Monday 13 May 2019

GET MY NAME RIGHT



In India a name is very sacrosanct and parents often read a lot, discuss with their parents and teachers and then christen the child with a maiden name. Every Indian name has a meaning and so it cannot be mispronounced. As we go to Southern India, particularly Tamilnadu, the father’s name and the name of the Village too is prefixed and so the great aerospace scientist and the People’s President of India, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam was Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam and the cricket legend E.A.S. Prassana is Erapalli Anantrao Srinivas Prasanna!

The situation however changes when we migrate to other states or other countries to earn a living and make a better life. Our name is our calling card and everyone should be able to pronounce it. I spent a very large part of my Plastic Surgery training period in Australia and while the Australians had no problem with my first name Surajit, it was my family name Bhattacharya that was a tongue twister and after several valiant attempts to pronounce it correctly we all settled for a mutually acceptable Battery charger!

Many post-war migrants who came to Australia often anglicized their names just to "fit in". Letters were added, moved around and disappeared altogether from both first names and surnames to make them sound less ethnic. Greek-Armenian broadcaster George Donikian's story is a common one.
"You've got a job tomorrow," a prospective boss told him. "But I can't do Donikian. You can be George White, George Green, any colour George except Donikian."
"So George said, 'How about I take one letter off my name and make it Donikan?' And his prospective employer said, 'Yeah, good. You've got the job.' "

But if you are under the impression that only we, the common folk get their names mis-pronounced, think again. Many celebrities also suffer the name pangs! If I choose to mention only five here then they should be:
Charlize Theron: Don’t say: CHAR-lees Ther-OWN… Instead say: Shar-LEES THAIR-en
Rihanna: Don’t say: Ree-AH-nuh… Instead say: Ree-AN-uh
Demi Moore: Don’t say: DEM-ee… Instead say: Duh-MEE
Eva Mendez: Don’t say: EE-va… Instead say: AY-va
Lindsay Lohan: Don’t say: LOW-han… Instead say: LOW-en

And what about the Duchess of Sussex? Meghan Markle's pronunciation will change with every continent! In Australia and New Zealand they predominantly say Mee-gan, but in America it's often May-gan and in England it's Meg-n. It's a gripe suffered by many who bear names that are either very similar to other names, or have a variety of available pronunciations and spellings. Add in different culture and languages and it can be a minefield.

While using a short form of the name is quite common in the English speaking world, Liz instead of Elizabeth, Tony instead of Anthony, Rod instead of Rodney and Mel instead of Melony, a migrant may want his / her name to remain untarnished. One of my friend in Adelaide would lament that she had a name that people constantly mispronounced in favour of a name with a completely different spelling “I'm a Suzanne people often call Susan!” 

My Greek neighbor in Melbourne, Stavros, politely responded to being called Steve and his wife, Athena, answered to Tina. I know they experienced a sense of loss doing this, but they did it to make things easier for themselves. They did it to fit in. Migrants let go of their names for convenience, ease and practicality – but mostly for the need to feel accepted. Descendants of Greek, Italian, Albanian, Yugoslav, Lebanese, Arab, Chinese and Indian migrants who come to Australia for a better life, often find their names mispronounced. One can't help but detect a whiff of casual racism about it. Perhaps you need to live it to understand the smell. After all people laughing at your name or surname, some affectionately, others not so, becomes a case of death by a thousand cuts!

Educationist Jennifer Gonzalez while blogging about classroom teachers needing to get childrens' names right, feels that mispronouncing and misspelling people's names is said to be, 'a tiny act of bigotry'. It tells the bearer, 'I don't consider you important enough'! It becomes an identity-stripping act that gets a whole lot worse where race and language are elements of the error.

Gonzalez mentions three kinds of people who get names wrong; the 'fumble-bumblers', the 'arrogant manglers' and the 'calibrators'. I think we can all identify with being a fumble-bumbler at one stage or another, and indeed I'd rather tell someone I've forgotten their name than completely flub it, which puts me in the third category - the 'calibrator', a person who cares enough to learn a name and ask if they are getting it right or not. An arrogant mangler has a problem as he / she is doing it deliberately to put you down and needs to be told so. I remember in a conference a friend of mine was referred as ‘Devnash’ or one who kills God instead of ‘Devansh’ or one who is a part of God, and he did not take it kindly. Forgetting the seniority of his name mangler he immediately retaliated and made him apologise.

Gerardo Ochoa, another blogger has added a fourth category to Gonzalez’ list: the evaders. These are the people who’d rather call me something different than call me by my name or look silly trying to pronounce it. When I introduce myself, they say things like “Do you have a nickname?” or “I’m never going to be able to say that!” or “Can I just call you G or Jerry?”

There's nothing wrong with not being able to wrap your tongue around a name, but constant mispronunciation often sits somewhere between ridicule and casual racism. It all depends on your value system. No, getting your name mispronounced is not a joke, it's just part of the migrant experience. Their name is their identity. It connects them to their family, their people and their homeland or home state. The least you can do is attempt to get it right. Pronouncing someone’s name correctly can make people feel valued, honored and respected — and mispronouncing their name creates real problems of identity and prestige. 

What to do when we encounter a difficult name?

Be humble — admit when you’re having difficulty with a name. 
The first step to pronouncing someone’s name correctly is to acknowledge to yourself that you can’t pronounce it. It’s okay if the other person sees you struggling, and it’s okay if you have to ask for help. Usually, they’ll be more than willing to assist. When I see someone struggling to say my name, I help them, so when they finally achieve success, their success is my success, too. We both win.
Be an active bystander.
When you see and hear someone mispronounce another person’s name, take the initiative and correct them.
Don’t ever change someone’s name just because you can’t say it. 
Try saying someone’s name, even if you get it wrong. Changing someone’s name is a decision that belongs to that individual, not to you.

Let’s face it: We’re not always going to get people’s names right. But, more than ever, it matters that we try.

Friday 3 May 2019

BAGGAGE WOES DURING AIR TRAVEL



Recently I was travelling from New Delhi to Kota Bharu in Malaysia via Kuala lumpur by Malaysian Airlines. I reached Indira Gandhi International Airport at 9 PM and checked in my luggage, a brown overnighter which weighed 10 Kg. as it contained my recently published book, which needed some word of mouth publicity overseas. My bag was booked and the baggage counterfoil was stuck to the back of my KL to Kota Bharu boarding pass. I could also see that a special yellow tag was attached to my bag and it screamed ‘Hot Transfer’ in red. Unable to suppress my curiosity when I asked the lady in the booking counter what it meant; she replied with a smile that the transit time between my two flights was short and this tag will signal out the same so that my bag can be promptly loaded on to the next flight. Thanking her for her concern I left the counter.

It was an overnight flight leaving New Delhi at 11 PM and reaching KL next morning at 6.55 AM. I then had a brief stopover by the 8.25 AM flight I was off to Kota Bharu. I reached Sultan Petra Airport of Kota Bharu at 9.30 AM. It is a small airport with two luggage belts and I patiently waited for my bag near one of them. I kept standing at the baggage carousel for what seemed like forever when the steady flow of bags onto the conveyor belt slowed to a trickle, and then eventually stopped. My bag was nowhere in sight!

Having traveled extensively, even in not so friendly places, I am never bothered by such hiccups. However, one of my co passengers, a lady doctor from South Africa, was not at all happy. Her one bag was missing and another looked like an angry gorilla has been throwing it around his cage for sport! It was her decibel levels that drew the attention of a Malaysian Airlines employee who escorted us to a counter where lost and damaged luggage are reported. While she was expertly pacified with lots of reassurance and smiles and promises, I was asked to fill up a form about the external appearance and contents of my bag and assured that it will be sent to my hotel, The Grand Renai, in the evening. As I did not have a Malaysian SIM by then I gave them the mobile number of a lady of Universiti Sains Malaysia, who was given the responsibility to look after my stay and conveyance in the city.

If your bags are delayed, try not to panic. The airlines typically have ways to track them, and the vast majority of misplaced luggage is returned eventually. If your bags are on the next flight, you could have them within a few hours. If they’ve been sent to the wrong airport, it could take a couple of days. Make sure to file your claim immediately at the airport and to give the attendant a hotel or home address, as well as a phone number where you can be reached. The airlines will typically bring you your luggage when it is found; you will rarely need to return to the airport to pick it up. Additionally, many airlines will reimburse any unexpected expenses caused by the loss or delay. So keep your receipts!

Research from SITA, the makers of the World Tracer System and producers of an annual report on the state of baggage handling around the world, found that 21.6 million bags were mishandled (lost or temporarily mislaid) in 2016 (down from 23.3m in 2015), a figure that translates as 5.73 bags per 1,000 passengers. Since 2007, the number of bags lost per 1,000 passengers is down from 18.88 to 5.73, a fall of 70 per cent. Detailed consumer research into lost baggage from the Association of European Airlines suggested that 85 per cent of bags reported as lost are returned to their owners by courier within 48 hours, meaning they are “misdirected” rather than lost. SITA says reunion time is now down to 36 hours.

Before you leave the airport, get a reference number for your claim and find out how to check on your bag’s status; some airlines have an online system while others will provide you with a phone number to call for updates. The next flight from Kuala lumpur to Kota Bharu in the evening had my bag and when it landed the airlines called the lady in the University who promptly sent a driver with a vehicle to fetch it.

But before my bag could reach me I had to deliver two talks. Fortunately I was carrying them in my pen drive, which was in my pocket and so the day was saved. This prompted me to think what all should not be put in the check in baggage, but must always stay with you in the cabin. Cameras, computers, medication, wallets, heirlooms, jewelry, passports and essential travel documents should never be in your checked baggage.

Can you prevent lost luggage?
No. Some things are not in your hands. But you can surely help by trying the following:
1. Put your name and cell phone number on the outside and inside of your bags.
2. The most common causes of lost and delayed bags are late check-ins and tight connections. Avoid both when you can.
3. Pack all valuables in your carry-on bags.
4. Itemize. It sounds tedious, but when an airline asks what was in your bag, you don’t want to forget anything of value. If you make a packing list before you travel, hang on to it—this is an easy way to remember everything you put into your bags.
5. Make sure the person who checks your baggage attaches the correct destination ticket to every bag, and get a claim ticket for each.
6. Pack a change of clothes in your carry-on bag so you’ll have something to wear if your checked bag is delayed. If you’re traveling with a partner, consider dividing each person’s clothes between your checked bags; this way if one of the bags is lost, you’ll each still have some of your belongings.
7. Travel insurance is the best guarantee that you’ll recoup any losses.
8. Consider using a baggage tagging service such as SuperSmartTag or ReboundTAG. These services offer luggage tags with unique serial numbers that can be linked to the suitcase owner via an online database. The site will contact you as soon as your lost item is found.

Lost Bags
If the airline loses your bags, make sure you get a written claim for damages. This may require a different form than the original “missing luggage” form. This can be done at the airport or online. The maximum an airline pays on lost bags and their contents differs from country to country. It is currently limited to $3,500 per passenger on U.S. domestic flights, and a varying rate per passenger for checked baggage on international flights based on the Warsaw Convention or the Montreal Convention. In the United States, if you paid a checked baggage fee for your lost bag, the airline must refund your fee. Check your carrier’s website for specifics. You may need to produce receipts to prove the value of items you had in your lost luggage. If you have them, include copies in any documentation you send to the airline. You can also purchase “excess valuation” protection from your airline if your checked baggage is worth more than these limits.

Air India has a site Lostproperty@airindia.in where you can report lost luggage. The Owner and should be in possession of the following documents to reclaim their lost bag within 90 days:-

·         Copy of Boarding Card/ proof of journey with baggage receipt
·         Copy of Passport/ ID card issued by any Government Unit
·         Details of the items being claimed.


The airlines typically have a long list of items for which they will not be held responsible; these include jewelry, money, heirlooms and other valuables. These items should always be left at home or packed in your carry-on bag.

Stolen Bags
Yes, this happens and you should be very careful. If you have to take the bus after you deplane then go for the first bus and head directly to the baggage carousel. This will minimize the potential time for your bag to be stolen. Many airlines scan bags when they’re loaded into the baggage claim area and keep records, especially at larger airports. If your bag goes missing after you’ve left the baggage claim area, your claim is no longer with the airline, but with the police. Your homeowner’s insurance may cover a stolen suitcase; if it doesn’t, consider purchasing travel insurance before you travel.

Damaged Bags
Once you’ve gotten your bags off the carousel, immediately check them for damage or other signs of tampering or mishandling. Report any damage before leaving the airport; airline customer service agents will often want to inspect the bag. Keep in mind that most airlines won’t cover minor wear and tear. But if you spot your bag in tatters lying on a plastic tray, you can claim damages. You will most likely need to produce a receipt for any repairs, or be required to use airline-sanctioned luggage repair vendors. Ask the baggage claim attendant for specific information. You don’t want to find out that you have paid for a repair that isn’t covered.

Compensation

If your bag is misdirected on the way out, the airline must give you money to buy replacement items or reimburse you for purchases you make to cover your loses while you wait for your bag. But they can be evasive and pass responsibility to any other airlines you have traveled with or your travel insurance company. UK airlines allow 21 days to track your bag before it is considered officially "irretrievably lost". They trace it through an electronic tag put on it when you drop off your luggage, but bags can be difficult to find if a faulty or incorrect code was entered by the person who checked it in. After a lengthy process of making a claim, you can get compensation for your bag. Read the terms and conditions in your travel insurance as they too compensate for your baggage delay or loss. 

Most importantly, baggage woes are a reality, they do happen once in a while. Do not panic. Pack smartly so that your cabin baggage can sustain you till your lost bag reaches you and see if you can be compensated for your trouble.