Martin came in today. He occupied the seat diagonally opposite to me. Myself and VAP had shared the room. Both of us were mallus and we were used to speaking in malayalam but now with Martin(Brit) sharing the room we could not speak in malayalam.
Day -1
Enter martin………… A rotund person with glasses in his mid fifties. He soon got settled into his seating position and started out to work on his laptop. After exchanging pleasantries I also got absobed in work, when Martin interrupted me…………."Xcuse me do you have the list of Wells??. I handed him the list given to us by the Client………….. Then he raised a volley of questions………………What do you mean by S.No. was the first……………. Without hesitation I replied serial number ofcourse……..
" Serial number?!" he burst out. "what is the meaning of serial number? What do you mean by serial number? Serial number is used only for computers or books etc . How do you put serial number for the wells……….. wells should be having a well number..!!" he blasted.
For a moment I was taken aback. I quickly explained to him that it was perfectly normal to write S. No to list the well heads to which came his quick response……………" U know what............. this must have been made by some Indian for sure……… They always write serial number for all things." This was enough to boil the hidden patriotism in me. How dare he make a comment on all Indians.
" Mr Martin do you know that this English language that we speak is the funniest. There are so many meanings to a single word like serial…………. " I blurted. May be he felt that he had said something twhich had offended me ……….so he kept quiet………………..
For the rest of the day we all maintained dignified silence only to start a fresh episode the next day.
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ReplyDeleteSorry, but I like that line-'wells should be having well numbers'. he he :)
ReplyDeleteAnyway, coming to 'Indian' comment, yeah, and that usage-'dignified silence'...
Not for making any point, speaking on a topic 'Why we are mad behind english in India?', I remember a scholar mentioning a line from an englishman, who was criticising 'geetanjali', 'Rabindranath Tagore does not know English-And, No Indian knows English'...well,(not the oil well), after working in Middle East, I think, Nobody knows English!
hahahaah....enjoyed that "wells should be having a well number".....Best of luck for your future WAR........our moral support is there with you always........(alla...serikkum saayippu paranjathu seri aano??..."ini enganum biriyani kodukkunundengilo???.."
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