Back after a long hiatus .
There was an interesting discussion last night at a
friend’s party on how to address people. The point of discussion was on
Do
we flaunt Indian-ness and call each other Kapoorji or Reddy gaaru and say
Namasthe or Namashkar or slip into a more global way of greeting people Hello/
Hi or just a head nod or handshake
Salutations are a way of acknowledging the presence of a person when we meet them or leave. Rank or age definitely calls for an appropriate way of addressing by sheer virtue of power, position or respect. Work-related communication also requires a certain degree of formality. But many
corporate companies are shifting to addressing each other by first name basis to
get a more friendly work environment .
But how about at a social
gathering
Do we say a
Namasthe, Namashkar, Vanakkum to peer level people?
Do the twitteratti,
facebookers and blackberry kids even use these terms ?
And at what age do we start
suffixing a Ji (Hindi) … gaaru (Telugu) .. awargal (Tamil)
I couldn't find any agreed
upon criteria in the internet . So a lets get a li’l situational just for kicks. At a birthday party a friend introduces another friend Friend – Meet Suresh Raju, my chaddi dost
Me (How do I address this guy... anyways he does not look good but seems full of money ...May need him for business purpose later .. so let me go the formal way)
- Namasthe Suresh Raju gaaru
Suresh (Ugghh..Why is she addressing me so formally...Didn't she see my I Fone 5, my Armani shirt and my Italian shoes .. damn the Armani .. Is the logo too small or am I looking so old? Anyways I can't even flirt with her now) - Namasthe Madamji ...
Friend - (Jeez.. whats going on? .. thought that 'gaaru' for the Old and the ordinary... not the Bold and beautiful ) - ????!!!!!!
Jesus - ???!!!!......Should send another Superstorm Sandy or may be a mad guy with a gun .. Do not take Gods name in vain
The birthday guy who is 3 drinks down already -
A wife is addressed Ma'am, short for Madam
The husband is addressed Sir ... short for Servant??
A wife is addressed Ma'am, short for Madam
The husband is addressed Sir ... short for Servant??
You nailed it Sadhna..!:)
ReplyDeleteLearned new term sir is short form of servant ,now I have to think twice before calling anyone SIR
ReplyDeleteAnd the by way there are certain issues we can't reach on single opinion and this one is also one - CVL
Addressing people is highly contextual. For instance you might address your school friend in a social gathering as “Hi Buddy” and so on but if the same guy has to be addressed in a formal /business environment (say as your Boss) I don’t think one will address him as “Hi Buddy” sitting in a board meeting.
ReplyDeleteAnd it might not always be money but its more to do with age of a person(sometimes may not be the age also) and the respect that you want to give to a person (in my personal context one of my smallest vendors is addressed garu /or andi {cheppandi ...} )
If it is making both the persons comfortable using a “garu” /”andi “or “Sir” and serving each one of their expectations; why to bother....
Good to expect change but it more of a practice and tradition which differs from region to region.
Nice to see your Blog after a while, keep going
ReplyDeleteAbout greetings it's funny; we,the people of the 'Baby boomer generation' still stick to very respectful greetings like 'hello sir' and 'madamji' to any one we meet and any one older is an antie or uncle.
The fellows of Generation 'Y' just could't care less ! they address any one by first name even those of their grand father's age !
GV
Wow! Don't I love this!!!! Coming from the land of ' Sandalwood Paste & Vermilion Faces and Flower Bedecked Hair ' & ' Saar & Vanakkam', I am surprised that you put forward this argument. If it reflects your desire to see the change, its ok. However, like Lakshmi put it so succintly, there can't be a consensus on this.
ReplyDeleteLet me tell you guys a story...
I landed in Chennai ( then Madras ) during 1984, to attend an Job Interview in a company called 'Sundaram Finance Ltd'. I was waiting with a few other candidates outside the GM's office and after sometime, an elderly gentleman came out of the GM's office and spoke to another elderly gentleman in white clothes ( who looked like a senior peon ).
" Enna Saar! Inda pasangalaku kaffee eda arrange pandringala???" ( What Saar! Will you please arrange some coffee for these boys? " ) I only understood 'Saar' and I was confused as to who the boss was.
Imagine my shock, when I went inside the GM's office found the man calling the peon " saar ", sitting in GM's seat.
I believe nothing much has changed in Tamil Nadu even to this day. I see lot of senior execs calling Stewards and Drivers " Saar "
Similarly deep inside AP, even if you are very rich and hold a high office, you still address elderly persons as " Peddayana " " Amma ".
There is no right or wrong in these matters and with changing times, these practices also change.
And I know for a fact that George hates when some young sales girls come to him and address him with his first name as though they are his childhood friends. He may like them but he doesn't like their ways.
Different Strokes For Different Folks!!!!
SO
Ma'am, i just love that Sir... well to Sir with Love.... the poor pathetic pitiable husband!!! No one answer, address according to environment or the gathering depending whether you are in local, formal, hep, informal simply put whatever works and keep it simple, dont be a CAT when you have to be formal. someone I know his friend became a Minister and in a crowd addressed him by Hi & first name...Minister just glanced at him gave a smile and with others he was enthusiastically going on with his gibberish, suggesting he didnt like it...so be a Roman in Rome. Another interesting a young recruit software guy casually walks into his CEOs cabin peeping in out of curiosity and tells the CEO (48 years) 'You have cool cabin dude, why do you require such a big one?!!' thats the new culture..CEO tells he is still recovering from the shock!!!...but making adjustments!! Bhai ho ya aapa kya farak padtha memsaab. Old Monkbhai!!
ReplyDeleteinteresting...each to their own i guess!!
ReplyDelete-Manjari
hey, good come back after a hiatus, like Sridevi in English Vinglish. keep going. Enjoyed reading the blog and also the comments.....This blog clearly is a superhit....
ReplyDeleteV
Awesome!!Very well put across.
ReplyDelete