Bengaluru... City of Gardens. The title is getting questioned nowadays because of the rapid growth in infrastructural activities happening in and around the city. But I am not going to write about these things now. This city has become a hub to people from different parts of the nation. The population of invaders ( including me ) are more than that of the localities.
Right from the very first day, I wanted to learn Kannada.
Being a Xena-phobic, I was trying to learn Kannada in Salem itself, almost a year before I came to Bangalore. Unfortunately, my tutor in Salem knew very little knowledge in my language of desire. Also my interest to learn Kannada was just budding, so I didn’t try too hard to learn. Hence, Kannada was saved for a while. After coming to Bengaluru, my colleagues taught me Kannada. They stopped doing the same, after they heard me implementing it. Now, for every sentence, I try to translate in Kannada, those guys are cursing themselves for doing that mistake of their lifetime.
Initial days, whenever, I try to implement my knowledge in practical situations, I used to get caught in three four words. When I try to ask in Kannada about the way to go to some place, the listener will immediately reply back in Tamil ( my mother tongue ) about the way . I used to get amazed at the listener's ability and sharpness, at the same time, was annoyed for my poor show of casting me as Kannadiga. This would have happened to almost many of the new comers (Xenaphobes) to Bangalore.
The Silicon Valley of India, Bangalore attracts people from all over India with its heavily paid software jobs. I commonly see people from Tamil Nadu, AP, Gujarat, Omnipresent Keralites, North Indians, some Bengalis, many foreigners living in Bangalore. They have mixed up so much here, its quite difficult to point out a area which is not polluted by aliens in Bangalore.
Natives over here, casually speak three to four languages without any problem. I was figured a "odd-man out" in just few seconds by almost everyone. Then, the game was on (still it is). I wanted to beat them by all means. I began to sniff all the words, which I don’t understand and I later started to nudge my tutors for the meaning and added it to my vocabulary. It will be used in almost every sentence somehow for the entire day.
Then came the big devil. Pronunciation. There are two 'la's. he, ye, etc. Here in Kannada, the pronunciation of la and La is different, one with more stress and another with no/less stress. Tamil has also two la's, which doesn't have any difference ( sorry if I am wrong ) in pronouncing normally up to my knowledge. When I try to speak Kannada in a low voice, due to my accent, I mostly mispronounced many words, which meant entirely different, sometimes exactly opposite things. I was advised my by tutors not to use my Kannada skills in public.
It must be a real shock to many of you who might have aspired to learn Kannada. But, I never gave up. I tried to speak in Kannada in each and every occasion possible. Slowly I have now started picking up. I am able to make a two minute conversation with people in Kannada. One of my tutor now appreciates my attitude to learn Kannada. But, Both are still hoping me to stop speaking Kannada.
You might be wondering "Is Kannada too difficult ?". The answer is a big no. At-least for me, being a tamilian, I find lot of similarities between Kannada and Tamil. The words which start with Pa and Va in Tamil, start with Ha and Ba in Kannada. Eg Pogiran ( Ta ) - Hoguthaane (Kn ) , Vaa ( Ta ) - Baa ( Kn ). Likewise, there are many such words almost similar which helps me to learn Kannada easily. Then, why am I struggling so much to speak that language even after staying in the capital city of Karnataka for last two years.
The reason is because of the people who live here in Bengaluru. They seldom give you a chance to learn their language. On a contrary, they try to speak with you in your mother tongue, making you comfortable, learning your mother tongue, in-turn not letting you learn Kannada. I have admired these people's willingness to learn new languages. I must confess, I got some insipiration from them too to learn their language. The hidden fruit is more delicious to eat.
The Bengaluru auto drivers speak minimum 5 languages, Kannada, Tamil, Hindi, Telugu, Malayalam and English. Bus conductor, fruit vendor, shop keeper, chemist, paper boy, Govt officials, Hotel servers, are all multi lingual experts. Even if they cant speak, they understand.
I have witnessed few very funny conversations. The auto driver will be speaking Kannada, the passenger either Tamil or Telugu. Both of them will be using their respective mother tongue to inquire, fight, argue, negotiate whatever, but the point to be noted is, the effective conversation is 100% success. After two to three minutes, they will be travelling together as passenger and driver with a satisfaction in their face. Let me tell you, this can happen only in Bengaluru.
I know a lot of people living in Bengaluru for many years without knowing a single word in Kannada. They have no problems. I don't understand how come they are able to refrain themselves from knowing what's going on around them, why are the guys fighting in the middle of the road, what does that husband and wife at your next house yell at each other, what does your front seat people in bus talking about, what does the RJ shouting in FM all the day, what did that girl said to her friend about you in city bus, what is the bus conductor scolding that guy standing close to the door. I wonder how will they manage if they go to other parts of Karnataka. I cannot live a alien life, without able to understand a wor(l)d around me. There are millions of questions like that in my heart which drives me crazy to learn Kannada.
If you are one among them, don't you worry. Listen to Kannada Haadus ( songs), movies, start a friendly conversation with a colleague or classmate. I prefer to try with opp gender, since it drastically increases the learning curve in exponential form. If you are unlucky to find one like me, then it will be tickling once in a while. Whatever, lets speak the sweet "Kannada Kasthuri" and rock "Bombat Kannada"
Tail peice: Now, I am learning to read Kannda also. I have started with three letters Ra, Tha and ge.
