Lost in translation....

Feeling lost. Yes. When something is translated from one form to another. Very rare indeed when this does not happen. And the translator deserves all the kudos. There are a few catches ofcourse. Not only must the translation be true. It must also carry the essence of the original. Can everything be translated? Or in more general terms, can everything be transformed? I dont know. But I see an annoying question mark on the reflection in the window...

I woke up late yesterday. And set out clumsily to work. Nothing out of the ordinary happened on the way. The train was on time. The station was empty as usual. Very few people use the trains after the peak hours early in the morning. I went to the upper tier. And just kept looking out of the windows hoping for some thrill. Something new. Little did I know that I was going to get a full share of it. Just after lunch. I am told that I have to be part of a new project. Something I have never done before. Something that seems challenging from the outset. I had already lost focus in the middle of the discussion. While the person opposite me was giving a brief overview, I had already ventured into another world. Dreamy. I was already visualizing how things would be. And what I was to do. I came out of the room. Went back to my desk. That daze hadnt left me then. In the evening, I spoke to my friend. And both of us agreed that some really rigorous moments lay ahead. Challenging but offering great scope for creativity. Things were so clear in my dreamy world in that room. However, back on the train station, everything was hazy. So, I took the train back home...

There are so many people in the room. Everyone speaks a different language. Everyone has a different attire. Everyone has different sensibilities. Everyone has their own agenda. But all of them have one task at hand. All of them need to coexist. Not one is greater than the other. Not one is better than the other. All are equal. And thats what is amazing. And they need to understand each other perfectly well. Moreover, all of them must act in harmony. Those outside the room must see a unified decision. And unified action. Not only must the action conform to the scruples of each, but also to that of the group in entirety. Since everyone speaks differently, what everyone hears is gibberish. "Noise" is the more apt term in the technological arena. That "noise" becomes "harmony" only when the person can completely decipher. Completely comprehend the exchange. The task that has now caught my interest involves bringing together different things. It involves translation. It involves transformation. The problem at hand is exactly like the situation in the room above. Only the people here are replaced by data. And "noise" can be transformed into "harmony" only by careful selection and mapping. One may speak Greek. The other Sanskrit. And somehow, both need to understand each other not only in the literal way, but also in the "worldly" way....

The desire is to not get lost in translation. The plan is to not stop dreaming. The goal is to establish harmony. Tall tasks. Needing big efforts. Little to lose. Much to gain. An opportunity to demonstrate that transformation is possible. A moment to watch wide angles converge. The beauty of diversity lies in watching its unity. The annoying question mark has now given way to a more optimistic smile in the reflection on the window....