Do you know Dutch ??

It seemed to be a very good opportunity to look for someone who can understand, speak and write Dutch to bring the person in for the small family where I work. Dutch first came to India at Serampore almost 400 years ago but could never adapt to the condtions here like the Brits, French or Portiz. They didn’t even stay for 30 years and considered East Indies as their prized possession and went back. A small country in the map of Europe, where you cant write its name within its boundaries. You will have to draw a line into the Atlantic to show where the country lies.
Anyways, my quest was for just one Indian who took some interest in Dutch and can help us with some 'Hallo' and 'Goedenvoden' in some Dutch afternoons.

The search took me first to Jawahar Lal Nehru University, that's considered the best for learning foreign languages. I met with a small bunch of socio politically concerned youths with leftist view in front of the administrative block of the university, sharing one stick of cigarette among six of them. Truly, ‘One for all and all for one’.
They seemed to be just the right persons for my hunger for debated and discussions about political issues, but I had another responsibility for myself and thought, let's explore them some Saturday. It was sad to hear that Dutch was discontinued as a course couple of years ago. But Pashto and Turkish are still available. No comments to be made on this.

I inquired, if we still have any of the old students who might have thought of learning Pashto along with Dutch for a better career or just to be there at this paradise. To my surprise the answer was yes. But I was reminded you would not find an opportunity here as they are already making good dough either politically or by teaching History at the IAS factories. There was no point staying there. It is just one of the seven universities in Delhi.

My next destination was Delhi University South Campus. I did not have to waste much time here as the information desk was available quite close to the main gate. The lady at the desk was busy knitting a green and yellow sweater and it looked she would of course be bothered even if I ask for the way to the washroom. But she did not. I had a wrong question to start with. I inquired the way to the Department of Languages. The answer was exactly as it would have been printed in the circulars:
“Forms would be available only in the month of June by the payment of Re 1. You need to make separate applications for each college. For post graduation course, you will need to meet the Incharge of the Department in the month of July.”

The next question was simpler. Have you also discontinued Dutch too? This made her stop the knit work she was doing. It looked she felt insulted on being ask a question she can not answer. She rose up only to bring her Bible of information. She peeped into the table of content and immediately went to the page where she got the information. She said with a brisk smile, we still have it, showing all details about the BA in Danish. I asked for the book to have a look. Made a quick research - Danish, Dari, Deutsche, Devangiri Script and Dogri. Nothing more in D. May be its under Nederlands.. as German has been referred here as Deutsche.. Did not even see Nepali there...
I confirmed the fact with couple of more people in the campus and was out of there.

I was very near to Satya Niketan, one of the hub of consultancies for BPOs. The wait is not long if you are dressed a little different. A guy in his 30s with a fake attitude and strong tendency to look more professional than he was, was there to entertain me in one of the consultancies. The guy was looking desperate for business but was informative. he saved my time by letting me know that even other universities, I planned to visit, Jamia, Hamdard, Indraprashtha, Chaudhary Charan Singh et al do not offer the 1500 years old language of Frankish origin.

None of the consultancy said a No. As if it would have been bad for their reputation. I moved ahead. Travel agencies and tour operators. I knew Bhikaji Cama place has plenty of them. I have couple of dozen of their visiting cards with an unwanted promise of may be we can help you in weeks to come.

I was now looking at my phone book. People whom I have not talked in years were called by me and quite a strange question to be asked, Do you know Dutch or anyone who do. An old classmate of mine, whom I had called almost after 2 years, said very proudly, No I married a Mauritian. She knows French. Does it help?

With the references and contacts of all nondescript, I got to know Mr. Khan. He seemed to be a big Fan of himself, and had quite smartly briefed me about all his achievements in the field of liaisons and training in the last 30 years of life. I too was smart to let him know that I don’t write biographies and am desperately looking for someone who can reset the passwords for people in the Netherlands and Belgium. The man adhered to his promise and gave me names of those who know Dutch. Names were provided sans any contact details. His experience did not allow him. I had a list of people who might put an end to my quest.

The day ended with a note of 'Good job' and nice food. The sleep followed.
The new day, I had a little response from these people but what happened eventually is not worth a mention.

Desperate I had this known to everyone in the Ghetto I live that a reputed company is looking for someone who knows Dutch. Salary will be above expectations. Figures were also quoted. The person who turned up met me with a great enthusiasm. He had some Afrikaans speaking guys to sell. I said the will come later but right now, it's Dutch. I was consoled with the name of a person who knows Dutch and is working for some other company to join me the next day. Tomorrow never comes.

I had told my intentions to the milkman, cybercafé guy, telephone booth operator, DVD librarian and who not. Within half an hour, the bell rang and I was welcoming the Tea seller near my residence. He had come to know that I am offering jobs at good salary. He knows English alphabets (something similar to Dutch) and always keeps his uniform clean. He wanted to know what salary I could offer him as the security guard at my office. I did not wanted to be like Mr. Khan or the people from consultancies. I went online and gave him the address of Group 4 Securicor. I made it clear I am looking for people who know Dutch. The person, who looked indebted after carrying the note with the address, thanked me by thinking for a long time, whom he could refer me to. I thanked him for his efforts and bid him goodbye.

The next one to come was the son of the barber in front of my house. He was looking for some marketing job which could offer him the salary I quoted. I wanted to be funny now. I told him, the job is in the Netherlands and yes, it is marketing. The first criterion is, knowing Dutch. Next thing I was doing is giving him addresses of the places in Bangalore and Mumbai where he can learn Dutch.

Well, the situation is still the same. I spent my half of the day today trying to learn Dutch. I am confident enough in introducing myself in Dutch and let the person know how to say it's such a good weather in Dutch.
More to come....

Let's start again..

It is 2008... And just as Unusual, I decided to delete all my previous posts and start afresh... What's the harm!!

2008 has started and I am at my work. Just done with 2 nondescript cases. It's the holiday still for rest of the world. I like my work... Managing & Providing Support for training classes, courses et al... It's fun. New Year Last year was no different, other than I was biking in the fog and was better financially.. May be a couple of inches less at waist too..

Why am I talking about the past again.. May be it's a very new year now and nothing much has been done... Aah! That makes me remember the term ‘Resolution'.. We used it too often during school days and be proud of the difference of the thoughts I had from the other... None of them were ever followed. So I get a topic here for today- Resolution.. or rather ‘Changes’..

It's very wise to resolve something keeping self betterment in mind.. And you bet there must have been many wise men who would have written how successful they have been in their resolutions.. But I am not one of them.. I don’t want to be one like them... Anyways what did you resolve ??

These all things make me feel that we humans live for changes... All we want actually is nothing but change... We learn, we earn, we befriend, we envy, and we show our progress or turn hostile... all because we want some change somewhere or the other.. And why not.. Changes are the reasons of all your feelings too... You are happy with your 3 year old who have learnt the first alphabets, you have started visualizing what money he would make after couple of decades with the knowledge he has acquired today... You think about changes, may be now or later ... and thus changes become your guiding factor... Well thinking about changes and working for changes are well justified.. There would have been no inventions nor any progress without them.. But why do we still ask for changes... I am confused... My question is "Are all of them justified"....

No one would have answer to it.. One of friends shared his view with me that the world has to maintain equilibrium.. You qualified for someplace in a competition at the cost of someone who failed... Somewhere or the other, people whom you don’t even know by name, affect your life.. I agreed to him...

But I still have the question... Is that equilibrium necessary... Learnt about entropy and enthalpy in Thermodynamics, years earlier.. I know the concept... I know what causes the changes there.. But when it comes to humans, I don’t know what it is... Is that the insecurity of tomorrow or dissatisfaction of today.. Fear of being made to change or Thirst of being the one who changes… How everyone of us is thinking about changes we want and unknowingly we are changing the world and all within… I got my answer now… People like us thought of changes, so we have histories.. We need to be history too..