Wednesday, December 14, 2005
MRT rides, the Pakistani view and Indian restaurants
MRT Rides in Singapore are long - thats quite a surprise because the whole place is bloody only a couple of miles long! Anyway, atleast those rides I take are pretty long what with NTU in the remotest corner of this small island.
These rides are particularly long because Singaporeans are socially dull - no offence meant - I mean they cant strike up a decent conversation or get into a fight. I have been in 3-day long train journeys in India, and I usually come out with sore throats because of the amount of talking we did in those rides with our fellow passengers. Singaporeans just stand there as if they are doing sentry duty, or texting away, or reading invariably some stupid tabloid article on an European foot-baller! Excepting ofcourse ... you know - the Indians, who cant keep their volumes low either over the phone or while talking to their mates.
So, today I was pleased to hear this conversation in Hindi - I cant quite call it overhearing cos they were so loud! Over time I figured out from the conversation, that it was a couple of Pakistanis and a poor Tamil dude. I say poor because these two Pakistanis were arguing about Indians and their perceptions about Pakistanis, and when they disagreed they would ask the Tam guy for the inside opinion. But, ofcourse, if Tamil guy refutes one Pakistani's viewpoint, he immediately would conclude that the Tamilian was too South Indian! Hence, incapable of giving a representative opinion of the Indian view-point!
These were the conclusions I inferred by the team the train pulled up in Boon-Lay.
1) Supposedly, Pakistanis know a lot about India (Yea rite! Cos you are Indian too - effectively!)
2) Supposedly, Indians don't know enough about Pakistan (Particularly the South Indians!)
3) South Indians are not quite Indians because ... hmm .... they are not from the north - you know the place that is close to Pakistan?
4) Knowing about Alka Yagnik and Udit Narayan (who is a Nepali BTW) means they know India!
Good Lord!
PS - A side observation was made today: Indian restaurants (even the costly ones with sophisticated clientele) are noisy, and thats part of the reason why the ambience is inviting for the diners! What better way to have a private time than when you know for a fact that whatever you say is going to be drowned in the noise around you!
These rides are particularly long because Singaporeans are socially dull - no offence meant - I mean they cant strike up a decent conversation or get into a fight. I have been in 3-day long train journeys in India, and I usually come out with sore throats because of the amount of talking we did in those rides with our fellow passengers. Singaporeans just stand there as if they are doing sentry duty, or texting away, or reading invariably some stupid tabloid article on an European foot-baller! Excepting ofcourse ... you know - the Indians, who cant keep their volumes low either over the phone or while talking to their mates.
So, today I was pleased to hear this conversation in Hindi - I cant quite call it overhearing cos they were so loud! Over time I figured out from the conversation, that it was a couple of Pakistanis and a poor Tamil dude. I say poor because these two Pakistanis were arguing about Indians and their perceptions about Pakistanis, and when they disagreed they would ask the Tam guy for the inside opinion. But, ofcourse, if Tamil guy refutes one Pakistani's viewpoint, he immediately would conclude that the Tamilian was too South Indian! Hence, incapable of giving a representative opinion of the Indian view-point!
These were the conclusions I inferred by the team the train pulled up in Boon-Lay.
1) Supposedly, Pakistanis know a lot about India (Yea rite! Cos you are Indian too - effectively!)
2) Supposedly, Indians don't know enough about Pakistan (Particularly the South Indians!)
3) South Indians are not quite Indians because ... hmm .... they are not from the north - you know the place that is close to Pakistan?
4) Knowing about Alka Yagnik and Udit Narayan (who is a Nepali BTW) means they know India!
Good Lord!
PS - A side observation was made today: Indian restaurants (even the costly ones with sophisticated clientele) are noisy, and thats part of the reason why the ambience is inviting for the diners! What better way to have a private time than when you know for a fact that whatever you say is going to be drowned in the noise around you!
# posted by Vikram, Son of Bala : 11:40 AM
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Vikram, I am amazed by your writing. I must confess I am a big fan of your writing. The satire in your writing almost reminds me of Saki's short stories which overflow with it. Keep up the writing!
# posted by 
: 12:00 AM
: 12:00 AM
He He! Thanks dude - I hope you weren't referring to some of those ununderstandable long-winded ones Saki writes, but the more enjoyable ones like 'Packletide's Tiger'. Now - I am under pressure to 'maintain my standards'.
What better way to have a private time than when you know for a fact that whatever you say is going to be drowned in the noise around you!
LOL
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LOL
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