India is the land of writing. Indians love the writing. Partially because they love papers, and they love love love bureaucracy, they will always ask you to fill forms, write commentaries and suggestions, leave a note the guest book. But it goes much beyond that: a urge of communication affects any kind of people, from rickshaw wallahs to bus drivers, from small shops owners to employees.
And, to my personal immense delight, that communication need expresses itself through words. Whoever can write, writes. In Hindi, Bengali, Arabic, in all the amazing-looking dozens of languages this country hosts.
Plus one, why not?, English.
Now let’s calculate properly: the love for the writing equals words and sentences everywhere, spread over the walls, the back of the trucks, the sides of the cars, the least probable spots; the urge of communicating equals expression of pure Indian feelings, smart thoughts, mind-blowing ideas – at least for those who have them -; and English, well English in most cases equals the final twist, aka misspelling.
Sum it all up together, you will get one of the most entertaining and amusing features of this bizarre place. India talks to you though the writing, and it says amusing things. Restaurants will promise “very decent food”, shops will sell “best qwality only”, a fast taxi will say, on the side “it bowls you off”, the metro signs will warn you “please do not befriend any unknown person”.
And the back of the rickshaw that’s overtaking yours will state romantic, right when you needed to smile, that “love is sweet poisson“.
