How to Write a Travel Article: Part 2

How to write a travel article (Part 2)

You write a travel article based on your personal experience when you visit a country. Therefore, as a writer of a travel article, you almost encounter all the difficulties of a traveler.

Some of the major difficulties, a writer encounter while he or she is writing a travel article are:-

1.Language: It is the main barrier when a traveler or a writer encounter when he or she visits an alien territory. If your mother tongue is English and you are traveling or visiting a country where English is the main language or the official language, it is well and good. Still the slang differs. For example the American English is slightly different from the British English. Therefore, you have to prepare yourself when you visit US incase you are from UK or vice versa. But, when your known language differs from the language of the country you visit, your difficulties are manifold.For example, when you are an Indian knowing only an Indian language, say Tamil.When you visit China, where Chinese language is the official language and the spoken language of the people, you have got to be necessarily on guard when you visit China.You should learn or know something about Chinese language so as to break the ice in the course of a conversation with a Chinese. Otherwise, you have to engage the services of a Chinese guide. Official visitors usually engage the services of translators in the course of their conversation.

In India, where each state has its own official language, for example, in the State of Tamil Nadu, Tamil is the official language and in Karnataka, Kannada is the official language,in Andhra Pradesh, Telugu is the official language and in Madhya Pradesh Hindi is the official language. Therefore, people traveling from these states to other states, have their own difficulties. Especially, people from South India, traveling to North India, where Hindi is the spoken language of the common people, one should have atleast some rudimentary knowledge of Hindi.

The difficulties encountered by a traveler can be explained by an amusing  episode. One of my friends who traveled from Tamil Nadu to New Delhi, went for shopping in a busy shopping mal. He did not know Hindi, which was mostly spoken by the people, but managed to learn this Hindi phrase : ‘Kitna Paise ?’ meaning ‘how many paise ?’ for the purpose of enquiring the price of each article he proposed to purchase. Paise is the unit of a rupee, just like pense.When my friend asked this question in the bazaar when he proposed to purchase cheapest goods that were sold on the platform, he did not have any problem and he was able to manage reasonably well without any problem. The platform peddlers also understood my friend’s difficulties.

But the trouble brewed when my friend visited the Air-conditioned show rooms, especially textile show rooms. When we visited a readymade garment showroom, he saw many branded readymade shirts and pants like Raymonds, Peter England and Zero etc.When my friend opened his mouth at a sales man taking a zero brand shirt at his hand,

‘hello, sir, kitna paise this shirt ?’.The salesman’s face became dark.

‘Mr. do you know the actual price of this shirt.It is Rs 750/-.You are simply asking ‘kitna paise ?’ You go to a platform and ask such questions.’

My friend almost came to blows with the salesman.With great difficulties, I managed to whisked him away from the show room.However, still I could see that salesman was gesticulating in some ugly postures at my friend.My friend also used all his vituperative language at his disposal.Though the incident happened many years ago, still it evokes laughter in me.