By the way, I learned English in India! God help us, right?!

When I moved to US, oh that is quarter century back, I was fluent in spoken and written English because the medium of education, at least higher education in most places in India is English.

So understand my surprise during the first few weeks in Oklahoma when I didn't understand many locals and many locals didn't understand me!

I still remember the most important bit.

Beer! Bear!

Indian English pronunciation of both these words were same back in those days. They were both “beer”! :)

It became relevant because one of my professors wanted me to accompany him to a field school in Montana and was asking if I can shoot a rifle. Not to kill, but to scare away bears! :)

You get it right!!?

Damn! That was embarrassing!

Funny that the pronunciation problem of “beer” and “Bear” have mostly changed in India now with globalization.