Lost in Translation
Written by Vinny Arora
Today, I want to take you back in time. I was young and quite new to the teaching profession. Owing to being married to a defense officer, we got transferred to a city in Kerala. As we lived in the campus and fortunately I got a job in a well established boys school within days of being in the city , I had no real exposure to Malayalam. As a teacher who looks quite different from the typical stereotype, and with no prior exposure to Malayalam, I anticipated some challenges, but what transpired was beyond my imagination.
I stepped into my first class, brimming with enthusiasm and ready to introduce myself. After getting acquainted with the students' names, I delved into the fascinating world of History and Political Science. Little did I know that a simple word would lead to a cascade of confusion.
During the conversation, a student stood up and exclaimed, "ma'am, chumma!" Startled, I thought I misheard, attributing it to unfamiliarity. Minutes later, another student chimed in with the exact same phrase. This time, I couldn't ignore it, but I couldn't fathom why they would say "kiss" in Hindi during our discussion. Insecure and perplexed, I soldiered on, determined to complete the class.
As the class came to an end, once again, the notorious phrase echoed through the room, "ma'am, chumma!" Unable to contain my emotions, I hastily gathered my belongings and made a beeline for the staff room, struggling to hold back tears of frustration and confusion.
Upon entering the staff room, a fellow teacher approached me with genuine curiosity, asking about my first class. Unable to contain the overwhelming emotions, I blurted out the entire incident, expecting empathy. To my surprise, instead of consoling me, she burst into uncontrollable laughter.
Confused and slightly offended, I demanded an explanation. That's when she revealed the amusing truth: "chumma" in Malayalam means "just kidding" or "simply." My entire ordeal had been nothing more than a playful jest from the mischievous students!
Embarrassment turned into laughter, and I couldn't help but see the humor in the situation. After composing myself, I realized how important it is to be bilingual and have knowledge of the local language. Misunderstandings like these can easily occur when one lacks the linguistic proficiency to interpret the intended meaning.