I recently made a shocking discovery.
I am having difficulty talking Tamil! Okay, I can talk absolutely fluently, but find myself struggling to get the appropriate word right in the middle of a conversation. This happened in the last few weeks as I started work and got to talk to a few in Tamil. I stutter, stumble and sound pathetic. I think the fact that I couldn't find the right word, kills the rest of the sentence too.
Imagine me, someone who grew up learning Thirukkural and Thiruppavai, rattling the brain to find the basic words. What do you say for "difference" ? Is it Vithyasam ? That sounds like Malayalam?What do you say for "again"? Should it be marubadi or thiruppi ? If my friends were to read this, they will hack me to death.
I don't know whom to blame - a decade with one who talks mostly Hindi (He says "en re"and thinks that is Tamil) or my diminished social circle or plain ageing. No one in the family talks Tamil now. The last Tamil movie I watched was Vishwaroopam and the latest song I followed was "kangal irandal un kangal irandal"!
I think I am completely mallu-ized now. Have watched more Malayalam movies and songs, talk much better Malayalam and love rice jaggery based sweets.
I have to get my Tamil back. High time I start watching Tamil soaps.
I am having difficulty talking Tamil! Okay, I can talk absolutely fluently, but find myself struggling to get the appropriate word right in the middle of a conversation. This happened in the last few weeks as I started work and got to talk to a few in Tamil. I stutter, stumble and sound pathetic. I think the fact that I couldn't find the right word, kills the rest of the sentence too.
Imagine me, someone who grew up learning Thirukkural and Thiruppavai, rattling the brain to find the basic words. What do you say for "difference" ? Is it Vithyasam ? That sounds like Malayalam?What do you say for "again"? Should it be marubadi or thiruppi ? If my friends were to read this, they will hack me to death.
I don't know whom to blame - a decade with one who talks mostly Hindi (He says "en re"and thinks that is Tamil) or my diminished social circle or plain ageing. No one in the family talks Tamil now. The last Tamil movie I watched was Vishwaroopam and the latest song I followed was "kangal irandal un kangal irandal"!
I think I am completely mallu-ized now. Have watched more Malayalam movies and songs, talk much better Malayalam and love rice jaggery based sweets.
I have to get my Tamil back. High time I start watching Tamil soaps.
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