The Internet Chronicles from Mera Gaon, Mera Des: Adaption to Social Networking in Rural India and its Repercussions on Linguistics

Rupa: Aaj kono Gowri Sankar hamaar ko friend rikwest bheje hain.

Champa: Kaun Gawri Sankar? Arre uuh Nirmal kaki ka door-daraaj ka bhanja, jinki boxers mein hum mendhak chhode the, Bholu ke lagan mein?

Rupa: Hat gadharia! Uuh to Badri Sankar-wa rehat, jo ki Teevri nadi ke Teer mein basat rahi. Ee koi Sa-weedun gaon ka dude hai.

Champa: Suh-weedun? Bahar-gaon? Holi Cow!

Rupa: Hum yeh sochat rahi, ki uu ko hamaar pi-rofile milat to kaise milat rahi? Kono common friend hi naahi hai!

Champa:: Hmmm..tanik itna batao, dekhan mein kaisat hai?

Rupa: Kermit mendhak-wa ka chachera bhai ya Peter Griffin-wa ke mausi ka ladka - oh kaisan kehat? haan - F-ugly!

Giggles!

Champa: Peter Griffin to phir bhi theek-thak rahi Par uska kutta, jab uski lugai ko taktaki bandh kar dekhat rahi, Shiv Shiv Shiv Shiv! Oo chhod, hamari maan to rejekt kar de. Hamaar bhauji kehti hai ki bahar-gaon jaane ke baad mard log ekdum jerks ho jaat rahi.

Rupa: Hai Raam! Hamaar bhains-wa, Mary Jane, tumse behtar samajh rahi ee duniya ko. Eeh sab f**k-tard-wa log hi kehat hai. Internet-wa par kono samay bitao to tumhaar khopadiya mein bhi kuch padega!

Champa: Chill-pill khaat lo! Tumhaar ghar ma Wii hot, is kaaran Tinku, Billu, aur Radha tumka paresaan nahi karat. Humaar yahaa Dhondu aur Kamla ko World of War Ka-raft se hatao to Daddu computer nahi chhodat. Aur amma boli ki jab Daddu hot Nepali chhori ka search karat rahi aur hum pass ma dikhai diyat to uuh hamaar asses whoop karat rahi!

Customer Service - How much is too much?

To me, Marketing is the most fascinating of business disciplines- it is dynamic, complex and powerful. Constantly reinventing itself and its vocabulary, you will have had heard of the ubiquitous 3C's or 4P's, CRM tools, metrics of ROI and Brand valuation, the list goes on and on and on.

Just as in Fashion, there is always a Flavor of the Season- a concept or theory that is IN. And just as in religion and spirituality, there is a constant quest for the enlightened state. Our current Holy Grail is the Social Media Marketing. A while ago, it was Customer Service. Just as everything associated with marketing, it, too, is rife with rules, frameworks and acronyms. There are even ISO standards on CS. It had been touted as a key differentiating factor between you and your competition, especially in mature markets. It could make or break your business.

A few months ago, I was in a meeting with some people who were retained post a recent acquisition by my company. We were discussing the integration of our marketing efforts, and the conversation steered towards what their strengths had been versus ours. One person, rather passionately, made the case for customer service. I will give it to him though, customers were pampered way more by his former company. But to elucidate the key takeaway of his argument, let me quote him as best as my memory allows- "You know, you guys are bigger and all that, but you treat your customers like numbers. We on the other hand were good with them. It's like the difference between Best Buy and Circuit City. You know what I mean, Circuit City was so much more personal than Best Buy."

Yes sir, I do know what you mean: You = Circuit City = Bankrupt; We = Best Buy = Still in business. Also, we acquired you.

Avatar

Avatar, the James Cameron flick, is a visual marvel. That's to say the least. The technology and effects are incredibly convincing and awe-inspiring. Stats have it that it is the 2nd highest grossing film of all time, worldwide. And that, in just three weeks after release. Everybody loves it. I, frankly, was utterly disappointed. It was just too eff-ing predictable- unimaginative dialogues, mono-dimensional characters, a mish-mash of done-to-death plots. For, creativity's sake, even the creatures on Pandora seemed out of Jurassic Park, so vividly colorful that I thought they were having a rave party. Well clearly I had too high expectations and/or I am missing the point.

At one level, it also seemed like a perverse tribute to all the native civilizations and tribes ousted and destroyed by invaders, traders, saviors and others of imperialistic leaning. Instead of falling prey to the technologically superior, singularly self-centered and obstinately uncompromising enemy, the underdogs are victorious. Reality check - it happens only in movies. The rest happens all the time, for real.

An example of a real-life Avatar happening on our very planet. Here are the parallels:

LOCATION- PANDORA, a satellite of a fictitious planet: EARTH, in a remote part of the mineral rich state of Orissa in eastern India

SPECIES of concern: the NA'VI- blue-skinned, pointy-eared, 10-foot feline humanoids : the DONGRIA KONDH- brown, lean, 5.5-foot simple human beings

COMPANY: RDA Corp. : Vedanta Aluminium Ltd.

PRIZE: Unobtanium : Aluminium

Check out this video by Survival International: http://www.survivalinternational.org/films/mine

The incidents are frighteningly are similar. The fact that it is far from over and how real life usually turn out, makes this numbingly scary. It also doesn't help knowing that this is not an isolated or a singular event at any given point in time.

I think I actually appreciate the ending of Avatar.

Re-reading mythologies

Last week, Psychobubble drew my attention to Myth=Mithya, by Devdutt Pattanaik, an honorable interpretation of a few but nevertheless crucial aspects of the Hindu mythology. It provides a refreshing perspective on culture amidst the everyday conflicts of our modern, ambiguous lives. It also reminded me of how infuriated I get at traditions that seem anachronistic, literal or obtusely followed. (Sometimes, though less admittedly, my own lack of understanding is the culprit). Here's a glimpse of my outrage.

REF: “Re-reading mythologies” Santosh Desai, City City Bang Bang TOI, Saturday, May 6, 2006

The article talks of the role extensively played by the society to lay down the rules of behavior and regulate the same for its people. Through folklores and myths a community embeds its dogma in our mindsets from even before we can start to think. To elaborate how powerful these stories are in defining our outlooks and the appropriate societal code of conduct, the author draws upon the great Indian epic, the Ramayana. The subject: Fidelity.

He dissects the famous Sita abduction episode. In the choice between two “rights”, there is no room for personal discretion for the woman. She must do what the society dictates. In case of Sita, the crossing of the Laxman-rekha to give alms to Ravana disguised credibly as a God-man that led to her abduction, serves as a lesson for all, that for the woman, it’s her man, first, before all else, including God. There is complete subjugation of discretion when held up against this collective verity.

Other incidents in the such as the agni-pariksha and the banishment of Sita highlight the nonnegotiable aspect of female fidelity. You are guilty even if you are proven innocent.

So deep-rooted is this message, that female adultery is still a taboo subject and fidelity and virginity a dogged demand from women. So much for all the women's-lib movement. The self-declared mouthpiece of free expression and modern society, the Indian movie industry or the Bollywood still keeps its yard-arm clear by portraying the adulteress, time and again, as the wrong or the bad woman.

But what really is perplexing is a society that is so obsessed with fidelity, has practically no rules for the wayward men. No popular myths or folklores even mention, let alone demand on the patni-vrata prototype for men. Ram is not required to prove his fidelity after years apart from his wife nor is Ravana questioned for abducting another woman while being a married man. And then of course Bollywood plays its ubiquitous role by showing the adulterer being forgiven by his wife, because that is the right thing to do. No apologies from him. To err is hu-MAN. Bad woman!

Time to re-read our mythologies; instead of blind acceptance of these skewed social norms, an objective evaluation of our folktales is essential to imbibe the right “rights” in our mindsets. After all adaptation and evolution are the natural codes of conduct.

Coming of Age

Parents often toggle between denial and muted acceptance of certain behaviour that their children indulge in. They want the best of the world for their progeny- happiness and wisdom, but avoid confronting the fact that their little ones have to undergo some “unpleasant” experiences to come of their own.

What’s remarkable is the sense of guilt, confusion and pacification you go through, because eventually the standards you set for yourself as a person and those as the child of your parents tend to diverge, run parallel or just run along a collision course.

***************************************************

Kahlil Gibran - Excerpt from The Prophet....On Children

Your children are not your children.

They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself.
They come through you but not from you,
And though they are with you yet they belong not to you.

You may give them your love but not your thoughts,
For they have their own thoughts.
You may house their bodies but not their souls,
For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow,
which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.
You may strive to be like them,
but seek not to make them like you.
For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.

You are the bows from which your children
as living arrows are sent forth.
The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite,
and He bends you with His might
that His arrows may go swift and far.
Let your bending in the archer's hand be for gladness;
For even as He loves the arrow that flies,
so He loves also the bow that is stable.

src: http://www.katsandogz.com/onchildren.html

Can I?

The movie, Into the Wild is an introspective, poignant adventure tale, one man's journey to find life, its meaning, away from the veils of societal dishonesty. His struggle to search for his identity within the nature, a fight against social training. Loved it.

There is a strange and sad little pleasure in musing about life, with Eddie Vedder singing in the background- the soundtrack of Into the Wild- Society, are you lonely without me? Also “Me, are you lonely without Society?” Classic love-hate relationship.

There is a perverse serenity in living life vicariously- seeing the world through others eyes, enjoying another's thrills and adventures, crying for their sorrows, thinking their thoughts? Whatever happened to "I think therefore I am" or "I experience therefore I am alive".

I want to be great. But I am also cowardly and lazy. I want to spin the world. I constantly swing between crests of hyper-energy and doldrums of inanimateness. I have big plans for me. My prime mover is rusted. Can I make tomorrow a brand new day?

There’s a big

A big hard sun

Beating on the big people

In the big hard world

None of us are free; (Each)one of us is chained

Mar 08

Scene n-1:

"I have always wanted to get into consulting because..."

"I want a career in corporate finance"

"Life is going to be awesome"

Scene n:

“Just get an internship.”

“Apply everywhere!”

“Your aspirations do not matter right now.”

"I'll take anything that wants me!"

“Career center is useless!”

Scene n+1:

“Well, it does sort of fit with my plans. It’s got strategic work, you know?” Hmmm?

“Yeah, marketing was my focus. But dude it is Am***n. The finance at Am***n is different than usual finance jobs.” Really?

“Yeah, I got an offer. (But I am still so grumpy)” Hey wasn’t it yesterday that you announced that just one offer is all you want from dear life itself?

“Oh! You do not have an internship? (I am so sorry for you) Hold it! I am not terminally ill!

How can you possibly look so relaxed? What is there to be happy about? I hate everybody! Life sucks! Why are people applying to jobs they do not care about? (well, secretly I am doing the same but I am holier than thou!))”

Aaaaarrrrrrggghhh!!

Epilogue:

Jobs and careers are important, I agree. For a sizable demographic populace, at least. A little setback has sent people behaving like there will be Armageddon in 5 hours! So, we scowl at everyone and only have pessimism to spew. Anybody not behaving the same way is thought to be a freak or has too much money or not "serious". I.e. FREAK!

You are expected to conform or be dismissed. Pressure is mounting to succumb. But how can I apply just anywhere? I am not closed-minded. I am open to exploring avenues. But I cannot make indiscriminate choices. I will gather the information that I get and make a decision based on that. And no, I am certainly not a preachy, white-winged, halo-headed, pure angel. I have succumbed on several occasions. But I have tried to dig myself out before it is too late. The fight goes on.

None of us are free, one of us are chained.
None of us are free. - Solomon Burke