Hindi-speaking Kiwi charms
Karl Rock has endeared himself to locals in India by showing them he speaks their language, writes Lorna Thornber.
Karl Rock can’t help but shock wherever he goes in India. Navigating the backstreets of New Delhi, where he’s now based, or beyond, the Kiwi traveller blends in with all the other Western tourists - until he opens his mouth and speaks Hindi.
Karl’s efforts to learn the language have surprised but ultimately endeared him to many - in a widely shared recent video he’s shown striking up conversations with a rickshaw driver, shop workers and waiters, eliciting smiles wherever he goes.
Asking for a lassi at a small shop, the ‘‘milk man’’ at the counter seems to find it hard to believe the blond-haired, blued eyed man before him is speaking Hindi, answering in a mixture of the northern Indian language - the fourth most widely spoken in the world - and English. When Karl tells him he’s from New Zealand though, the pair fall into fluent Hindi.
‘‘New Zealand is a very nice country. Coolest country. It’s like heaven,’’ the milk man says, beaming.
‘‘Skydiving, bungy jumping,’’ Karl offers, to which the milk man responds ‘‘Snowballing... a lot of things.’’
The pair part with a friendly handshake and the milkman saying ‘‘Thank you so much bro. It was very good to have met you.’’
Karl moved from Auckland to India in 2017 after being made redundant for the second time and deciding ‘‘I was going to live life on my terms and find a way to make money for myself’’. Having fallen in love with the country on previous trips there, he made it his mission to spend two years exploring all 36 Indian states and territories, as well as Pakistan and Bangladesh.
Karl began learning Hindi ‘‘for fun’’ while dating an Indian woman - he wanted to be able to understand what she (and his Indian friends) were saying. He decided to take it more seriously on a six-month holiday to the country in 2014, enrolling in a month of Hindi classes. While he tells native Hindi speakers he only speaks a little of the language, many are clearly impressed by his efforts.
‘‘From politely declining a ride in an auto-rickshaw by telling the driver ‘‘Ram, Ram ji. Nahi chaahiye, ji’’ to talking to an official at the airport in Haryanvi, this guy is probably more Indian than many of your foreign returned NRI [non-resident Indian] cousins!’’ the Indian Express wrote.
Karl says being able to speak the language has enabled him to better connect with people.
‘‘If I was speaking English to non-English speakers, there’d be no real connection. But by speaking Hindi, we’re able to become acquainted and share small talk. They also begin helping me learn more Hindi by teaching me new words and slang. When I speak Hindi, I think Indians realise that I love India and that I’m trying to integrate into society here, so they are especially warm to me.’’
While he’s made a few faux pas - the Hindi words for ‘‘discount’’ and ‘‘lie’’ are very similar to a certain swear word - he says the benefits of practising his Hindi in the real world make up for any embarrassment.
‘‘I get hassled a lot less by touts, better prices when bargaining, and I’m able to get travel tips from locals more easily.’’
His ability to converse in Hindi has also provided him with plenty of fodder for his book India Survival Guide, blog and YouTube channel. While he feels at home in India now and loves its size and diversity, Karl says he initially fell for every scam going.
‘‘Being taken to overpriced high-pressure stores, trusting the wrong people, given incorrect change, the list goes on. Being from New Zealand, we’re naive to such things, so there’s quite a learning curve to avoid the bad parts of India. That’s why I wrote the [book] - to help foreigners land on their feet running here. I want people to come here, travel safely and confidently, and love their time in India as much as I do.’’
Asked about the most common misconceptions about India, Karl says he doesn’t know where to start (he’s planning to make a video on the subject because there are so many). However, the mistaken belief that there is just one Indian language is a big one.
‘‘There are hundreds of languages here. Hindi is just the common language in North India.’’ Karl would also like to set the record straight on arranged marriages - ‘‘Not all Indians go for [them] and not all arranged marriages are forced’’ - and Bollywood, which he contends is ‘‘not as bad as you think’’.
For Kiwis planning a visit, Karl has two main pieces of advice. First, take a guided tour to give you a gentle introduction to the country and second, take Indian friends up on offers to have someone meet you there.
‘‘If you don’t have that luxury, then book an Airbnb stay with a local family in a suburb outside of the city centre. Indian hospitality is the best and getting a first-hand glimpse at everyday life in another great culture is fascinating.’’
"When I speak Hindi, I think Indians realise that I love India and that I'm trying to integrate into society here..."