Monthly Archives: January 2011

The Bollywood Equations

Common Bollywood equations and comparisons

First thing first – this is a lighthearted post, just for fun. For example Lata, one of the greatest singers of all times, need no O.P. Nayer to mark her legacy. So, take this with a grain of salt, this is purely a light humor, and has been around Bollywood anecdotes for a while. You can add your own in the comments, if you can think of one!

Dharmendra – Acting – Drinking = Sunny Deol
King – Kingdom + Australia – Storyline = Singh Is King
Amitabh Baccchan – Acting = Abhishek Bachchan
Old song – lyrics + Blah Blah + Meaningless Dance = new song
Bollywood Actor – Acting – Shirt = Salmaan Khan
Lata Mangeshkar + O.P. Nayer = Asha Bhosle
Bollywood hero + straight hair + unstraight walk = Sanjay dutt
Dharamenda Family + Melodrama + Hype = Yamala Pagala Diwana
Mohammed Rafi – Versatility – Vocal Charisma = Sonu Nigam
One man + one woman = Isha Deol
Sholay – Acting – Story – Direction – Chemistry = Copycat Hindi Western

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From desi Hinglish to fluent English

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Those of us raised in India speak a very different English than the one spoken in Europe or North America or Australia. And it is natural, we are creations of our surroundings, we are always influenced by our mother tongue. As a result, the influence of Hindi language is naturally present in our English speech, hence the term Hinglish.

On this site – The Indians Abroad, there are quite a few articles that address the usage of Hinglish and how to minimize it. Speaking Hinglish is not a mistake or something to be overly concerned about, it is just a habit – the way we speak in our own neighborhood. Think about it, even Australian spoken English is far different than the American English. The local factors and the local slang are bound to influence the way we speak.

Hinglish usage is quite common in India, it is natural. No one cares, and no one should, as long as two parties can understand each-other. However, when we speak the same Hinglish abroad, not everybody is able to understand or comprehend the complete meaning, especially for those who are not familiar with desi terms and desi idioms.

This article is a compilation of previously written articles on topics related to language barriers abroad and the Hinglish usage. Rather than re-writing the whole summary, following links are a good start on how to minimize the use of Hinglish and what are the best approaches to adapt to the local speech while living abroad.

Crossing the Language Barrie abroad: ‘Language barrier’ refers to the difficulties people face if they don’t speak the same language, or with very different accent or style….the spoken English in America or other Western countries is not the same as in India, for example. The key issues surrounding the language barrier and the best ways to approach or alleviate them are highlighter in this article.

Self-help tips on minimizing Hinglish usage abroad: There are many simple things that we can do to speed up this adaptation to local English slang and language instead of Hinglish from India. This article lists some of the most effective tips.

12 Self-help tips on improving desi English language: These are some of the commonsense tips on how to improve your English while living abroad. Try them, some of them you may already be exposed to.

10 Tips on English pronunciation and accent improvement!: Accent plays a big role in our speech pattern and how we come across to the listeners. Adapting to the local accent is the first step towards improving your language skills.

’30 tips on the art of small talk’: Small talk or any chit-chat helps you practice your speech and conversation skills. As a result, you end up improving your spoken language.

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The wandering thoughts

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The wandering thoughts – the home abroad

It is human nature – we are always thinking, often wandering in our own thoughts. Thinking about past or future and imagining hypothetical scenarios is a part of our day-to-day life. We are never content with what we have, always thinking about ‘what could be’ or ‘what could have been’.

Millions of us leave our homes and our countries to go abroad, searching for a better future, looking for a better life. Some leave by choice – because we want to try new things and new places; others leave because of necessity, because they have to – for one reason or another. Regardless of where we are and what we have accomplished, we are never satisfied with what we got. Once we go abroad, once we establish ourselves in the the new place, our mind wanders and thinks about going back to the motherland – where we originally come from. It is not because we need to, it is not because we have to. It is because of our nature – we are never satisfied with what we have. The present is never enough!

Most of the immigrants, regardless how long they have been away from their own country or how good life they live in the new place, have nostalgic attachment to their homeland. It is nothing new, it is part of being human. We never let go of the past, especially if past involves sweet memories of childhood.

Many of us, those who are settled abroad, often think about going back, returning for good. Even after we have made new life in the new country, the thought of going back often creeps into our minds. It is a good nostalgic memory of past. Most of us think about it – going back permanently, but very few actually actually try it. And those who return to their motherland, the experience is often not what they expected or what we imagined.

The simple fact is that time changes everything. The home we left behind years or decades ago is not the same home anymore. Everything and everybody has moved on. The old friends, the old neighbors, the small shop at the corner, the big tree next to the pond – everything and everybody has moved on. The nostalgic memories from long time ago that we want to relive today are nonexistent in reality. The surroundings have evolved, the neighborhoods have changed and the even the culture and customs have changed over the years. Continue reading →

Thank you 2011, this time I mean it

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Dear 2011!
Welcome. I have been waiting for you almost since Christmas. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Really, I mean it. It is hard to believe what a difference a day can make; well, in this case a night!

As the clock strikes midnight on December 31, as the 2010 rolls over and 2011 rolls in, a whole new year is born, a brand new one! As the seconds tick-tock from 12:00 to 12:01AM – in those 60 seconds, a whole year is forgotten. a whole year becomes history! All the sorrows of 2010, all the unkept promises, all the unresolved resolutions – everything becomes past; as if they all become obsolete. All the bad memories of previous year are replaced by the joyous celebrations of a new one. It is amazing how good we are at forgetting yesterday; our selective memory loss is something to be umm….proud of.

As the new year rolls in, we starts a new chapter in their life. The yesterday become a year old. With new optimism of new year, we plan something big, something great, something large. The choice is between the dead and gone 2010 vs. the new born 2011. Why should we mourn the dying past if there is choice to celebrate the future, to celebrate the birth of a new year.

Just like most of us, I have written off 2010 already – completely forgotten. I have even replaced my 2010 resolutions with new ones for 2011.

Drear 2011, I have big plans for you. For a change, I really want to DO something this year; I absolutely want to accomplish something this time. I know I have said this before to your elder brother 2010, or perhaps many others before that, but let the bygones be bygones. Let the past be a history. This time I am dead serious; this time, I am motivated to make a difference in my life.

I can already feel it – the good karma surrounds me on this new dawn of a new year. I can feel the optimism all around me. Continue reading →