Write Stuff India

Foul-Mouthed Ministers?

David — Fri, 27 Apr 2007 09:14:11 +0000

When I first saw this sign, I was quite sure the word “in” was missing after the word “swearing.” But then I got to wondering: is the act of swearing (i.e. using profanity) any more effective or satisfying when you’re a minister or other politico than when you’re a normal, run-of-the-mill citizen? Certainly, people in India pay more attention to ministers and other politicians than they do to practically anyone else, with the notable exception of film stars. But really…is swearing as a minister is any more cathartic or productive than it is for us average Joe’s and Jyoti’s?

And for that matter, why draw attention to the swearing by displaying posters promoting the occasion? Is there such pride in this minister’s mastery over four-letter words that it must be shared it with the general public? I must be missing something.

20 Million Readers and Counting

David — Thu, 26 Apr 2007 05:35:13 +0000

A condensed version of my review of the book Indlish has been published in Dainik Jagran, a widely-read Hindi language daily newspaper. In fact, the paper boasts more readers (19 million plus) than any other daily in the country, including English newspapers. See the clipping from the paper below.

I tried, quite unsuccessfully, to pass off the English to Hindi translation as my own. The truth is that at this point my 8-year-old daughter, who’s now reading and writing Hindi thanks to some private lessons, would undoubetedly have better luck with this than I would.

Jyoti Sanyal, the author of Indlish who’s also very familiar with the original English version of my review, told me that while the translation is quite good, it veers occasionally towards “roundabout” Hindi. Kind of ironic, considering that the subject matter is all about clear, direct writing (and the lack of it in much English language writing in India).

Indian Content Writing…Just Bad or Getting Better?

David — Fri, 06 Apr 2007 07:19:24 +0000

I’ve just had an interesting email exchange with Heather Reimer, a Manitoba, Canada-based writer who runs a web content writing business. I noticed that a few of her blog posts poke fun at, and illustrate the pitfalls of outsourcing to Indian copywriting services. She’s posted some hysterical examples of really poor content writing that originated in India. While unfortunately it’s not difficult to find such examples, I was quick to point out to Heather that there is some room for hope, as more Indian companies and writers are making a commitment to improving their writing quality. Here’s a piece of our “conversation.”

New Articles Posted

David — Thu, 05 Apr 2007 16:48:38 +0000

Check out my Articles page, where I just posted a book review I’ve written, and an interview I conducted with the book’s author. The author of Indlish is an Indian journalist and “clear English campaigner” who takes a very critical look at written English in India. We had a lively discussion! Both pieces were published in a local newsletter catering to expatriates in Hyderabad.

I’m Cuckoo for Cocogroove

David — Thu, 15 Feb 2007 16:14:19 +0000

This menu from a hotel coffee shop in the state of Kerala is an excellent example of what happens when a so-called “English-knowing” copywriter runs amok. Over-the-top spelling and grammar issues, and wildly cliched flourishes…it’s really got it all! I shot the bottom half of the menu in a second picture, but I think you get the idea, and I’d rather not ruin your appetite completely.

Action Will Be Taken!

David — Sun, 11 Feb 2007 13:45:36 +0000

In other words, this will go down on your permanent record! I took this after climbing to the top of the Charminar, one of Hyderabad’s iconic monuments. The passive voice rules a lot of English writing in India. Who will be taking the action here? Since there were no security guards at the top of the mosque, I can only imagine whether Allah himself will be meting out the punishment.

Clusterous!

David — Sun, 14 Jan 2007 16:27:28 +0000

I would buy this product just to know what it feels like to have clusterous hair. Actually, I found this bottle of coconut hair oil in my house, so I’ll have to check with my wife and daughter on this.