Context, or how the biggest of ‘rights’ can be wrong in a different place

Context is a tremendously undervalued and under-considered thing, even though it’s present in life all the time everywhere. What is context? In simple terms, the situation combined with surrounding factors and influences. Context can change within a house, within a neighbourhood, within a day, anywhere. Context definitely changes across regions, countries, and continents.

Context comes into play at home as well as at work. If we make proper use of tact (which not everybody does), we adapt to the context. Talking to your best friend of many years and talking to whoever you met the day before is different. You wouldn’t say the same things to your parent(s) as you do to your cousin(s) of the same age group. A cultural occurrence in one country cannot be considered universal to the point of thinking all others are backwards. Some surprisingly, some may even believe what they think is ‘right’ or ‘righter’ than others and should not be adapted when in fact it is far from the case. And so on. If context matters so much, then how come it’s mostly ignored? As is the modern trend, simple things are often forewent by complex ones.

“Why spend time dealing with something simple when much more complicated things can be dealt with? I am much better than that!”

Well…when did the child first learn to run before having learnt how to walk?
How can someone deal correctly with something complex if they can’t even handle a simple one…?

It is essential to consider context as it forms the basis, the essence of communication. The same thing said in different contexts can have different meanings. So if people don’t learn how to communicate, what’s the point trying to learn advanced communication? Context depends on situation, but also on other related factors. Societal norms and mores vary from place to place, personally and professionally, and their existence depend on the local context. People have different sensitivities and react accordingly to different stimuli. After all, you would adapt whatever you say on a very sensitive issue to someone hysterical, wouldn’t you? There are countless examples like that and their differences are quasi endless.

Basically, there is no template to be used everywhere all the time. Context has to be looked at in all situations and its importance is such that there can be communication without it. Saying something, even if true, in the wrong context can do more harm than good. Adapting content to situation can foster receptiveness and improve communication. Better communication can get things done. Even multinationals are investing a lot in understanding local context before implanting themselves now.

The importance of context is increasing for businesses worldwide, but it has been lagging behind on the human scale. It may be time for it to change perhaps?

A welcoming back to Parisian life, or the re-structuring of oneself

So I landed in Paris on tuesday, and had an appointment already on the next day.  Moving in was no fun this time, not that it ever was, as the room I got was very small.  It did not only seem small, but you could feel its smallness as soon as you walked between the narrow space that is the space between the shelf and the wardrobe to get to the ‘main space’ of the room.  The room I had in this very building here last year was, as per what the woman at the reception said, not bigger.  However, it certainly felt so! I can’t help but feel a pressure against my lungs when I am in this room :S Claustrophobia alert!

I went to my appointment to meet my professor.  As usual, I was a few minutes early (for I hate to be late).  Knowing how sometimes punctuality can be loathed, especially in the Old World, I just climbed back down the 5 storeys and went to get a bottle of water.  I made it back to the office 15 minutes later, knocked, but nobody.  So I waited…and waited….and waited.  30 minutes past the time he had told me to come..how strange.  Thinking he was caught up in an urgent meeting, I kept on waiting..and thus, 1h15 went by but still no trace of the man.  So I left.

Upon reaching home, I promptly emailed him and got the reply at night that he had changed his planning and would instead meet me the next day.  How happy I would have been had he told me this BEFORE my going to the university to spend half the day for nothing.  Oh well, I guess that partly (forcedfully) accelerated my getting used to things here.  I reckon it might still take me a while longer.  Or longer than that.

You sure welcomed me well, Paris.

Mingling in the Romagna, or learning from the grassroots

Today I went to meet my prof to learn that my discussion part was to be re-done, most of which I will hopefully complete before going to bed.  After that, all I will have to worry about is the presentation for the research.  I am not worried about it at all because of my extensive experience in presentations in various media.  So that should go ok hopefully.  I have to get the discussion done though, first of all.

Next week, I will take part in a local festival right here in Cesena.  I will be the protagonist in an amateur documentary about a foreigner (duh!) who knows about the festival in Cesena (again duh!) and who will try to learn more (yeah you guessed it – duh!) through small interviews/questions/whatevers during the festival with backstage staff, artists, people, etc.  It sure is promising to be cool.

So this evening there was an aperitivo for all the festival staff (and participants I guess?).  I met the organiser of the whole thing, other people who will somehow have a hand in that (that includes us since we will be helping and all) and there was a variety of food there, some of which were very typical.  Needless to say I bloody loved it! :D

What did I learn about the festival? Nothing, since I that’s what I will have to do next week during the documentary.  In order to do that, I am trying not to learn anything new before.  So I met this guy who works on a boat/at sea, who was a very jolly fella who liked to live his life.  He was pretty cool.  Then there was a guy who had been part of all the festivals [of the type that will take place next week] in Cesena.  He was awesome too.  Actually, everybody I met was simply amazing and I really felt at home.  Ok, I sort of feel at home mostly everywhere, but a big part depends on the people :P

Looking eyeball-to-eyeball with the end, of many but few

This week is sort of the last week, in more ways than one actually.  For the thesis that I’ve been dragging along since October, definitely, since there are at most 4 days till submission (for normal people that is – special people may have gotten extensions).  Then an end to the undue stress we have all been subjected to, moreso those from Paris as compared to the others.  Also an end to many a blossoming [love] relationship, since it’s sort of the last week.

BUT, on the other hand, a start.  After every end there is a start, right? Start of holidays for one ;)

Yeah, it’s not over yet :) Then there is the middle category – that which does not end here but which will continue for [hopefully] years to come.  That particular category has a name, that is friendship.

I have been here for a few months now and since the first day up till now, many people have come and gone, but some stayed :)  Disagreements and differences in points of view may have been many, but show me two friends who have none and I will show you a liar.

I might even say that the people I have met here have been the best part of my experience here, even more than the food! ahaha.  Frankly, to me, the food here is not as special as everybody has been telling me since they knew I would come here.  I have been eating food this good, if not better, all my life in Mauritius.  Maybe I should start pestering them about how good OUR food is ;) haha

Maybe I should get back to work and finish my thesis.  I can play with my slices of mind as much as I want afterwards :)

First visit to Vinia

Vinia is a club or bar or lounge on the other side of the town. It is roughly the same distance from where we all live as the University, or maybe even closer. The only thing we know about is about Melanie’s Said having played with his band there once.

The group that is heading there should be nice! The Portugeezers are coming, except for one who thinks that it is too far away to walk there. The Colombians are most probably not coming, as usual. We rarely see them outside of class as I think they study a lot [but then again, who doesn’t?]. The German/Austrian brigade should be coming too. I have no idea who else is coming though. Anyway, Innsbruck girl Theresa is probably one of the coolest person I have met here, but it is surprising how we only met after more than 2 months in such a small town as Cesena!

I heard there is a karoke at Vinia…I wonder if anyone will give it a try ;) Maybe Tania will after a couple of drinks! haha. If they have nice songs, we could do duets too. Might be cool.

Tomorrow I have to get on with my data analysis. I received the reply from my supervisor from Paris today and she only corrected a few things. Does that mean that I sent her something good? Or is she tired of correcting me?? Well, she rarely gives concise instructions such that she can’t expect people to read her mind. Well since I do not have to have wholesale changes in the paper, I can concentrate on my data and the latter parts of the thesis now. I only have one month left too, so I better hurry.

Discovering a language barrier, and falling in love

I always looked, from a slight negative angle, those who came to a place where I already was and struggled to adapt. Granted, I have what others describe an abnormally high adaptation rate and flexibility when it comes to moving across cultures. However, I had never been, before now, confronted with a language barrier.

Ok it’s not like I do not speak this one at all, but rather, I am not too good at it. I can manage, but I am not at the level I know I can be (well that will take some more time). I have not had courses of Italian at all so far (except that thing that the people at the CTL called a ‘course’ that was really nothing at all for I could do more on my own that they could do there) and I am not in possession of the required vocabulary level to be at ease.

I am no language genius, but I am no wimp either. I love languages and I always try to learn more. For the first time in my life, I have hit a barrier. I have not really self-taught myself the language for I have had help from people around me. I have a book about it, but have not yet really delved into it.

To make matters worse, I have presented the symptoms of having fallen totally in love with the girl of my dreams. One might say ‘DUH! SHE IS THE GIRL OF YOUR DREAMS!’ but I just did not expect her to occupy my mind quasi all the time; at least not yet. I had previously been able to separate the personal from the academic aspect BUT, I seem to have lost control today.

Maybe that fear of losing her is haunting me? I love her, but I don’t know if she does :(

This is turning out to be a cliché love story, eh?

Bah…

-=Sarvesh