English Teacher

It was intresting to watch him try and weave sentences in English. He struggled with the very universal problem of translating-from-native-langauge-into-alien-language. And hence he spoke with long gaps. His reason for learning English is career advancement and he is doing the usual language-school routine. Can't find people to communicate with in English and hence can't progress in his pursuit. Hence got talking to me off the net and we met.
So, after our coffee, my patient hearing, his constant trials of forming legible sentences, and a customary promise to meet again for more practice, we said good byes.

Very typical person. Back in India I would equate this with someone who is lower middle class and is starting off his career. By 36, as he is, most of them pretty much know what they are doing and just do it, or stop caring about things like career advancement. And even if they do, they seldom learn new langauges. And they do not drive Audis. He, incidentally, does.

The whole episode tells me
- how much I love correcting people's english! I can be SO patient. If I could have been half as much with my work and relations, I would have done wonders.
- people in the west seem to be much more hard working than back home. Hard working and focussed. I am not talking about ambitiuos techies, but the usual run-of-the-mill middle class, middle aged people. May be I not correct in making this judgement but it seems thus so far.