Comments on: Boom times in Bangalore

CNET News.com's Michael Kanellos dodges cables as he discovers why India's Silicon Valley is the petri dish of the new tech order.

Your explanation of prepone is wrong

Prepone is used in India as the opposite of postpone. So if your meeting was scheduled for 11am and you want to actually meet earlier, say at 10, you prepone it. (Postponing it would schedule it for later)

From the Latin

postponere; post (after) + ponere (to place, put)
hence:
preponere; pre (before) + ponere (to place, put)

In the article, you appear to mistakenly associate "prepone" with
"prepare".

[shikarishambu]

As bad as "we will be back momentarily..."

I remember a British Ariways ad in India say - the flight will be preponed.

Alright, prepone is bad. But the way americans use momentarily takes the cake.

[shreeg]

Well said

During my initial days in the US, I was always flummoxed at this usage of "we will be with you momentarily!"

Another beauty, my American schoolmates here would ask "So India is in Asia? Nah, its got to be in the Middle East!"

Never heard of this one..

One of the big intersections in town, for instance, is where Brigade Road crosses Brigade Road.

>> I have lived all my life in Bangalore and I know Brigade road intersects with many roads but never with itself. Who sold you this tripe?

Against all odds!

Well, I am an Indian and I would say that although the story is a bit over the top, it is true to some extent.

However, what we must remember is that this booming Indian economy is primarily the work of the Private Sector(aided by favorable government policies)

The Private Sector by its nature is limited to a certain sphere of influence. When we talk about the basic infrastructure in India, I agree that a lot needs to be done to improve it. But then the onus of doing so lies essentially on the government! Of course the local companies can pitch in, but there is only so much they can do.

The fact that India, and Indians, are able to excel in spite of these teething problems is a true depiction of their spirit to fight and prove themselves on a global platform. It definitely is a case of NOT India shining, but Indians shining!

Maybe the westerners can learn a thing or two from the Indian Attitude!

driving license

That was funny one.no doubt that one can buy a driving license for a few dollars in bangalore ,i remember having seen a programme wonder years in whcich fred savage gets a driving license despite knocking off all the bins while taking a driving test unable to control the car.
cheers

Not exposed...

This person is not exposed and seen the lighter side of Bangalore. He has seen only a small part of life of Bangalore. Bangalore is different, there are many circuits and this person is exposed to only one circuit and this is not the true picture.

[chintoo2006]

expaose!!!The moron has probably never seen the real India

This moron reporter has probably never set foot on the Indian soil he is just narrating some souped up version which his friend on the adjoining desk told him. Seems like he has got too much time on his hands and using it to malign India and Indians. The topic of the story is totally off the mark

English

Prepone is not an indian english word. Its plain english...check your dictionary if you have one.
Main Entry: prepone
Part of Speech: verb
Definition: to place in front of, to schedule for an earlier time; cf. postpone

You must be living in a small hamlet in Florida...time to explore the world...The world is not just US...

Prepone?

Prepone is not a word found in Webster's nor any other traditional English dictionary.

Lighten up

One more item you can add to your list of quirkiness of Indians, is that they need to lighten up. Every little thing is a matter of life and death to them, or so it seems!

Sure prepone might be a true blue English word, and momentarily may make you tear your hair off...but I think that's just the point. India and US are as different as peach and pear. This article was directed at an American audience and I honestly don't think it was derogatory. Why else would 'Hamra' want to extend his two yr stint - something he hadn't planned - not preponed :)

[manodud]

Explanation for Exaggeration

As a native of Bangalore, I feel this article is quite exaggerated. e.g., Brigade road intersects with Brigade road!!! come on.. maybe this is something i'm not aware of :)
And its not the problem of shopkeeper; how many languages do people speak in the US? and how many are spoken in India? the author should have been aware of the linguistic basis for the division of states in India. How many languages can you expect a normal shopkeeper to know? But nobody appreciaes the fact that the shopkeeper tries his best to communicate with his customers using his broken or whatever English.
Well, I think it goes on... so let me hold it on...

Bangalore

As a person who visits Bangalore frequently, and considers it to be a real great place to be in, I'd say,"adjhusht maadu beku" (one must adjust to the place). When you're in Rome/Bangalore do as they do. I have heard the average Bangalorean shop keeper speak Kannada, Tamil,Telugu, Malayalam,Hindi and English, shifting from one language to another effortlessly, depending on whom he is speaking to.
Wonder whether the writer of the article even knows that these languages exist?

In any case, in Bangalore schools and streets you are not in danger of being gunned down by some deranged teenager.

There's a lot of truth (but not enough) truth in the piece

Having visited Bangalore on business over the last several years, I'd say he painted a lighthearted picture of decaying place. Which is why many companies are heading elsewhere.

Like most of my friends and colleagues, I pay their drivers less than the 10000 he quoted, more like 4000-5000 rupees/month. But I'm not sure that the few drivers that are lucky enough to use their lord's internet connection will stumble across this piece and demand a raise.

And I just read a news article this week in Bangalore where a kid got shocked but not killed from a fallen wire, and I have read numerous stories, in the past two years, where people have been killed from electric wires. Traffic deaths ARE way up (Bangalore buses killed almost 100 people last year), and the pollution is supposed to worse than Delhi now.

Writer William Dalrymple - who ived in India for many years - states than some are oversensitive regarding comments about their culture. I think that can be applied to most nationalities, but I agree with Dalrymple in that I think it is more prevalent here in India.

Lighten up....the writers won't paint such a rosy picture when the doom of the boom makes Bangalore go bust.

Dictionary.com answer to prepone

http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=prepone

[b2bhandshake]

It is not uncommon for people ....

''It is not uncommon for people to be electrocuted by fallen power lines''....GIMME A BREAK
-Mohan
http://www.garamchai.com/mohan

Chill out

All,

I think this is a good article in light humor. Having lived in both countries for extended period of times I can relate to the differences in perceptions. I think those who are lambasting the author for exagerating need to cool down. Like someone else said on this forum - Indians need to lighten up. I second that. yes I'm Indian. Yes I grew up in India. And yes from an American/Western perspective it does appear that "there is a high danger of being electrocuted by a power line". When was the last time you ever heard of someone being injured injured by a fallen power in the US ? The only trouble is the unaccostomed reader may may exaggerate it. Bangalore/india desparately need to upgrade its infrastrucure. Yes - one day I hope to back in India/Bangalore to help with the effort.

The story is certainly derogatory to Indians

What the story says is true about India being dangerous with wires and sewage. But USA is no better. I was in Binghamton, NY and there was some problem with the sewage processing plant there. The place was stinking. I was adviced not to venture in the downtown area. I could get killed. One of my friends was shot dead in a postoffice, so it is true. I was adviced to keep a few dollars in my pockets to be able to hand over in case! Better be alive you know I was told. A tramp was searching a dustbin for a cigarette butt which he could smoke.

I think we should see the positive side of human nature. The people in USA were so very helpful. The fact that India gets projects is because of the quality of work being done here. I dont think Americans would want just cheap work and no quality. The work quality is excellent here and getting it cheap is a bonus. So enjoy and appreciate the cake!

[suchikapillai]

Easier way out

I think that the entire concept of 'educating Indians about the ways of corporate America' is futile excercise. It would be much more feasible to instead train the "wave of Westerners" about the basics of bangalore culture. An Indian is equally lost in bangalore for the first time. It simply calls for the most recently updated maps to be kept handy.