… but if I did, then I would probably miss out on some of the fun that Indian English has to offer.
Like this advertisement from a big electronics store:
Read the fine print...
So, I showed this ad to all of my Indian colleagues and my students, and none of them were able to see any problems. Even after I asked them what the definition of free is.
“It must be a very good deal,” everyone kept telling me, justifying the fine print. Apparently, in India, free means “a 30% discount”; in the same ad that was announcing “Pay Rs. 2000 extra and get a DVD Writer FREE”, Croma was advertising DVD writers for Rs. 2900.
But that’s not the only great “FREE” that I’ve seen. Earlier this week, I went to Nagapattinam with the PDM 9 students to see what community radio is all about. At the end of the trip, we stopped at Velakanni to see the town’s big church and check out the ocean.
Here’s the first sight that we were greeted with:
Such a beautiful beach...
The sign boldly proclaims that the town is a “plastic free zone”. Looking around, I couldn’t help but think that this is certainly another strange interpretation of “free”. The best part, though, comes when you read what’s written on the rest of the sign. Check it out:
Infertility and choked drains... all because of plastic
Interesting! I must mention that when I went to Nagapattinam, I saw exactly the same scene. For a moment, I wondered if I took this picture? If pictures usually depict a ‘point of time’ then Nagapattinam beach scene would be an exception. I guess, coming across such pictures may not have taken much time for you, or tell me if it is otherwise.
The Grumpy Writer’s Grumps
Sometimes, I wish I could turn my editing eyes off
… but if I did, then I would probably miss out on some of the fun that Indian English has to offer.
Like this advertisement from a big electronics store:
Read the fine print...
So, I showed this ad to all of my Indian colleagues and my students, and none of them were able to see any problems. Even after I asked them what the definition of free is.
“It must be a very good deal,” everyone kept telling me, justifying the fine print. Apparently, in India, free means “a 30% discount”; in the same ad that was announcing “Pay Rs. 2000 extra and get a DVD Writer FREE”, Croma was advertising DVD writers for Rs. 2900.
But that’s not the only great “FREE” that I’ve seen. Earlier this week, I went to Nagapattinam with the PDM 9 students to see what community radio is all about. At the end of the trip, we stopped at Velakanni to see the town’s big church and check out the ocean.
Here’s the first sight that we were greeted with:
Such a beautiful beach...
The sign boldly proclaims that the town is a “plastic free zone”. Looking around, I couldn’t help but think that this is certainly another strange interpretation of “free”. The best part, though, comes when you read what’s written on the rest of the sign. Check it out:
Infertility and choked drains... all because of plastic
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