Linguistically Alien? No big deal!!

How does it feel, when one cannot understand the language of people around? Well, when I first came to Germany for a short trip, I had just learned a very basic level of Deutsch language. I loved Germany not only because it is a very beautiful country, but also because I loved Deutsche Sprache. I must thank Goethe for developing this love. They taught it so beautifully, that I felt like a child, whose mind is blank & open for the new learning. I never thought that, learning something right from the scratch at the age of 26 would be any kind of fun. But it was! Then the trip to Germany, immediately after my first level, was quite a experience for me. Being a beginner, I tried judging whether I can understand how the natives speak.

Later while I stayed in Germany for a longer period and studied the language further, I enjoyed my improvement in Deutsch. Our language class was a good mixture of different nationalities, with hardly any English speaking people. So neither did I understand their Turkish or Thai or Serbian or Kazakh language, nor did they understand mine (except a few words like 'chai' or 'Shahrukh Khan'). So I had to communicate in German to talk to them. It helped us all to better our Deutsch.

Now when I have shifted to Brussels, I am surrounded by Dutch or French people. I can't even make out the difference between these two languages at times. The language which I feel is Dutch is sometimes French and vice versa. Sometimes, when I am standing on a station or a bus stop, people come to me and start asking something probably about the next train or the route or I don't know what! And my reaction is like, 'Ok, forget your question; I can't even recognise which language you are speaking!!!' Phew!

I felt relived when I got English speaking friends in Germany and now in Brussels. But then I thought did I really feel alien, just because I could not understand the languages. Well, not really! As far as language is concerned, I did not feel any huge difference in my life. Living in a cosmopolitan city like Mumbai, I always faced many alien languages. For example, in packed local of Mumbai, daily I travelled with a mixture of groups who talked in their respective mother tongues. Now the same question would have come to my mind, if a south Indian asked me a question in his/her mother tongue. I would have thought, 'Ok, is it Malyali or Tamil or Telegu...anyways I understand none of them!'  Growing up with many languages around, my mind inadvertently became used to alien languages.

Its kind of fun to face so many languages and feel their huge diversity. But more incredible is the language of gestures, which is universal! Although, one cannot understand the language, its not very difficult to interpret the meaning with the help of gestures.

As innocent as a feather...

The feather shown at the start and end of Forrest Gump has been interpreted in many ways by many great people including Tom Hanks. That feather is something that mesmerises without any magic, just by its lightness, its calmness, its soothing beauty.

What does it really symbolise?

I feel it symbolises innocence. It symbolises trust. It symbolises a life without worries...

It flies in the air..touching down here & there..taking a leap to hug the sky..coming back again without asking why!

It does not ask the wind back, whether it is the right path, whether they are flying the right way. It follows the wind like a baby follows mother.. doubtlessly. It shows how peaceful life can be with a doubtless mind.. when life is taken as it comes.. when there is a trust.

Perchance it lands on the feet of Forrest. Takes rest in his book for some time. Does not complain when accidentally falls down. Just like that...starts flying again!

It does not make claims to decide its own destiny. It does not feel overwhelmed when it kisses the sky..neither does it feel shattered when it reaches the ground. It is just happy...happy in its own world.......