Questioning Intentions

Different points of views, perspectives, and ways of doing things are increasingly being addressed more than ever as platforms such as social media networks and blogs  are gaining popularity. Agreeing or disagreeing to it cannot be avoided, but disrespect, questioning intentions before verifying can be by not jumping into conclusions without evidence.  Everyone comes from different walks of life and goes through different experiences, and specialise in particular knowledge which makes them hold the perspective they hold and be the person that they are. A doctor would be the best person to consult for medical advice, a teacher the best for improving learning techniques, a watchman the best person to repair your watch. The notion of teamwork has been present since school throughout life; to show that two heads are better than one and the best result outcome is with a team in which all the participants actively contribute but also listens to each other.

Media has a huge impact on what people decide is true or not, which is why they hold a large responsibility on verifying the news.  In some instances though, due to the sudden shock and severity of a situation, emotions come in first without the verification and the news is spread based on that. An example I can give from my personal experience is of a plane crash which happened last month, it was the second plane crash in the same country within a span of two years. Since this was the second accident, few people on social media networks started generalising faults in the country’s planes, saying that the planes were too old to fly, and questioning profit making motives of the owner of these planes due to reselling of the plane to another company without thinking about the safety of the passengers. It was only when my friend who had the knowledge about the durability of planes because his father is a pilot himself who told me that planes actually have a much longer durability and go through stringent checks before they are allowed to fly; after all its human lives they are dealing with. The last intention the owner of a plane company would want is to have his plane crash, have lives lost and reputation shredded.

I still am not aware of any documented evidence on this, but this at least gave me another perspective and improved my knowledge about planes in gernal and essentially reinforced that we wait for documented evidence before questioning motives and intentions. Also talking to someone who has the experience and knowledge in a certain issue would also be a better person to consult to gain a clearer picture especially if you don’t know about it.

In this case listening to another perspective helped de cloud my one perspective on a situation. Solomon Ibn Gabriol who is a poet and philosopher once said: ‘The first step in the acquisition of wisdom is silence, the second listening, the third memory, the fourth practice, the fifth teaching others.’ Real acquisition of knowledge can lead to clearer judgements about decisions you make, and that is only possible by making the effort to listen and verify, before you speak and spread news.

Language Barriers

To get a point, idea or suggestion across to another individual the language of instruction has to be the same for a level of understanding to occur. If it is weak, it takes longer and if it fails it then requires hand gestures and body language for the understanding to take place. The point to be noted however is that in almost every instance it is language that is used as a medium of instruction before anything else. When two individuals are at opposite end of a  spectrum in terms of the language they speak then any exchange between them can be frustrating and seem pointless.

Speaking from personal experience I once had a friend who was trying to enthusiastically explain her idea. I could almost see a 1000 watt bulb shining on top of her head as she tried many times using different ways using different examples to explain it to us. After a few attempts and not seeing the excitement she expected to see on my face, she turned to be apologetic and exasperated ‘I’m sorry but my English is poor!’ It was after another friend came along and we encouraged her to try getting her point across again by us using our suggestions and guesses did we finally figure out what she was trying to say and it was then I knew why she was so excited about it in the first place! The understanding of ideas and concepts from people across different countries can be similar because I understood it later; but when the language differences come in we feel that they even have a different thought pattern then us and we cannot relate to them.

Another example I can give of is school curriculum and textbooks all across the globe. Having studied a foreign language myself I have also seen that the basic rules and principles are the same for all languages in terms of tense, grammar, masculine/feminine usage and so on. With this already instilled in us while growing up and practicing our mother tongue the next step is to learn the new language. Even when it comes to skills and concepts such as arithmetic or geography of a particular place, the answers to the same exam question will be the same for a child in two completely different countries, the only difference will be the language in which they are writing the answer to.

English is known to be a universal language and is often used to mitigate these barriers between people whose first language is not English. Some of us, whose first language is not English have had the opportunity to go to schools or live in a place where we also learnt English just as good as our own language and at some times better than that. Starting early has its advantages as we grow up and have more time and experience in speaking and writing it. But not everyone has had that upbringing. This however, does not mean that that individual is less able or less intelligent than someone who can express themselves in English better; they can just do it with another medium of instruction.

Learning a language other than your native tongue can be more difficult but yet not impossible. Marina Warner who wrote ‘English that’s good enough’ also talks about a similar aspect when she says:

‘There are gains from not knowing a language as one’s mother tongue – as Samuel Beckett realised when he set aside English and chose to write in French. Unfamiliarity helps. In my current MA class, one of the most gifted writers is Mexican. In Abu Dhabi, where I taught undergraduates, mother tongues included Spanish, Korean, Arabic and Kutchi, a language I had not heard of before. The Kutchi and Arabic speakers wrote – in English – some of the most sensitive work produced by the class. Mistakes are easily fixed, usually. Perfection of linguistic fluency isn’t of prime importance for expressive power.’

Again in this case, the ideas are considered much more important than grammatical errors, which with time and practice can be corrected. It is the idea which can cause constructive change if anyone is willing to give it time to understand it.

Therefore the next time you get frustrated with someone who’s English is not as good as yours and their writing is filled with tense and grammatical errors, try to see where they come from. Ridiculing the way the speak English or write will just discourage them from engaging in future talks. Encouraging their ideas and thoughts can also try to make those individuals more prone into putting in effort to learn the universal language of English when they see that people are showing interest. This kind of exchange between people from different cultures, regions, and walks of life can be beneficial in improving ideas and ways of doing things.

Senses and Capabilities

A vast majority of us have been blessed with all five senses. It’s very hard to say which sense is more useful because they all as important in their own unique way. In the hustle and bustle of everyday life we often forget about these blessings and I fall victim to this as well. It’s only when I spot someone talking in sign language, or using a guide dog to steer through a place, or use a wheelchair to get to places do I realise what an extra effort these individuals have to make in their lives. A person who cannot see the world has to try to picture it in their own head including people they interact with; a person who cannot hear has to make the extra effort to understand lip reading especially when there are not many people who know sign language, a person who cannot walk has to steer through crowds and roads using a wheelchair. With competition increasing and added pressure with work we all have a lot to deal with. But to people who lack a sense or have a diability have something to battle everyday for the rest of their life along with their daily issues. This not only makes me a lot more thankful for the position that I am in, but it also puts me in awe of a person’s capabilities, it really can be limitless if we think about it, all it needs is effort to overcome the hurdles.

Acquired Faith, Acquired Tastes

Each country has its own unique culture and traditions, and because they are so different from one another people from other places get so fascinated when they experience it.  This is probably why so many individuals list travelling and tourism as their favourite hobby and very well so as it enriches your life’s experience when you see different people living different lifestyles.  Some people come back from different places claiming they feel ‘brand new’ or have ‘discovered themselves’.

 There was a beautiful quote that caught my attention which was said by Mahatma Ghandi: ‘No culture can live if it attempts to be exclusive.’ My interpretation of this beautiful concept would be that since every culture is different from each other, the differences should be celebrated.  And the best way to celebrate it is with the whole world and not just it being exclusive to its own people.  I feel that we can improve our learning techniques from other places, but only if we get a chance, or are invited to, or feel at home when we visit that place.  I am happy to see this concept being adapted in different places which from my own experience in living in those places were exclusive.  Here are some examples:

Hajj and Umrah are two of the five pillars of Islam.  Being fortunate to experience both, the whole process itself was beautiful, something that should be shared with everyone.  Initially there were very heavy restrictions on who could come for Hajj and Umrah, starting firstly with just people in the same country who hold the resident permit.  This was also understandable because the infrastructure of the place was not developed well enough to manage such a high influx of people.  Fortunately, with time and a lot of investment being made to the development of this, the authorities have loosened the visa restrictions and now anyone from the same faith can obtain the visa provided they meet the requirements.

 This development is encouraging, and there may be hope that they open it to individuals from other faiths. This endeavour, I feel, has started by a recent Hajj exhibition was set up in London. The response and curiosity level of Hajj from different faiths was astonishingly high, most probably because they can never go to this place.  This project was also collaboration with a university in Saudi Arabia and I admire their efforts. 

Another example I would like to give is of a very famous food street in Lahore called ‘Food street Gawalmandi.’  This was the old one as now they have relocated to a new place which I have not had the opportunity to go to.  The old food street was known for the best local food in Lahore.  There was something magical about the place, the lighting, forgetting about hygiene for the night and the simple way of eating at steel tables and chairs while enjoying the lively atmosphere with good company at the same time.  It was experiencing Lahore culture at its best.

Recently my friend went to the new food street and put up pictures of the place.  And what I saw left me pleasantly surprised.  The setup was pretty much the same, preserving old Lahore’s outlook but there was one difference, it was not just local food, there was international cuisine as well.  I spotted a ‘Boston’s Fish and Chips’ and a ‘China Express’ under the same building as the local food.  With globalisation gaining momentum we see this sort of thing a lot and especially in Western countries, but now having it in a cultural place which was predominantly exclusive to its own food was a pleasant surprise. 

As a tourist from a different country we have our taste buds set on our own food no matter where we are in the world.  ‘Home cooked’ food means the food of your native country.  When we go to another country being flexible in experimenting with different kinds of food is something that is in mind.  Yet at some point due to restlessness and due to some faith/religion related reason, it becomes arduous to continue for a longer period of time.  The effort to cater to different nationalities and faiths would be beneficial in the long term especially in the tourism industry; as no faith advocates hated towards the other.  I am happy to see this is making headway and hope it continues to grow further with time.

‘Not only nationalism but internationalism should guide our thinking process and permeate our way of life.’ Camilo Osias

Sportsmanship

Sports are one of the main ways where people from all over the world are united especially if they support the same team. The excitement and high adrenaline level is highly evident when people call in sick from work just to watch the match, or host screenings for a major match or more commonly by venting out their thoughts on social media websites such as Facebook and Twitter. The most exciting time on my social networking page is when a major match is on; where people just cannot control their happiness or in worst case scenarios, their frustration. Now with social networking in place; it is not just important who is winning or losing the match but also how everyone else is reacting to it. There is a sense of companionship when friends, peers and people with the same nationality as you are updating a status which reflects how you feel.

 I have noticed this sort of reaction is most common when it comes to sports. Being involved in sports myself before made me realise its importance. I was fortunate to have been coached and mentored by a coach who taught me the following:

1) A sports game is just a game. This is important to know because once you are playing in a game, at that instance the game becomes your life and all you can think about is winning, the thought of losing is just too painful. This can cause some players to be over emotional about certain decisions a referee makes or a missed score by another team player.

2) In a way a game is a abridged mimic of one’s life. There are periods of elation, dormancy, frustration, high expectations, disappointments, stress, anticipation, fatigue and defeat which can all encompass one game. No wonder it’s so exciting to watch!

3) Ironically the audience watching the game usually feel a higher level of emotion than the players involved in the match. At times it can be good because the audience’s energy can boost a player’s moral, so that should never be underestimated.

4) Appreciate the other team. The animosity will always be there but there is no harm in a friendly handshake and an appreciation cheer before and after the match. After all they are also in it to win it as well.

5) Someone has to lose. That is probably the beauty of it the whole game.

6) Not always does a best performance level throughout the tournament mean a first place win. This is probably the hardest to accept, when you fight the hardest but never reach the destination. Yet in this case, recognition of the effort is usually noticed.

7) Team respect is highest to the ones who practice good sportsmanship.

8) Sometimes being under too much stress can affect your performance level in ways you did not even know.

9) Win or lose its okay, there’s a reason to celebrate your participation in the tournament.

Athletes and sports players I feel have it best. They have been through this cycle repeatedly to know how things work and many times acquire the best levels of patience and perseverance this way. The importance of sports and playing in tournaments should not be undermined. In many cases in school it has been noted that only the best players are allowed to play in tournaments, because the win is too important. What schools should realise that playing sports in school is not just about striving to win but also learning that you have to lose sometimes, a lesson everyone needs to learn.

From Exclusive to Inclusive

The actual meaning of exclusiveness entered my life a lot later than most people, and when it did I remember feeling dumbstruck and awkward in trying to internalise this term. Gaining this experience from moving from a relatively non exclusive environment to another extreme of a more exclusive environment and currently in a mixture of individuals from the previous exclusive environment with the opportunity to meet new people from various backgrounds provided me with insight on the effects of exclusivity.

I feel the analogy of the Venn Diagram which was often used in Math class is the best example. The problem sets mainly focused on finding the values where the circles intersected.  As children the intersection is the highest and at many instances they completely intersect. Kids playing in the playground tend to leave out asking details about the other person’s background, because they just have one aim: to make a sand castle. The only interest they have is if the other person is on board.

As we grow older we tend to start enquiring about people’s background and history in order to make judgements about being associated with that individual or not, and cliques start to form. At times it is based on a person’s appearance, culture, race or religion. In this case the circles in the Venn diagram keep adding on and spread further apart. In extreme cases of hate the circles do not intersect at all.

Although diversifying and knowing more about you as an individual is a norm; at times it deters an individual about learning about other people who may come from different walks of life. And that to me is a tragedy as it is a loss in your enriched learning experience.

Several times I have noticed people generalising using their own unique upbringing and previous background to explain why they are the way they are and more importantly why they cannot gel in with the rest before even meeting them. Truth is, we are all unique individuals even if we are raised in the same environment. The best example I can give of that is of siblings raised in the same household, where there are minimal differences in upbringing. Despite that, you and your siblings are as likely to have a different nature and more importantly different interests. It is only the family love and bond which keeps the family together.

Coming back to my personal experience, coming across people who were mere acquaintances from my previous environment and developing friendships with them makes me think that this would have been just as possible if the environment was more conductive in doing so. In many cases you because of globalisation and the outreach of media and social networks you find people from different parts of the world mourning for a significant person’s death, celebrating prestigious awards together, and protesting at injustice done in a country other than their own.

Taking the differences as learning experience or if not, at least not disrespecting it can really broaden one’s horizons in terms of understanding. From what I remember the math problem set almost always asked for the values where the diagrams intersected; maybe it’s time we try to include ourselves in those intersections too.

Constructive Restrictions

We often hear about the freedom of writing and speech and how that is beneficial to us. Yet more commonly if we were told to sit and write about anything from a broad category it would take us time to firstly think about the topic and secondly to construct the argument.  Whilst writing freely on anything that interests you or affects you has its perks; I recently came to thinking that having to deal with restrictions on what to write has immense advantages too.  By dealing with restrictions your mind has to make the conscious effort to bring forward what it wants to say with the deterrents in mind.  Here are some examples:

• This sort of training starts as early as primary level schooling when you are given specific topics to write about, or told specific genres to read, or told to act as a specific character in a school play.

  When you are given certain topics to write about, this can knowingly make you think about a topic which you had not thought about before, research on it, familiarise yourself on it to form an argument.  This way if we do happen to come across a situation which we cannot identify with just knowing about it can help us respond better to it or if not that just to understand it.

  The same goes with acting in a play in a role whose character is of a contrasting nature than yours in a situation/lifestyle completely different than yours can help you know more about how an individual feels and reacts to that as you act out feelings of happiness, distress, and anger and engage with the audience as they form reactions to it as well.

  When it comes to the genres of books, we are more often inclined from the start to read the ones that interest us.  But venturing out to different genres at an early stage can bring out a similar effect by identifying yourself with different characters and in this case actually becoming that character as you read the book.

• An article I came across called ”We Need To Talk’: Saudi Arabia’s First Public Contemporary Art Exhibit Tests Governmental Limits‘ talked about the same theme when it said:

  “We want to avoid being overly controversial and stepping over a lot of toes because that will be counter-productive to us,” Alireza said.

  “The reason I find Saudi art particularly good and inspiring is because the restrictions the artists face is what actually lights the fuel under their creativity, forcing them to think more deeply and to be more subtle in their work,” she added.

  In this example, the art exhibition was happening in a conservative environment for the first time, but the organiser was optimistic they would work with this restriction to bring about productive results.

• The last example I would like to give is something that comes at a later stage to us in our academic stage or career stage.  When we are assigned broad topics and projects.  Almost always we are told to narrow down as far as we possibly can because firstly writing on such a broad topic is difficult to deal with and secondly the more you narrow the topic down the easier it would be to research on it.

Therefore with these sorts of restrictions your tolerance to situations and people different than you can increase which can help you adapt to them more easily.  Freestyle writing however, should not be undermined, as writing which helps you express yourself with less strain in thinking can be a soothing process in itself.  A combination of both would probably be the best way forward.