‘Here’s your id ‘Mr. Mad-han Go-plan’ – the security at the gate politely told me and gave my driving license and ID to enter the building.
‘It is Madhan Gopalan. But, please call me Maddy’ I replied, smiled at her and went into the 47-story edifice.
This was not the first time. And, I am certain that this is not going to be the last. I am used to my name being called incorrectly (sometimes even deliberately as banter) several times. Be it at the Security Gate or the corporate boardroom. Be it in New York or even back home in India. Strangely, I never get offended by this when people do it inadvertently. And somehow, I find it an excellent conversation starter. Especially, with perfect strangers.
And, I know a lot of Indians ‘manage’ to change their names, particularly after they move to a foreign land. Perhaps, they had similar issues at the security gate. I have known Lakshmi Narayanans as ‘John’ Laxmi, Ananda Padmanabhan's as Andy, and Krishnamurthy's as ‘Chris’. I even know a family that named their kids after the most common American names. Everyone wants to blend in. Let alone being called incorrectly.
Coming back to my name: though I don’t mind being called incorrectly, I get irked when people spell it incorrectly. Particularly, in emails. Not because my name is spelt incorrectly. But because I feel that whoever wrote that email was not only careless, but also pays scant respect. I make it a point to correct them. And I always get the apologies stating ‘inadvertent mistake’ made in a hurry. My question to them is, ‘Would you misspell your boss or your client or your loved one?’ I am willing to bet a month’s wager, if they say ‘Yes’.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Sunday, January 09, 2011
Some things just don't change
It has been over two decades since I left school. I have come a long way since then, or so I thought. Standing in an express bus (Yeah, that's right. No seats) trying to get into New York city for work, on a typical day, it all flashed on to me. Dang! my life hasn't changed one bit.
Circa 1983 - In Chennai, PTC buses (they are called MTC now) had an uncanny ability of turning school going kids into athletes, albeit inadvertently. Buses were almost always crowded, especially during rush hour. As a school going kid, I remember having to stand a block further from the bus stop, on my way back home, as the buses tried avoiding the hundreds standing in the bus stop getting into an already overcrowded bus. Despite that, I had to run behind them.
Add over-sized school bags in our backs, bad narrow roads with potholes, unrelenting traffic jams, and irate drivers/conductors/passengers to the mix. Consequently, catching a bus every day was a challenge, let alone get an opportunity to sit one. Mornings were a lot easier. At least,the buses stopped in the stops. Every kid who rode the buses those days had the bragging right and rightly so. After all, putting toe nails and finger nails effectively to hang on to foot boards wasn't a joke. The five kilometer, 45-minute ride taught us a few things. The fittest survive and reach home on time.
Circa 1987 - I was in my teens studying to get my diploma in Engineering and I had to travel for about 15-km 2-hour bus ride each way. The bus situation hadn't improved an iota.
Circa 1991 - I was doing my first job with one of the largest construction companies in India. And, I had moved to a different city - Mumbai - hoping things would be different. I had to travel 35-km each way. I took a bus and then a train. The bus situation was bad, while the train situation was worse.
Circa 2000 - I was back in Chennai, trying to get a Management degree. Four years later, I was a financial journalist for a large financial news daily. I still wasn't getting seats.
Current day - I moved across continents twice since then, to the land of free and home of the brave. As I stated in the start, my bus situation still remains the same. Guess some things just don't change. No matter what.
Circa 1983 - In Chennai, PTC buses (they are called MTC now) had an uncanny ability of turning school going kids into athletes, albeit inadvertently. Buses were almost always crowded, especially during rush hour. As a school going kid, I remember having to stand a block further from the bus stop, on my way back home, as the buses tried avoiding the hundreds standing in the bus stop getting into an already overcrowded bus. Despite that, I had to run behind them.
Add over-sized school bags in our backs, bad narrow roads with potholes, unrelenting traffic jams, and irate drivers/conductors/passengers to the mix. Consequently, catching a bus every day was a challenge, let alone get an opportunity to sit one. Mornings were a lot easier. At least,the buses stopped in the stops. Every kid who rode the buses those days had the bragging right and rightly so. After all, putting toe nails and finger nails effectively to hang on to foot boards wasn't a joke. The five kilometer, 45-minute ride taught us a few things. The fittest survive and reach home on time.
Circa 1987 - I was in my teens studying to get my diploma in Engineering and I had to travel for about 15-km 2-hour bus ride each way. The bus situation hadn't improved an iota.
Circa 1991 - I was doing my first job with one of the largest construction companies in India. And, I had moved to a different city - Mumbai - hoping things would be different. I had to travel 35-km each way. I took a bus and then a train. The bus situation was bad, while the train situation was worse.
Circa 2000 - I was back in Chennai, trying to get a Management degree. Four years later, I was a financial journalist for a large financial news daily. I still wasn't getting seats.
Current day - I moved across continents twice since then, to the land of free and home of the brave. As I stated in the start, my bus situation still remains the same. Guess some things just don't change. No matter what.
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