Learning European Languages

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Slum-children in Dharavi, Mumbai learn English Alphabets

Last summer, I traveled to Mumbai in India for a couple of months, and I was troubled by the children who beg for money. Do I give them money or food or neither? If I give money, exploitative adults may take it. My family regularly contributes to Indian charities, but that is small relief in these miserable plight.

Your desire to help a child in distress is commendable, whichever of those options you choose. But I chose a different road to make those children self-reliable. Those Children were illiterate so I thought of teaching them the English Language. The challenge was to begin from the base that is teaching them alphabets.

I love exposing young children to letters! It is so fun to see them find letters in their environment and connect letters they know in their name. As we all know, letters and letters sounds are the foundation to our English language so identifying letters and the sounds they make is very important.

To say if only I can say my School was under a tree in Dharavi, the slum in Mumbai. Dharavi is the largest slum in Asia and one of the largest slums in the world. Danny Boyle's Oscar-winning movie “Slumdog Millionaire” was shot as well in this slum. The railway station was very close to the area. During teaching, we used to get the train sound.

Most of the children who came to learn the English language were basically child labor- factory-workers and rag-pickers. To make alphabet learning not a struggle but fun I got some activities. The activities included Letter Picture Cards, Large letters (for creating letter art), Letter Poem, Letter Snack and Sensory Ideas, Letter Book, Dot paint letters, Letter Flipbook, Letter Hunt, Letter Puzzles, Letter Lacing, Letter Size Up, Letter Writing, Letter Match-Up and Letter Sort.

The children found learning English alphabets extremely interesting. These children were amazing learners. They are great fun to be with. Given the opportunity, they too can experience an incredible India and participate in the exercise of nation building. Education can transform them from dependents to driving forces. In the words of H. H. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and I quote “Education is a vehicle for transformation or metamorphosis of the self and an aid to the growth of economy.”

Romantic Rich Herzlich Zurich Trip

My friend betrayed and cancelled the last minute plan. But it was comfortable traveling alone. Finally I boarded on a fine coach for Zurich, the cosmopolitan yet cultural city. My seat was adjacent to a hunk. OMG! We exchanged names and soon realized the fact that we could only use gestures and smiles. Roger did not know English and i was poor at German. Going through my android smartphone and came to know about a language learning app that made things easy. I downloaded the app and looked in for German language translator. Greeting Roger in his language surprised him.

I showed him the amazing app and he downloaded it too. We could now exchange at least basic stuff. Roger told me that he had come to pay a visit to his uncle’s place and thought of exploring Zurich. Roger was more than excited when he came to know that i was also there for the same purpose. Not to a surprise, we decided to have fun together. Attraction was natural. We decided to visit five places.

 Rietberg Museum

The Rietberg Museum is a paramount cultural institution in Zurich. Rietberg Museum comprised of Non-European art. I was just about to trip off the train, when Roger yelled, “achten”. According to the app it meant careful. And i replied, “I am fine”. He too scrolled his phone screen and gave a little smile. It was a sweet beginning of a yet sugary journey.

Zoo

With over 3,000 specimens, zoo is a great place in the city for education and fun. We clicked a number of photographs and also shared our Facebook accounts. Snake section was very fascinating. He exclaimed “schön” which means beautiful.

Fraumünster

The old church had exotic glass design work by Marc Chagall, reflecting the rich heritage of the city. We silently prayed and then went for lunch. The menu was in English. Using the help of lingual app, he decided to have pizza. We enjoyed pizza and pasta with cocktail.

Lake Promenade

Zurich has a lake and lush green scenery galore. All of a sudden Roger told, "kann ich deine Hand halten?", it means can i hold your hand? We took a walk hand in hand by the lake. The feeling was enticing . It seemed as if butterflies were flying in my stomach.

Lindenhof

It was the time of dusk and the romance was oozing. Our last destination was Lindenhof. Lindenhof is the historic home of a Roman castle and fortress. It consists of a hill and section of old Zurich. 

 

My flight was at 2:00 A.M. We would part after that, not willing to tell goodbye. He dropped me to the airport. Boarding on the plane, i saw the last message on my cell, it was Roger’s. It said, “ich liebe dich”. Our short love story had begun through apps, shortly i replied, “ich liebe dich auch”. Understand the emotions, it does not require any language translator.

Flirt, Love, Romance and Farewell

I happen to be a researcher and my work requires a lot of traveling. A researcher to me is a traveler and a poet who leaves behind a legacy of heart-wrenching memories, some interesting bundle of narratives, some untold stories, unsung poems, bunch of weathered roses and some broken hearts. When one travels to a
foreign destination one learns local language to effectively engage with locals there.

It is very often said a traveler breaks a heart at every place he makes a stop. You call it a myth or a stereotype that travelers, especially men, break hearts. There are  also women travelers who break hearts. I know by saying this I offend my feminist friends for which I have a great deal of respect. So, be it male or female, a traveler happens to leave a broken heart behind.

I have an untold story to say when I traversed an untraveled road. It all happened on my research trip to Paris last autumn. I met a Frenchman at a bar in Paris. I was having my favorite red wine when he suddenly came to me and said “Puis-je avoir le plaisir de danser avec vous”(May I have the pleasure to dance with you). Though he was a stranger, he did not appear to be a stranger to me. Quickly I gave my hand in his hand and we started dancing.

With every dance move he was drawing me closer and closer to him. And I don't know why I hesitated not once to go close to him. While dancing in his arms he asked me “ Quel est votre nom jeune fille?”(What is your name young lady?). I said Jane. Then I asked him, “What's yours?”. He said “Alfred”. From my accent he understood that I am an American. So he asked me, “Quelle place en Amérique, vous venez de ma chère”?(Which place in America you come from my dear?). I said “New York”.

Suddenly he drew me very close and whispered, “Vous avez un beau sourire sexy lady!”(You have a beautiful smile sexy lady!). I said looking into his eyes “J'aime les deux vin français et les Français” (I love both French wine and French men). We got more cozy and he kissed me on my lips. It seemed two strangers, a French man and an American woman were on an unusual date.

Alfred with a deep sigh said “Je veux te sentir mon amour?” (I want to feel you my love?). At that moment I felt as if he said what I desired but could not utter. I pressed his hand suggesting my consent. That night we spent with each other in a hotel room. The next morning we parted. Alfred said “Je ne vais jamais oublier ces moments précieux”.(I am never going to forget these precious moments.). I said “Même ici Adieu ma belle inconnue!”(Same here, Goodbye my fair stranger!).

Now when on my couch I lie and recall these memories, I see a host of golden daffodils fluttering and dancing in the breeze. I would not call it a one night stand but an intimacy and romance which lived only for a night. Me, a traveler and this is my story of broken heart.

But again, I have to move on. I am a traveler and this is my journey. Life is a forward journey. There is no turning back. My next research assignment takes me to Madrid in Spain. In Spanish, I ask myself “¿Quién es el que más?.”(Who is the next man?). I wonder “Va a correr la misma suerte?” (Will he meet the same fate?)

Here I pack my bag. All set to travel to Madrid. “Taxi Airport”! Standing in the Queue at John F. Kennedy International Airport for my Boarding Pass, I get a man's voice who is standing on my back speaking in Spanish to somebody over phone. He is saying “La señora delante de mí está deslumbrante!”(The lady in front of me is ravishing!). He seems to be Spanish and unaware of the fact that I know Spanish.

Wow! I got a window seat. I don't see that Spanish man in the flight. Wait a minute! ¿Por qué estoy en busca de él? (Why am I looking for him?). ¿Es él el que más? (Is he the next man?)

The flight lands at the Madrid–Barajas Airport. Excited to be in Spain, the native country of one of my favorite actress, Penélope Cruz. I am waiting for a Taxi to reach the hotel. Hey! I see the same Spanish man boarding a Taxi whom I saw in the queue at the airport. As the Taxi moves, he shouts “Bienvenida Señora del hermoso país España!!” (Welcome Madam to the beautiful country Spain!)

Sitting in the Taxi, on my way to the hotel, my heart is beating fast. I can't stop thinking about that Spanish man. “Me imagino otra historia corazón roto está esperando.” (I imagine another broken heart story is waiting.)

-To be continued

Flirting in Italy – How to impress a woman?

Italians are known for their aggressive flirting. Italians get intimate when they flirt. The popular image of the Italian man inspired by Italy’s most famous actors: the boyish romance of Roberto Benigni, the suave sexiness of Marcello Mastroianni.

We look to the Italians as master of romance, Latin lovers who conquer with a smouldering glance and whisk women away on their scooters to woo them in some secluded olive grove.

In Italy where men and women embrace with ease at each meeting, foreign girls can be seen as fair game by young Italian males, often frustrated by long, traditional courtships with their Italian girlfriends.

Even though bottom-pinching may now be a thing of the past, women sitting on their own in a Rome cafe are likely to attract more than one rowdy and could find it hard to shake off their unwanted beau.

Here are five very simple phrases that can be used whether you’re chasing a boy or a girl, a gentleman or a lady, a spring chicken or mature vintage… The Italians do flirting like no other nation in the world so you need to be prepared with at least a little linguistic reciprocity!

1. You’re so funny – Sei molto simpatico/a (this is informal but if a waiter in a trattoria is telling you jokes or having a laugh with you, then it’s okay to use this wording normally reserved for friends and family)

2. You have been very kind – Lei e’ stato molto gentile (this is formal, which is good for situations with hotel managers who have looked after you or perhaps a restaurant owner who finds you a table even when the kitchen is closing)

3. Your English is excellent – Parli benissimo l’inglese (informal) or Parla benissimo l’inglese (formal)

4. You’re charming/enchanting – Sei affascinante (to a male) or Sei incantevole (to a female)

5. You’re so sweet – Sei carinissimo/dolcissimo (to a male) or Sei carinissima/dolcissima (to a female)

6. You’re hot/beautiful/fit/genetically blessed/I’d love to breed with you – Sei bellissimo (to a male) or Sei bellissima (to a female)

Lingual Logics

Learning a new language brings many funny instances. You never know it meant something else in some other languages. And if they have an entirely unrelated meaning, it becomes a bigger source of pleasure. Let me tell you some words I came across:

I used to watch Shinchan, the cartoon series with a Japanese kid, with my nephew. The name of Shinchan’s dog is Shiro. I thought its just another meaningless words for pets like tommy and all. Whereas, to my amusement, Shiro in Japanese means white in English. And it struck me that yes! the dog was white. Quite justifiable, but amusing.

Mandarin, as we know, is a language used in China, is also a word used for citrus fruits in English. I mean what would the following sentence imply “Mandarin has a flavour of bitterness.”

‘Shove’ (pronounced as shuv) is a word in Hindi that means corpse. I wonder how would we take this sentence - “That shove was necessary to make things possible.“

Hell in German means Light. So next time, if you yell at someone saying “Go to hell”, be sure that you specify which ‘hell’ you mean.

Hose means trouser in German. So next time you see a fire, grab a ‘hose’ and... wear it! You will need to run.

See, what fun you can have while learning languages! I opened the word-stock I had. What about you?

Rendezvous with non-English speakers

Being an English speaker among English-speaking natives, I had never imagined the fun of being with non-English speakers. I was in Switzerland for an official conference, when I started experiencing the effects of lingual change. Let me tell you some of the legendary moments I can still giggle on.

I decided to delight myself in a French restaurant. The menu card in French looked like a crossword puzzle. But, somehow I managed to make noodles out of Nouilles due to a small graphic after the name. The French serveur, who was almost on skateboard all the while, stood by me for at least 10 minutes to absorb the details of my order. I explained him the whole procedure of making noodles to escape any kind of bad experiences. With my loud actions and mimes, I was able to tell him that I do not want non-vegetarian touch in my Nouilles. After a while I was served with delicious looking noodles to raise my temptations, which brewed away as soon as I sniffed. It was cooked in FISH OIL!  

Next morning, I had to reach a conference via public transport. I googled about the route options that would be available to me. I had to take a train to Paradeplatz, for which I had to hire a taxi to reach the station. I had to hurl from one taxi to another with one word on my tongue Paradeplatz. I asked to every taxi but all I was getting was a perplexed look. I showed the spelling I had jotted down last night to a driver who pronounced it differently with some silent consonants and different vowel sound. Pa -ra -da - pla - z (with T silent) or t(with Z silent) Huh! I should have known that!

When people around you, suddenly start talking in their native language while looking at you, certainly they ought to be discussing you, suspense reaches the climax. You try hard to recall all your kinesics’ lessons to make out what their body language is saying. Soon I realized that it is far more difficult to understand the language of whole body without the language of tongue. And, I kept running my thoughts to try and catch some context. That is a very awkward position to be in, believe me.

Next day, I happened to meet a native speaker in the strange land who, like an angel, ebbed all my hitches with single sway of LingoDiction. With LingoDiction, an offline app for iOS, I got to know all the frequently used words with their audio pronunciation. Then, I faced the same bunch of foreign language speakers with my armours ready to their attacks. I pretended that I cannot understand like before but I could atleast make out the context of their conversation which, to my embarrassment, wasn’t related to me at all.

One more thing I and that angel native did. We reversed the trick on non-English speakers. We make them suspect our topic of conversation, which made them self-conscious. We had a furious laugh before and after the act. Cheers to LingoDiction!