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Showing posts from September, 2014

Bas Hisaab se

Hindi is such a deep and vast language. I speak very little Hindi in Mumbai. A maid came for a job and was talking fluent English and I was shocked. Mumbai's English speaking maids want to work for the expat community where the work is less and salary is more. The English speaking can get jobs in offices as receptionists and some of them want to work as maids or nannies abroad .  There is a Hindi word called 'Bas' pronounced as the word 'bus' of the English language. This word has loads of connotations . Bas means 'enough'. It also means ' stop'. So 'Bas Karo ab'  is 'Stop it now'. But people in India understand and use 'Bas ' in different contexts. The Hindi belt is using it in interesting ways. When someone asks them "How are you?" "Aap kaise hain?" , the reply is " Bas". It does not mean 'stop' asking me this question or 'enough' of your questions. It means all is well. It al