The Language called Hindi...Arindhum Ariyaamalum...

I was reading one of Sidin's latest posts. The guy has come back with a bang after a long hiatus. I could not help laughing reading his post

http://sidin.blogspot.com/2006/01/phyrds-uykl-33.html#links

Was reminded of my school days. Though being a tamilian, I studied Hindi as a second language right from my kindergarten to my tenth boards. Found it tuff initially but with tuition classes for a 3 year period helped me and later I found myself very comfortable learning the langauge with its nuances...While my tamil friends were busy reciting Thirukkural, I was busy studying kabir and tulsi's dohas, Harivansh Rai' kavithas (poems), Munshee Premchand's Anek Kahaniyaan (many stories). I remember having a lesson in my 10th std called "Jel Mein Jeev Janthu" (Life forms in Jail )Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. I liked it so much and later went on to write an essay just to amuse my friends which accidentally slipped into the hands of my teacher who hacked me to death...

I had written

" Adarsh mein jeev jantu " (Life forms in Adarsh) [Adarsh Vidayalaya (AV) is the school I studied in ] I had written that the life forms in my school includes my Principal, Vice Principal, Head Mistress, Teachers etc. I had addressed them as
life forms just to emphasise that they were the life and soul of my school ( i am sure all of you believe me :p) but they mistook for my calling them "Juntu" (creatures). Thank goodness this did not reach my father just my poor doting mother
and teachers hence after shuddered to invite me to participate in essay competitions wondering what I would call them next...hee :) hee :)

I remember the time when a couple of us danced for the song from Anjaam "Atara baras ki kawaaree kadee thee..." My hindi teacher ran to the stage and pulled us back saying the song was vulgar...Poor lady she would have had a heart attack if she had listened to my younger brother of 5 years singing " Sexy Sexy Sexy mujhe log bole..." :)

With eagerness to boost the total in 12th Boards, I changed my 2nd language to french...felt really bad for couple of days but forced myself to like french and believed that I am doing the right thing learning an International Language...Ellam
build up dhaan...When I told my friends that I am burying hindi in the hatchet and learning an international language they raised brows and asked me why I am not keen on learning the language of the Zulus...I did not have an answer...

Thanks to regular whackings from my hindi teacher, watching innumerable serials from Circus, Mongerilal Ke Haseen Sapney, Farhaan, Intezaar, Fauji, my hindi drastically improved and I topped my school in one of the Hindi Papers in Boards...95/100 - Had a hard time believing that...Thanks Shahrukh, I love you for that...

The next 4 years went off without uttering a single word in Hindi cos I landed in Coimbatore a city of "Gounders and Cotton Mills". Wherever I went it was " Enunga, eppadee irukkeengaa...".

The solid foundation in hindi made things easy for me when I moved to Bangalore to work. I found myself working in a heterogeneous group with each of us speaking a different tongue but I could connect to the Juntas in Hindi and Anglais who all the while thought that there was only one south indian language and that was tamil and south india means madras, south indian means madrasee and bangalore was somewhere in the middle of India...

I remember an interesting in experience in Delhi where we had been on a short visit. My dad who did not know a word of hindi inspite of working in a Delhi based company used to talk to taxi wallahs like this "Tum Aata hai Hum Jaata hai " (You are coming I am going). My mom and I used to laugh mischievously everytime he used to say that to taxi drivers.

I used to think this was the funniest until my friend from malluland gave his account of experiences with hindi. this friend did not know a word of hindi inspite of hailing from malluland which surprised me quite a bit as mallus are known to know
a lot of languages as they are all over the world...3 things can be seen everywhere...Aalu (potato), Sardar and Mallu...

[Please excuse me my dear mallu friends...]

Looks like this friend's father went to a restaurant in Delhi and do you know what he asked for???

"Ande kee maatha chahiye " (I want mother of egg) !

He wanted to order chicken but did not know the hindi equivalent so ended up asking the above...The waiter there was stupified for words and his friends laughed until their stomachs ached...

This friend had interesting experiences with hindi too...While on a trip to Mumbai he wanted to know where the apartment swimming pool was...do you know what he asked?

"Where is Paani Mein Ghoomna thing" (Where is roaming in water thing)

Like father, like son...

Hee :) Hee :))

I can recount many such interesting experiences of mine and my friends using the language but I leave you with just the above...

Hum Jaatha Hai...Aap Isko Padtha Hai...(I am leaving now, You read this...)

Hee ! Hee !!