Diversity at crossroad......

Walking Encoded!

Universe resonates with varied sounds and sights. These sounds are not coded like any other known languages.

Can people connect, resonate, and develop understanding beyond any known languages?

Triumphed I returned from an errand of successful communication. As natural to human nature, I wished to share my experience, sooner the better. In an elated, light hearten mood, 

I exclaimed, “Oh! I feel as if, an expert in sign languages”. 

Overhearing me, one of the fellow travelers, responded in a sharp tone, 

"Japanese is the ninth, most internationally spoken languages”. Then continued, “Download an App to translate”. 

Soon a tussle over supremacy of languages was about to brew, if a chance was given.

In an age of several apps on handy, the suggestion was quite valuable. Contrarily, all do not feel comfortable to use many apps, in spite of knowing the fact, their advantages. Voicing my opinion seemed inappropriate at that time. For showing a difference of opinion in public often reflected ill feelings to one another.

Japan is a nation, where people take pride to communicate in their mother tongue. When their communications fail, especially to the foreigners; they express through gestures.

My first two days had been a battle of Waterloo! Defeat after defeat, on the streets of Tokyo, while communicating at the shops, railway ticket counter, on a train, giving an order for dinner.

To everyone’s relief, the Japanese people never give up. Being a much aware nation, people here understand language difficulties, that tourists like me face. Men and women relentlessly continue their efforts, while dealing with the visiting tourists till they see results.

My friend, Isha speaks Spanish, and I admire her. Learning a language is not easy. Some have knack and ear, so pick up quickly. I am not one of them. Yet then, that does not deter me from admiring any languages, which I don’t know.

I remembered the day, years before, at a souvenir shop, Louvre museum, Paris. The lady at the counter spoke to me in crisp French which I didn’t understand. Looking at my baffled face, she smartly switched over, to hand gestures, and, it was not difficult for me, to pick up the cues; what she was trying to say. Once the deal was met we parted with smiles and twinkles in our eyes. 

Two people speaking two different languages from two different poles, creating an understanding, winning over their language barriers.

                           Which  One  Will  You  Choose?

These instances make me to ponder over a debate, relevant to current age. What would be the language or languages of the world when the concept of merging the borders is being realized? Would the tendency to conform continue? Or the diversity in languages would be preserved adopting tolerance, thus valuing it, for co-existence?

In actualizing the concept of ‘Global Village’, addressing as ‘I and You’, ‘Mine and Yours’ probably would require giving way to ‘We and Ours’. Then provincialism, nationalism, internationalism which divide people will turn out archaic strategies of a bygone era. Moreover neither any culture, nor any language would be considered superior, or status quo. 

This highest order of ‘One World’ would lie in encompassing all diversities, varied melodies, languages, cultures, into one complete whole as ‘The World People’, bringing  greater joy, and, abundant lives.
-Ina