving from what I call the first blow...They all said its matter of time...but I thought its beyond that...Nothing can be said in black and white its always a shade of grey...Initially my thoughts were pretty straight forward...But it took me a while to understand the mental setup it involves, the gamut of emotions which it comprises of and above all destiny...You can think it of as a computer game where in you are a player without any weapons...All you have is a gut feeling (which ditches enough), the willingness (which needs enough repair) to move on and moreover the courage to risk yourself...As once said by Erica Jung - "It really is worth fighting for, risking everything for. And the trouble is, if you don't risk everything, you risk even more." There were occasions where negative thoughts crippled me to a halt and there were some when hopes soared high knowing no bounds...Respect is one thing which didn't lose its meaning amidst all...Respect to whom and why...Whom is a Million Dollar question, so each one has to earn his/her own...Regarding 'Why' I must say that to me respect is something which a person commands by virtue of what he/she really is to himself/herself and what he/she makes other feel irrespective of cricumstances...In my case I had no other alternative... The feeling which I am talking about is something that cannot be created...It has to come from within...It has to be strong, enough to give meaning to statements like- "Love doesn't make the world go round, love is what makes the ride worthwhile." It has lot more than that...Its about freedom...Freedom to share without the fear of getting criticised...Its always about right to disagree with dignity...Well I wouldn't mind being termed plagiarized in want to use the idea that relationship goes strong when one can communicate without any apprehensions or fear of losing the relationship... Another aspect which crossed my path is trust...To talk about trust is very subjective...A tiger cub would trust food and a deer death to the same tigress...Trust to me is the biggest asset of any relationship...Be it an investment or leftover...However it took me a while to understand whether we trust because we love or do we love because we trust...They are so very intermingled that even the best of doctors disjoining siamese twins would find it difficult... Lastly to me its a wonderful feeling...Feeling of companionship and togetherness...Above all its a feeling that keeps you sane when unrest wrestles within you to tear apart...It may sound bondage however it is far from it...Well does that mean the Calamity I had started with has passed by...Without 'Assuming' I would say the 'Tom Cruise' way - I don't know but its looking good so far...

My first step into the world of b(eautiful)-logging...

Do I believe in divine intervention...may be or may be not, but this sure was a calling from 'Easwar'...I was otherwise happy with my existing world of expression by body language, frowns, words, slangs, abusives and most importantly e-mails...I still don't know whether this modus operandi is any better than rest of them...However the best part of it is that here I don't care whether I am right or wrong...I am not subjected to any scrutiny whatsoever other than maintaining a decent code of conduct...So is this freedom of speech...No, its freedom of expression...Its freedom of existence...Few may feel inspired, some may feel conspired but whatever it is I am "Feeling" it...If questioned "Feeling" what, I would say don't bother...If you are part of it you would know anyways if not you would not care...If my blogs are source of amusement to you thank god and pay back by writing one to other's amusement...If not then you are right to get the mood of it...even then at the end of it all it exists...what - the "Feeling"...