Posts Tagged Living Abroad

Welcome to the world of Holi festival – without colors

Mar 1

Posted by admin in Culture & Society, Entertainment, Non-Resident Indian

Today, India and Indian communities around the world are celebrating Holi – the festival of colors. However, there is a one big difference in the celebrations – the presence or absence of the colors depending upon where you live.

If you live in India, we all know, you can go crazy with the colors if you want to. Dry colors, wet colors, sticky colors, shiny colors, or just plain water if you run out of the colors – everything is a fair game. Friends, foes, families, strangers – everybody is a fair target, well, most of the time. No one minds, or to be politically correct, no one is supposed to mind, if their all dressy outdoor wear is smudged with colors. No one is supposed to hold a grudge if their best dress is messed up from the Holi colors. Why? Because it is Holi, the festival of colors – no other explanation is needed. A rainbow of colors is the expected scene everywhere.

However, in overseas, the scene is quite the opposite; or should we say, quite normal like any other day. You can celebrate the festival within the walls of your own home, or in your own backyard, or with some desi friends if you are lucky to find those who understand the Holi spirits. That’s about it. Your choices are limited. Even within Indian circles, no one bothers to celebrate Holi! At leats not like we used to in India. The Westernized Indian kids may want to enjoy it, from a distance, as long as the colors don’t touch them. Why would you want to look ridiculous in the middle of the day! Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: abroad, Culture, Desi, festival, festival of colors, holi, india abroad, Living Abroad, Non-Resident Indian, NRI, NRIs

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Extra polite or not so…?

Feb 23

Posted by admin in Consciousness & Awareness, Non-Resident Indian, india abroad

The shopkeeper is extra polite when he does not understand the customer.
The listener is extra polite when she doe not understand you and says, “Could you repeat that please!”

People are just normal polite when they can relate to you. But if you are getting lots of ‘extra polite treatment’, that may mean many things, including some of the things like:

they don’t get you
they don’t understand you
they don’t relate to you
they find you different than their own kind
they don’t know how to interact with you…

Or, in rare cases, they are just extra nice people being extra polite, but you can always tell the difference.

The modern day social disassociation is not a slap in the face, a rude remark, or an outrageous action such as asking you to leave. Instead, it is the actions with extra care, with extra politeness that convey the message.

Most of the times, extra politeness is just extra caution people use when dealing with someone different, someone who does not fit in. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: abroad, bias, Culture, extra polite, Living Abroad, multi-culture, Non-Resident Indian, NRI, NRIs, racial-bias

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Unmourned Death of a Mother Tongue

Feb 21

Posted by admin in Consciousness & Awareness, Entertainment, Non-Resident Indian, Short Story, india abroad

The dusk crawls on the suburban town of Fairfield. The evening chill of February is starting to feel on his wrinkled hands.

Arjun sits on the park bench, watching over his grand-daughter playing on the swings nearby.
“Let us go now, Pooja” he paused, “It’s time to go home”. He speaks with a broken English accent. Over the years he has adapted to the foreign tongue, the only language his grand kids understand.
“Not yet Grandpa! Can you push my swing please – one more time,” says the little girl with big black eyes, as she struggle with the slow-down of the swing.
“We have to go now, Pooja; the sun is going down.”
“It’s still light. One more push grandpa, please!”
Her delay tactics continue; she winning the every round of the bargain to go home.

After a few more swings and a long bargaining, they finally walk off the park. She skips along the sidewalk; their long silhouettes dragging behind them.

“Mom said you are making us a big kite. When can we fly it?”
“Soon. As soon as the winter is over and spring arrives.”
“Cool!”
“Look at the beautiful sunset, beta!” he points to the sun on the far western horizon as they turn the corner, their two story bungalow within the sight now.
She casually looks at the sunset. Unimpressed, she skips along. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: abroad, Accent, diaspora, first language, Language, Living Abroad, mother-tongue, Non-Resident Indian, NRI, NRIs, overseas, Short Story

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Desi fundas 101: Education a fundamental driver of Indian success abroad

Feb 19

Posted by admin in Consciousness & Awareness, Non-Resident Indian, india abroad, personal development

The big red letters on the front of our school used to read, in two languages:
In Punjabi: “Vidhya insaan di teesari akh hai!”
In Hindi: “Vidhya insaan ki teesari aankh hai!”
Meaning: Education or knowledge is the 3rd eye of a person.

Growing up, we all knew that some of the rules should not and could not be questioned; rules like:

Respect your books. Stepping on a book, even by mistake is a sin. A book never belongs under your feet.
Education is your priority number one.
Respect your teachers….

If you look around, you can always find many neighbors or colleagues that sacrifice so much to educate their kids. Many of them may not have enough to afford three meals a day, but they damn make sure that their kids go to schools – good schools, including the prestigious schools or colleges abroad.

The same priority on education is equally true for Indian Americans, British Indians, Indo Canadians….and other Indian families overseas. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Desi, desi fundas, diaspora, education, immigrant, India, india abroad, Living Abroad, personal development, Personal Growth, self-improvement, success

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The Snowy Mess

Feb 12

Posted by admin in Non-Resident Indian, Trivial Stuff

It is 6 in the morning; I am standing inside my nice and warm house, looking at my front yard. The front porch, the drive way to the garage – the whole thing is covered with snow again.

Hurray! Not really. Seriously, this is thirds day in a row that I am dealing with snow removing and shoveling. It is 3, well, at least 2, more days than I wanted to snow-shovel.

The first day was fun. The nice fluffy snowflakes everywhere, glistening with the sunlight from the far horizon. I even thought of making a snow-man after the shoveling was done, but gave up on the idea thinking I am not a kid and it is too cold to deal with snow any longer. Instead, I came inside and had a warm cup of steaming tea, while looking outside and admiring my own work.

The second morning – yesterday, I woke up to another 3-4inches of new snow coating. I ventured outside and did my thing again – shoveled the driveway and the porch; cleared the side street where neighborhood kids walk to (and from) the school-bus that makes a stop in front of our house every morning and every afternoon.

I was all done, and was about to come inside, that is when a big snow plow, that was clearing the streets in our area, dumped a big wall of snow in front of my drive way. That is the most annoying thing about this big snow plows, they push the snow off the street to the sides, but in the process, end up creating more headache for every household. I hate snow plows – just for the record. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Living Abroad, seasons, snow, snow-fall, snow-storm, weather, winter

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R2I Surprises await the returning NRIs

Feb 5

Posted by admin in Culture & Society, India, Non-Resident Indian, india abroad

Everyone abroad talks about r2i – returning to India. Sooner or later, every Indian settled overseas considers returning home. Regardless how much you plan and how much you look forward to it, the real life experience always brings its own surprises – good and bad ones.

Most of the NRIs romanticize about the life in India. However, those returning to India have their own complaints about life back home:

Traffic: After living in American or Europe for a long time, we get used to the smooth flow of traffic and the traffic rules. Don’t expect the same after r2i. There are just way too many cars and bikes on the road, compared to what we are used to abroad. And remember, the more aggressive drivers make their own traffic rules, most of the time.
Not the same old neighborhood: I wrote a full article on this recently, the home we left behind many years ago is not the same, neither is the neighborhood.

Kids hate it: many parents return to India to raise their kids in Indian culture speaking Indian language. However, the whole experience is very hard on kids. The language, the new place, the new surroundings, the power cuts, the crowd….the whole thing overwhelms them. They like India for vacationing, but forget the permanent living part.

Faded bonds of Family and friends: Many of us return home to be with family and old friends. However, once you go back, it does not feel like the good old days. Everybody is on a different wavelength; they have their own lives to live. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: abroad, india abroad, Indians Abroad, Living Abroad, Non-Resident Indian, NRI, NRIs, overseas, r2i, r2i surprises, return-to-india

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NRIs’ misplaced nostalgia of good old days

Feb 1

Posted by admin in Culture & Society, India, Non-Resident Indian, india abroad

If you listen to the first generation of Indian Americans abroad – especially those who migrated long time ago – they paint a very bright and picture of their past memories of India:

“Those were different days – happier times. We never cared much about anything – anything but friendship and good company. The schools were parties – a meeting place where all the good and bad schemes were hatched…”

“All summer we played cards under the big shade tree next to the pond….And, when we got bored of cards, we played marbles, or took a nap on a cot. No air-conditioners could compete with the monsoon soaked eastern breeze of summer days. Those were the days….!”

The first generation of immigrants misses the homeland of India more than anything. In most of the week-end parties or social gatherings, talking about good old day is one of the common topics. The nostalgic discussion intensifies after a few drinks. The memories of childhood, the growing up, the friends back home, the food, the aimless wandering…well, there is no end to the journey down the memory lane, the memories of past left behind..

Yearning for the past is a human nature. We always cling to the memories of yesterdays. Regardless where we live, the nostalgia is nothing more than trying to hold on to the past. The past is not easy to let go, even though we all talk about moving on. Living abroad just adds one more dimension to all this – the living in the past. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: abroad, Culture, diaspora, India, india abroad, Living Abroad, Non-Resident Indian, nostalgia, NRI, NRIs, past, r2i, return-to-india

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Abroad, You never feel at Home

Jan 28

Posted by admin in Culture & Society, Non-Resident Indian, Short Story, india abroad

Yes, it happened; it was bound to happen. I ran out of ideas.
I ran out of ideas to write about.

Not that my previous ideas were too special or too brilliant. Even the brilliant idea from last night – writing about a new-comer’s experiences – was very ordinary.
She is new student I recently ran into. From her experiences in America, I was hoping to get some new material for my blog.

“So how do you like in America?” I asked eagerly, hoping for a long story.
“Ah, it’s not all that bad, just about the same as I expected,” Dismissively, she said in a monotone.
“So, what is it that you don’t like it here, or dislike the most,” I rephrased the question, hoping to get something more.
“It is not much different; about the same as I expected,”

She was not helping out.
I paused. It cannot be; it is a new country, a new place all across the ocean.
“How about the language?” I pressed on.
“No, I speak English at home in Bangalore. I can speak many languages, but English is what we use the most.”
“Wow”, more disappointed than surprised, I did not know what else to say.

I was getting nothing’ no ideas, no new observations from the eyes of a new immigrant to USA.

“I liked the chicken burger”, she said with a light touch of satisfaction in her voice.
“What chicken burger?”
“The one from McDonalds, we just had, with French fries”
“Oh yeah, you like that kind of fast food?”
“I don’t like it, I love it!” she likes to say it.
“So, you don’t get it back home?” I have not been back to India for many years.
“We do; you don’t know? We have everything there, McDonalds too?” Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: abroad, diaspora, home, immigrant, india abroad, Indians Abroad, life, Living Abroad, Non-Resident Indian, overseas, USA

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Why do NRIs return to India?

Jan 15

Posted by admin in Culture & Society, India, Non-Resident Indian, india abroad

Main R2I (Return-to-India) reasons for NRIs abroad

Over the years, a reverse trend is starting to take shape. More and more overseas NRIs are returning home, and others are considering the option. The reasons for R2I – return to India – vary from personal to business to emotional; some of the main ones are:

More job opportunities in a booming Indian economy: As Indian economy keeps on growing, year after year; there are more opportunities available in India compared to old days. The IT field continues to expand, creating demand for international professionals. The economic revolution that started in 1991 has reformed India into one of the major players on the world stage.

Slow down in America and other developed countries: The global markets are going through some of the worse economic recessions of all times. The unemployment in USA is at its highest in many decades. The bleak outlook in job markets and uncertain future abroad is one of the reasons for many immigrants to consider returning home.

Going back ‘Home’:The sense of belonging makes a big difference when deciding on the future path. It feels good to be back and going back to the roots - being a part of our own culture, our own society is a major psychological boost. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: abroad, diaspora, India, india abroad, Indians Abroad, Living Abroad, Non-Resident Indian, NRI, NRIs, overseas, r2i, return-to-india

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Indian Beliefs or Perceptions of American and European Culture

Jan 12

Posted by admin in Consciousness & Awareness, Culture & Society, Non-Resident Indian, india abroad

India Abroad: Indian misconceptions or perceptions of the overseas culture

The Indian misconceptions or perceptions of the the cultures abroad are closely related to our way of thinking. It is human nature, we always try to understand everything in terms of our own culture. Everything we see, everything we observe, we see it through the lenses of our own culture. When we look at the American or the European culture, most of the time, we are just comparing it with our Indian culture, our own beliefs. As mentioned in a previous article, our beliefs play a major role in how we see rest of the world.

Many of you may consider this as a redundant piece of information – nothing new. Yes, you are right. It is nothing new, but it is something – we still have these misunderstandings or notions that we should remind ourselves of; it is something that may help us with self awareness and as a result, may reduce our stereotype about foreign cultures.
So take this with a grain of salt. Some of these misconceptions may sound absurd, or may sound very true – depending on your personal outlook, depending on what you believe.

Here are some of the beliefs and notions that Indians have about the Western – American or European or Australian – culture.

Not Very Religious: It is very hard to compare one religion to another. For example, in some religions you are expected to pray multiple times a day while in some others a daily prayer might do. The fact is every religion dictates its own rituals, it own guidelines. The religion is a very predominant part of the western society. the younger generation may be a bit less religious and more spititual. If you pass by any Church in America on a Sunday morning, they are jam-packed; you won’t find a place to park.

Drug Use and Similar Vices:Where do we start, may be with some Bollywood movies depicting or comparing western culture with desi culture. ! We may be exaggerating a bit when we say that smoking and drug use is much more common in the Western countries. If you walk down the street of any major US city, you won’t find many smokers in public, just as an example. People are more health conscious now-a-days. The drug use is probably comparable to India. You are not going to find ganja smoking hippies (as shown in some Indian movies) on a corner of every American or European city streets. That was 70s, and the movie was ‘Purab or Paschim’! Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: american-culture, Culture, Desi, india abroad, Indian, Living Abroad, misconceptions, Non-Resident Indian, NRI, NRIs, perception, society, USA

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20 Tips on personal safety and crime prevention abroad

Dec 15

Posted by admin in Culture & Society, Non-Resident Indian, india abroad

Commonsense tips on crime prevention and how to be safe in a foreign country

Safety doesn’t happen by accident. ~Author Unknown

Every country, neighborhood, every place has its flaws. One way or another, every city – big or small – is victim of crime. It is a part of the life; we are all exposed to some sort of danger all the time – at home or abroad.

In a foreign country, safety and security have always been keys concern of travelers and immigrants alike. Be it the streets of New York, south-side of Chicago, the suburbs of London,….. the safety is always in the forefronts of our thoughts.

An immigrant (or a minority) often considers herself/himself to be more exposed to the danger of personal safety for many reasons:

The local criminals may feel it easier or less risky to go after an outsider, or a minority group.
Many societies blame the immigrants for unemployment and job-loss issues, this social bias or grudge can contribute to the crimes against them.
Many fanatics may single out the minorities as a cause of their social agenda, and target them.

While you cannot eliminate the racism or discrimination overnight, – even though it is a good wish, next to the cure of aging – there are certain things we can all do to be safer and more secure in a foreign land:

1. Select the residence location wisely: Pick a neighborhood with low crime rate that is safer to live. Do your research while selecting a residence. For example, many local newspapers publish information such as ‘Best places to raise a family’. A local real estate agent can also guide you to the safer areas. Avoid areas with known crime issues.

2. Avoid bad company: It is simple as that, however, easier said than done. The company and the circle of friends you keep play a big role in day-to-day interactions with the society. Steer clear of the gang and crime infected social circles. Avoid areas with gang activities; stay away from unsavory characters.

3. Lock doors and windows: Once you have a residence selected in a good neighborhood, make it secure and burglar-proof. Install good quality dead-bolt locks on all the exterior doors. Also, Install quality locks on all the windows. Keeping your placed locked provides extra sense of security.

4. Cut over-grown shrubs and trees around the residence: Make sure to remove or trim shrubbery that hides doors and windows. That way, neighbors or passersby can see someone trying to break into your home. Limit the hiding spots for a burglar by keeping the bushes and trees tidy and well-trimmed.

5. Well-lit Place: Always have a light outside the front door and other areas of entrance. A well-lit area discourages the thieves and bad guys. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: crime prevention, immigrant, india abroad, Indians Abroad, Living Abroad, overseas, personal safety, safety, society, staying safe, tips

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Brain Drain to Brain Gain – Indians Abroad

Dec 8

Posted by admin in India, Non-Resident Indian, india abroad

The NRIs and Indians Abroad are a valuable asset for building India!

The ‘Brain drain’ is common among developing countries, India is no exception. Young, ambitious and educated class of society leaving homeland and heading abroad, searching for a better future, a better tomorrow.

For decades, the woes of brain drain from India to the developed countries have been blamed on many problems at home, including education system and the job opportunities. Patriotism and loyalty to the mother-land is often quoted as the lacking character among the youths settled abroad, who turn their back on the country that raised them, provided for them and educated them.

In spite of all this so called ‘brain drain’ for so long, however, there is no shortage of brain in India. the country is emerging as a fast developing nation, with GDP growth rate that western countries can only imagine (and admire from a distance). Actually there has to be some extra ‘brain power’ in India that is leading a populous country with 1.1 billion heads on a path of inventions, modernization and prosperity.

Every good thing must comes to and end, or slow down. With recession and high unemployment in America – and rest of the developed world – many Indians living overseas are considering going back home. Some of the key incentives to stay abroad – job security and financial opportunities – have faded over the years. Thousands of NRIs – frustrated with the grim job outlook, – have packed up their American luggage and headed home for good. Many more are expected to follow the suit.

The NRIs all over the world are very aware of the prosperity and bright prospects of India. Some daydream of returning home in the near future; others are finding a way to collaborate with homeland on new opportunities. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: brain drain, brain gain, India, india abroad, Indian, indian-abroad, Indians Abroad, Living Abroad, manmohan singh, Non-Resident Indian, NRI, success, USA

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‘Color-blind’ kool kids of today!

Dec 6

Posted by admin in Consciousness & Awareness, Culture & Society, Non-Resident Indian, Race Relations, india abroad

Fading racial bias and prejudice among the younger generations abroad!

Children make you want to start life over. ~Muhammad Ali

11:50 AM, 12/5/09
San Francisco suburbs, USA
Location: A kids’ party venue

“Rupa, you are here!,” a pretty little girl in red exclaimed the obvious; her curly blond hair bounce as she shakes her head with a chuckle.
“Happy Birthday, Courtney,” said Rupa, handing over the gift bag. The mothers exchanged a smile, and a hello; and then moved inside to make room for the next young guest arriving with another gift bag.

Kids run around in the play area. All kinds of play stations are spread around, twinkling bright lights filling the large play-room with colorful glow.

Every few minutes, a new kid arrives with a new gift. And, the ‘birthday girl’ – Courtney – runs to the welcome area to greet the newly arrived friend. Smiles, giggles, chuckles and innocent greeting fill the air:
“Hi, how did you get here?”
“I didn’t know you were coming!”
“Did you see the big pile of my gifts?”
“You are here too???”…….a joyful and lively chatter fills the big play room.

In the play area, a clear pattern starts to emerge. The kids are getting on with what they are good at – playing. Boys are crowding the ‘boyish games’ – target shooting, hoops, gun battle, Sponge Bob etc. They are running around – play station to play station, bragging and showing off, making sure that there is someone to witness their great performance.

The little girls have their own things going, mostly with the girly stuff. They are attracted to the ‘mechanical pony rides’, ‘matching games’, ‘the make-up show’ and pink swirly slides…… And, some more adventurous ones are taking up on the boys, playing hoops and shoots. There are no barriers, no rules, no bars. Everybody is a busy in their main goal – having fun. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Culture, india abroad, Living Abroad, Non-Resident Indian, NRI, Race Relations, racial-bias, self-improvement, society, unconscious bias, USA

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Unrealistic dreams are dangerous for mental health!

Nov 29

Posted by admin in Bollywood, Entertainment, Non-Resident Indian

Are you a Bollywood heroine material?
bride2
There is and interesting observation made in an Article published in the Times of India: The Bollywood actresses are inclined to marry the NRIs abroad. “Why Bollywood beauties are starry-eyed about NRIs” goes into the past history of heroines settled with with NRIs overseas.

Over the years, Mumtaz, Madhuri Dixit, Meenakshi Sheshadri and many other have followed the trend of looking outside Bollywood – or even outside India – to find their hubbies in the foreign lands. And, along the same path, Shilpa Shetty married London-based businessman Raj Kundra earlier last week.

So what is it that these beautiful women with millions of fans cannot find a suitable match in India? What is it that makes these beauties to sacrifice their careers in many cases, leave behind everything and move overseas? Could it be that the abundance of attention and excessive spotlight become a burden for these celebrities and the only way to escape all this is to head abroad? Or may be, like rest of us in India, the lure of foreign land is too much to ignore.

Well, the reasoning may vary from one heroine to another, the logic may differ – not that true love needs logic – the NRIs abroad is certainly an enigma where many celebrities look for their future.

Take a lesson from all this, my fellow NRIs! Next time you put out a matrimonial ad, make sure to mention: ‘Bollywood heroines are welcome’; you never know.

So, do you think you are a Bollywood heroine material? Do you have what it takes to hook up with the glamour girls of Indian films? The question is lame, egocentric and may be borderline crazy, but come on! we – men – like to dream, don’t we? Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Bollywood, bollywood heroines, Living Abroad, Non-Resident Indian, NRI Marriages, NRIs, Shilpa Shetty

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Thanksgiving – More than Family, Food and a Prayer!

Nov 26

Posted by admin in Consciousness & Awareness, Culture & Society, Non-Resident Indian, Trivial Stuff

Happy Thanksgiving

Today – on 4th Thursday of every November – America is celebrating Thanksgiving Day. The schools are closed for better part of this week; most of the businesses close Thursday though Sunday. Everybody is in a festive mood.

The American Thanksgiving holiday traces its origins back to 1621 when newly arrived Pilgrims from England held a harvest feast after a successful crop growing season. For more on the history of the holiday, you can take a look at Wikipedia or search on-line….

So, it is a harvest festival. Over the years, however, it has become a ‘Turkey Day’ – every feast for every family gathering is supposed to include baked or roasted turkey. Cooking a 20 pound turkey is an adventure in itself. There are live help lines where you can call toll-free from your kitchen for free help if cooking is not going the way you expected; the nice ladies on the other end of the phone are always full of tips and tricks to help you out. This – ‘the turkey tip line’ – is one of the businesses they cannot outsource to India or China, at least not yet!

Thanksgiving is the time to thank; it is time to thank God, family and friends. It is time to thank God for all the good things and good karma bestowed on you. It is time to thank friends and family for their support, for their love, and for standing with you throughout the year. So no doubt, there is lots of feasting, lost of family gatherings and yes, some praying around this festival.

The day after the Thanksgiving – often called black Friday – is the busiest shopping day of the year; the start of Christmas shopping season. Some of the best deals and bargains are offered on this day, the stores open at 5AM and if you want to find a decent parking spot, you better get their before 4 AM…..A mob scene at its best! Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: America, conscience, Culture, festival, Living Abroad, self-improvement, society, Thanksgiving

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How to improve your communication skills

Nov 25

Posted by admin in Communication Skills, Consciousness & Awareness, Non-Resident Indian, personal development

The previous post titled ‘What you say? – Importance of Communication skills’ (linked below at the end of this article) covers in detail the basics of different types of communications and their overall importance.

Now, communications – the ability to share and exchange ideas and thoughts – consist of a wide range of skills. For example, you cannot be a good communicator just by being a better speaker, or just by being a good listener.

And, if the exchange is not in your mother tongue (the first language) – such as some one from India in USA – it takes some extra efforts to be good at this. Here are some of the main areas to consider for improving your communications skills:

Know what you are talking about: A communications or an exchange of ideas or the conversation is hollow and empty if it has no substance. Knowledge of the topic of discussion helps with a meaningful discourse. And, if it is just a friendly ‘chat about nothing’ – the small talk – that can also be improved, just read on!

Be a good listener: Listening is the first and foremost part of the communication. It helps with understanding the topic of discussion (‘Know what you are talking about’ step above). A good listener also earns the respect or the speakers and is always in-tune with the discussion. For details on improving this skill, refer to the article titled ‘how to improve the listening skills.’ The importance of listening is highlighted in a separate article linked here.

Improve verbal communications: Along with listening skills, equally important is the ability to deliver the message – the talking part. A good command of the language, a good vocabulary and ability to effectively speak are the desired attributes for being good at verbal communication. Those with mother-tongue (the first language) is different than the communication language often struggle in this sector. If English is your second language, or if you need to improve your accent in the new language, make sure to consider the tips and suggestion in the article titled, ‘A self-help guide to lose your accent.’

Make a small talk: Small talk matters. Small talk is the art of chitchat – talking about ‘nothing’. The small talk warms up the conversation; it can set up the mood of the discussion. The article ‘30 tips on the art of small talk’ has lots of good information on how to improve your small talk skills. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: accent-reduction, body language, communication, Communication Skills, Culture, english as a second language, india abroad, listening, Living Abroad, personal development, Personal Growth, self-improvement, small talk

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What you say? – Importance of Communication skills

Nov 24

Posted by admin in Communication Skills, Non-Resident Indian, personal development

At home or overseas – Importance of communication skills

“You can have brilliant ideas, but if you can’t get them across, your ideas won’t get you anywhere.”~ Lee Iacocca

“They don’t seem to fully understand me”
“Am I speaking a foreign language or something?”
“How come no body is listening to me?”
“Is it my accent that is limiting my range of communication?”

Your ability to communicate defines you as a person. You can be the most knowledgeable person around, but if you cannot share your ideas – if you cannot communicate – your knowledge may not mean much.

One of the main hurdles in adapting to a new place or becoming a part of the new culture is the difficulty of integrating into the new society. Our ability to effectively communicate with other is very important in adjusting to a new place, or a new culture. In fact, our success or failure in any walk of life often depends on how well we communicate with others. Any business, any workplace, any relation, any family, any society…..is built around communication.

In the basic sense, a communication takes place when two or more people share or exchange information, ideas, gossips, knowledge etc. The main ways of communications include:
Verbal or oral communications: This is where we talk and listen. The ideas are exchanged, the rumors are discussed, a mother sings a lullaby to the little one, a leader delivers her vision to the followers…..Most of our daily communications are oral, unless you are a writer hiding in the basement – writing away your ideas or fantasies, waiting to be discovered. The oral communication almost always involves personal contact with the audience, with some exceptions such as talking on the phone.
This is the area – the verbal exchange – where most of us struggle in a new place or in a new culture. The verbal communications are often different place-to-place, even if the same language is spoken. Every place has its own ways of communicating:

local slang
local style
local dialect
use of local terms that an outsider may not understand

Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: adaptation, communication, Communication Skills, Culture, India, india abroad, Living Abroad, Non-Resident Indian, NRI, overseas, Personal Growth, self-improvement

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12 Self-help tips on improving desi English language

Nov 23

Posted by admin in Communication Skills, Consciousness & Awareness, Culture & Society, India, Non-Resident Indian, india abroad, personal development

Self help suggestions and tips on improving Indian-English or Desi-English language abroad

“Are you enjoying the movie?”
“Simply”
Translated literally from Tamil, simply means absolutely.

There is nothing wrong with the above conversation if both sides know the intended meaning. Now, move that conversation to somewhere in USA or Canada or England, with someone who does not know the ‘Tamil-English’, the actual meaning is lost in the translations.

English language and English grammar is a bit tricky for those who are not used to it, for those with English as a second language. The basic mistakes we make are when we ‘think’ in our mother-tongue, and then translate in our head (Many of us say ‘translate in my mind ), and then speak in ‘translated’ English. Here are some self-help tips on improving desi English overseas:

1. Knowing and Having – the problem of the progressive tense: many Indians often translate and speak with excessive and often inappropriate use of progressive verb form.

For example, consider this:
“I am having a fever.”
“I am having a small family”
“I am knowing that you are having a party without sending me invitation.”

Of course, the correct way of saying is:
“I have a fever”
“I have a small family”
“I know you are having a party without inviting me.”

2. Isn’t it – The tag question: We tend to use ‘isn’t it’ without any discrimination. . It is a habit, but not a good one – everything is not it.

For example:
“Those are lovely flowers, isn’t it?”
“She is so pretty, isn’t it?”

The correct version, of course, is:
“Those are lovely flowers, aren’t they?” Make sure to refer to plural ‘flowers’ as ‘are’ not ‘is’.
“She is so pretty, isn’t she?” Make sure to refer to her as ‘she’ not ‘it’

3.The Royal treatment – the big word syndrome:
The Indian English dialects have originally evolved during and after the colonial rule of Britain in India. We tend to use the royal and big word in day to day speech; such usage is not common in western day-to-day English, especially in the spoken English.

For example:
That is a magnificent idea!
That is a splendid look!

It is not wrong, but more suitable conversation may be:
That is a great idea!
That is beautiful!

4. ‘But’ or ‘only’ to stress a point: That is another thing. We use ‘but’ and ‘only’ to stress. Consider this Indian way of saying, not correct grammatically:

It was he only who broke the glass.
She was just joking but.
She did not go only.

You could say it better such as:
He broke the glass. Or, It was he who broke the glass. ( the stress is on ‘He’)
She was only joking.
In the end, she did not go.

5. Mr. Smith and Mrs. Johnson – Showing respect by using last name: In India, it is cultural thing that we shy away from using first name for our elders, or our superiors at work. However, Western culture is much more informal when it comes to addressing each-other. So it is okay to call your boss by his/her first name, it is okay to call someone much older than you by first name.
If your Boss is John Davis, it is okay to call him John, instead of Mr. Davis.

6. Uncle and Auntie for friends’ parents – NOT: Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: accent-reduction, accent-softening, adaptation, communication, Communication Skills, Desi, desi english, english as a second language, immigrant, India, india abroad, Indian English, Indians Abroad, Living Abroad, Non-Resident Indian, NRI, overseas, personal development, Personal Growth, self-improvement, spoken english, tips

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“Thank you, Paji!” – Canada to Punjabis

Nov 20

Posted by admin in Culture & Society, India, Non-Resident Indian, india abroad

Canada owes its prosperity to Punjabi settlers: Prime Minister Harper

Following the footsteps of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Charles, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper took a trip to Punjab and visited Amritsar to pay his obeisance at the Golden Temple – the Sikh holy shrine.

Pointing out the contributions from Punjabi immigrants in Canada, the Prime Minister admitted that his country owes its prosperity to the perseverance and work ethics of more than a million Punjabi.
“1.2 million Punjabis out of which more than eight lakh are from Indian Punjab are settled in Canada and making significant contribution to strengthening the Canadian economy,” Harper said.

Recognizing the Punjabi settlers as partners in the Canadian progress, the Premier said that Punjabis have been contributing to the country’s development through their hard work and grit for more than a century.

The Canadian government is fully committed to preserve and promote the Punjabi culture and the Punjabi language in Canada, he added.

Vancouver, Toronto and Calgary are three main cities of Canada with large population of Indians, majority of them of Punjabi origin. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Bollywood, Canada, India, india abroad, indian visit, Living Abroad, Non-Resident Indian, NRI, punjab, punjabis in canada, Stephen Harper