Even after staying in US for more
than four years now, I still feel that my sense of humor is pretty much desi. It’s not about understanding the language;
it’s about aligning your sense of humor with a different culture. There are
people who do this seamlessly. At least they pretend to do it. But for me it
needs effort which is no less than developing a high end algorithm (I don't
remember when last time I did that).
Today I was in one such trap. The
occasion was a party in buffalo wild wings thrown by my client. I am used to
these types of parties and ready to take usual kind of jokes. I don't think
that I have developed any taste for these jokes but I have learned to laugh at
the right time and in the right amount. But I had a bigger problem in hand, the
FIFA world cup. While I am still coming to terms why football is called Soccer
in America and why the game which is called football here has hardly any use of
foot. I am up with a new challenge. I not only need to enjoy FIFA world cup, I
also need to know the history and Geography of each player. My client loves
Soccer and my manager has already told me that though I am good in technology
but I need to work hard on relationship management. I am sure I am not good in
technology but I love when someone praises me. I am also sure that my manager’s
presumption about my relationship management is correct. And if my client loves
Soccer then I must have some view, if not love, for this game. I should be able
to appreciate the game, its nuances and the jokes attached. I needed a guide
for dummies on Football teams. I googled it, found one and went through it
quickly. I realized that it is not worth. I should continue my technique of
smiling and laughing as it is.
So at the end I was sitting in
front of my client who was cracking some joke related to one player (I don't
remember even his name) and I was laughing like anything. The trick is timing.
You need to understand when the right time to laugh is. Once you get hold of
this you need not to worry about what the person is saying. While I was
laughing with full intensity, all of a sudden I felt like Navjot Singh Siddhu.
What is the difference between him and me? Why I used to hate this person for
his nonsense laughter? His primary job is to laugh and he laughs. I am not the
anchor of any laughter challenge show. So to laugh is not my primary job and
still I am laughing for my job. While I was returning from that party I
developed a sense of respect for Siddhu. It is not easy to laugh on something
which doesn't make sense. But it is even harder to lose your sense and start
making sense out of all nonsense. Siddhu has achieved this state. I have yet to
achieve Nirvana.
