Language borders
Yesterday evening, we went out to Meyer's icecream. It is a small place down somewhere. My geography sucks so i have little inkling as to which direction we went.I would guess somewhere south, towards Boalsburg. Anyways, 6 Tams, 4 gults. 2 overlapping. I always enjoy a good conversation. Most of the conversation types i have seen are just light bantering type. If you were to sit and think, you will see nothing of any real value would have been discussed. As one of my friends would say,"Minimal information exchange". No to mention tedious lenghty jokes. On top of it, if you understand the language just above bare minimum, the frustration is barely bearable. Tams are one of the most boisterous crowds i have seen. When roaming alone, they are calm, quiet and a picture of serenity. Put a couple of them together. It is like an explosion. I have witnessed this phenomenon quite a few times.
December of 2003, Shiva and i had gone to california. Muthu joined in from seattle and Don from Austin. That's all. Though, muthu and shiva are quite exuberant seperately but bring them together and they will tear down any place with jokes and laughter.In LV, we were taking a cab to the Strip and the driver was trying to make a conversation. As soon as the guy said something, these two will come up with some joke and start laughing like crazy. If you don't know Tam, you would think the joke was on the driver.
Some conversations can be so boring, you can feel the knot of boredom gripping you round the neck, suffocating. And, then there are others where you wish you were not a part of it. You wish you were somewhere else doing something worthwhile. Even watching TV is fine. I like conversations at PCG, though. We discuss so many topics. Advisors, girls, movies, sports,politics(:p)). The group is a mixed kind and no one just speaks in tam or gult. Language helps in binding people together. But, i guess, if you are not careful you might end up creating undesired borders.
December of 2003, Shiva and i had gone to california. Muthu joined in from seattle and Don from Austin. That's all. Though, muthu and shiva are quite exuberant seperately but bring them together and they will tear down any place with jokes and laughter.In LV, we were taking a cab to the Strip and the driver was trying to make a conversation. As soon as the guy said something, these two will come up with some joke and start laughing like crazy. If you don't know Tam, you would think the joke was on the driver.
Some conversations can be so boring, you can feel the knot of boredom gripping you round the neck, suffocating. And, then there are others where you wish you were not a part of it. You wish you were somewhere else doing something worthwhile. Even watching TV is fine. I like conversations at PCG, though. We discuss so many topics. Advisors, girls, movies, sports,politics(:p)). The group is a mixed kind and no one just speaks in tam or gult. Language helps in binding people together. But, i guess, if you are not careful you might end up creating undesired borders.
5 Comments:
For once, I regret to say, I agree with you. ;-) I have been in those conversations myself. In 4 years at IIT though I learned to cut myself off from the conversation in say, a group of three where two are Tams/Gults whatever. I could vaguely make out what they were talking abt from the few words in English/Hindi/IIT-slang that slipped through, and occasionally even interjected with a half-assed comment. At this point they would either take pity on me and switch to English, or ignore me and continue in Tam/Gult etc. Either way it was fine by me, though on occasions when I dint understand anything, I interjected with a proper North Indian expletive which everyone understands to shock them into switching to English or translate. That usually worked. :-D
Hmm...expletives eh? never thought of that. i guess i will get plenty of opportunity to try it out.
When it comes to speaking in native languages in large groups...Tams r bad, Gults r worse, but the worst r Mallus
Hope we r meeting today at PCG for another round of intelletually stimulating discussions.
" I like conversations at PCG, though......... Advisors, girls, movies, sports,politics(:p))"
Great ...why don't you add Params educational Sledging into that too...
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