It was an absolute fun experience with comic actions and even more funnier guesses. The students were were from all walks of life... Some men from German firms , college kids, homemakers and one really special lady, Frau Khandekar. . She was an elderly ,retired bank employee who came from a remote western suburb all the way to south Bombay in the afternoon , five days a week to learn German. She was doing the course to be able to speak to her young grandchildren when she visited them in Munich. She floundered and struggled with the grammar rules, but she was always ahead or in fact the best at Conversational German.So it means that the drive or the motivation to learn has nothing to do with age. Thinking in the language you are trying to learn is the key to learning it. After college, newly married and full of romance,, hubby and I enrolled ourselves into a short term course at the Franco Omani cultural centre, just to enjoy studying together. When you say " I love you" in English and say, " Monamour, je t'aime!", in French. You are the best judges , tell me which sounds more romantic? This will certainly ensure a holiday to Europe and an Evening in Paris. We moved to Salalah from Muscat and I grew really anxious about life ahead in a small town. More locals meant I needed arabic , of which I could only say "schhwe schwe maloom" but i instead I got the shock of my life. We entered a shop ..and the question hurled at me stunned me completely .." Malayalee aa"? Cleaned bowled !!! Watch 3 Malayalam movies everyday, one each with breakfast, lunch n dinner was what we prescribed ourselves. Less than a month , we felt
BINDU KRISHNAN
A homemaker,Ex Librarian and a fun
at home speaking in Malayalam . We made some very good friends too merely by breaking the language barrier.
loving person
So you have to agree with me when I say that , knowledge of multiple languages helps us understand and appreciate culture and cuisine better. It can be a real enriching experience if you are able to read and share recipes in many languages. Better still , order food at an Italian restaurant saying Alio e olio instead of just pasta. See the difference in treatment then. If you speak in the local language wherever you go you are always treated better.Say "Maney do roti Aapon ne " in Gujarat and you will get 4. Most of us here are music lovers. Understanding the meaning of an abhang in Marathi or a Thyagaraja keertana in Telugu is soul stirring and so relaxing. We are at that age when forgetting is common. Learning a language now will stimulate your grey cells and mind and improve your memory. Friends, I believe in " practice what you preach" , so have started learning Sanskrit recently from none other than our very own Sowmya Rangarajan, our President. It's no secret that Sowmya is the smartest of us all and her brains are the best. Sowmya, " Aham Tvaam Premam Karomi " Seriously, it has worked wonders on my self esteem- for once you learn something new and different , you feel more confident to face uncertainties . With kids ready to go to college , languages are a sure shot win for better prospects in college and career. Relocation is sure to be stress free. And the much feared dementia can be kept at bay.
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WHERE LEADERS ARE MADE