posted January 24, 10:00 amMy recent trip to India has once again sensitized me to an assumption that writers and speakers too often make: that everyone understands what you mean to say.
Test yourself - what do the following three words mean? Flyover, Subway, and Removalist.
If you are in India, a Flyover is a local bridge that "flies over local traffic"; elsewhere, it has something to do with airplanes. In much of the world, a Subway is a road or pedestrian path that goes underneath another road; in Toronto a Subway refers to the Metro. In Australia, a Removalist is someone who transports your possessions [...]
posted January 17, 6:39 amOne Billion. You may think I'm referring to the number of Facebook and LinkedIn users, but I'm not. I'm referring to the approximate population of India.
[caption id="attachment_2794" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Note the wide variety of merchandise: from cigarettes to life insurance"][/caption]
While on a trip there, I decided to take pictures of local businesses, then compare the "real" with their Social Media presence. Sadly, I was unable to find more than a handful on the web, let alone on the Social web; the notable exception being a few of the global brands.
Ins [...]
posted January 11, 2:23 amAfter spending a few days in India, I have a new-found appreciation for the horn. Unlike in North America (or Europe), Indian drivers have developed an entire language with this instrument. In a land where lane markings are ignored at best, as each vehicle (autorickshaw, car, motorcycle or truck) approaches from the side or rear, they honk their horns as if to say, "I'm here". The response is a quick honk back, "I heard you", to which the passing vehicle will sometimes honk back, "Thanks". All very civilized.
But to someone new, the cacaphony is jarring, rude, noisy, and an illustration of [...]
Randall Craig
