ABOUT THE SPEAKERS
Hetain Patel - Artist
In his compelling stage works, Hetain Patel uses powerful imagery and storytelling to examine questions of identity.

Why you should listen

"What determines our identities anyway?" asks Hetain Patel. As a child, Patel wanted to be like Spider-Man or Bruce Lee; later, he aimed to be more like his father, who displays a much different kind of bravery. From these ambitions, Patel's new show Be Like Water examines shifting identities of all kinds, using dance and bold imagery to power a story of self-examination and self-creation. 

As a conceptual artist, Patel has used photography, sculpture, installation and performance to challenge cultural identity. For his work, he has grown a mustache exactly like the one his father wore when he emigrated from India to the United Kingdom in the 1960s, and remixed the practice henna tattooing to incorporate English words and comics books. Patel's conclusion about identity: that it is an ever-shifting game of imitation. 

 

More profile about the speaker
Hetain Patel | Speaker | TED.com
Yuyu Rau - Dancer
Yuyu Rau's dance skills span a wide range, from ballet to contemporary to Chinese classical.

Why you should listen

Yuyu Rau is a dancer trained in ballet, contemporary and Chinese classical dance. Born in Taiwan and now a resident of the United Kingdom, Rau has performed with a wide range of dance companies and worked with choreographers like Wayne McGregor, Javier De Frutos, Luca Silvestrini and Douglas Thorpe.

Yau has toured with conceptual artist Hetain Patel, performing in his stage work Be Like Water. In the piece, Rau acts as Patel's translator, and often stands in to help him tell his story. 

More profile about the speaker
Yuyu Rau | Speaker | TED.com
TEDGlobal 2013

Hetain Patel: Who am I? Think again

Hetan Patel (Hetain Patel): Ko sam ja? Razmislite ponovo

Filmed:
2,878,196 views

Kako odlučujemo ko smo? Hetan Patelova izenađujuća izvedba igra se sa identitetom, jezikom i akcentom i izaziva vas da promislite dublje od površinskih privida. Izvrsna meditacija, sa izvođačem Juju Rau, inspirisana Brus Lijem
- Artist
In his compelling stage works, Hetain Patel uses powerful imagery and storytelling to examine questions of identity. Full bio - Dancer
Yuyu Rau's dance skills span a wide range, from ballet to contemporary to Chinese classical. Full bio

Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.

00:12
HetainHetain PatelPatel: (In Chinesekineski)
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Hetan Patel:
(na kineskom)
00:23
YuyuYuyu RauRau: HiZdravo, I'm HetainHetain. I'm an artistуметник.
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Juju Rau: Zdravo, ja sam Hetan.
Umetnik sam.
00:26
And this is YuyuYuyu,
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Ovo je Juju,
00:28
who is a dancerплесач I have been workingрад with.
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plesačica sa kojom sa radio.
00:30
I have askedпитао her to translateпревести for me.
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Pitao sam je
da prevodi za mene.
00:34
HPHP: (In Chinesekineski)
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HP: (na kineskom)
00:39
YRTVOJ: If I mayможе, I would like to tell you
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JR: Ako dozvoljavate, voleo bih
da vam kažem
00:41
a little bitмало about myselfЈа сам
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nešto o sebi
00:43
and my artworkуметничко дело.
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i svom umetničkom delu.
00:45
HPHP: (In Chinesekineski)
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HP: (na kineskom)
00:51
YRTVOJ: I was bornрођен and raisedОдгојен nearблизу ManchesterManchester,
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JR: Rođen sam i odrastao
blizu Mančestera,
00:54
in EnglandEngleska,
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u Engleskoj,
00:55
but I'm not going to say it in Englishengleski to you,
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ali neću vam to reći na
engleskom jeziku,
00:59
because I'm tryingпокушавајући to avoidизбегавајте any assumptionsпретпоставке
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jer pokušavam da izbegnem
bilo kakvu pretpostavku
01:01
that mightМожда be madeмаде from my northernсеверно accentnaglasak.
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koju bi mogao da stvori
moj severnjački akcenat.
01:04
(LaughterSmeh)
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(Smeh)
01:07
HPHP: (In Chinesekineski)
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HP: (na kineskom)
01:16
YRTVOJ: The only problemпроблем with maskingPrekrivanje it
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JR: Jedini problem maskiranja
akcenta mandarinskim kineskim
01:19
with Chinesekineski MandarinMandarinski
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mandarinskim kineskim
01:21
is I can only speakговорити this paragraphpasus,
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je to što mogu da izgovorim
samo ovaj pasus
01:23
whichкоја I have learnedнаучио by heartсрце
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koji sam naučio napamet
01:25
when I was visitingпосетити in ChinaKina. (LaughterSmeh)
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kada sam posećivao Kinu.
(Smeh)
01:28
So all I can do is keep repeatingponavlja it in differentразличит tonestonovi
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Sve što mogu da uradim je da nastavim
da ga ponavljam u različitim tonovima
01:32
and hopeнадати се you won'tнеће noticeобјава.
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i da se nadam
da nećete primetiti.
01:33
(LaughterSmeh)
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(Smeh)
01:39
HPHP: (In Chinesekineski)
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HP: (na kineskom)
01:43
(LaughterSmeh)
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(Smeh)
01:44
YRTVOJ: NeedlessNepotrebno to say, I would like to apologizeизвинити се
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JR: Izlišno je i reći da bih voleo
da se izvinim
01:47
to any MandarinMandarinski speakersзвучници in the audienceпублика.
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svakom govorniku
mandarinskog u publici.
01:54
As a childдете, I would hateмрзим beingбиће madeмаде
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Kao dete, mrzeo sam da
01:56
to wearносити the IndianIndijanac kurtaKurta pajamaZasukao,
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nosim indijsku kurta pidžamu,
01:59
because I didn't think it was very coolхладан.
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jer sam mislio da to nije kul.
02:02
It feltосетио a bitмало girlyženskasti to me, like a dressхаљина,
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Izgledalo je pomalo devojački
na meni, kao haljina,
02:05
and it had this baggyBagi trouserhlačama partдео
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i imala je te vrećaste pantalone
02:08
you had to tieкравата really tightчврсто
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koje ste morali da vežete
veoma jako
02:10
to avoidизбегавајте the embarrassmentсрамота of them fallingпада down.
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kako biste izbegli sram
ukoliko bi vam spale.
02:14
My dadтата never woreносио it,
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Moj otac je nikad nije nosio,
02:16
so I didn't see why I had to.
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pa nisam video zašto
bih ja to morao.
02:19
AlsoTakođe, it makesчини me feel a bitмало uncomfortableнеудобан,
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Takođe, činila me je da se osećam
pomalo neprijatno,
02:22
that people assumeпретпоставити I representзаступати something
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da ljudi pretpostavljaju da
predstavljam nešto
02:25
genuinelyискрено IndianIndijanac when I wearносити it,
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izvorno indijski kada je nosim,
02:27
because that's not how I feel.
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jer se tako ne osećam.
02:30
HPHP: (In Chinesekineski)
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HP: (na kineskom)
02:36
YRTVOJ: ActuallyU stvari, the only way I feel comfortableудобан
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JR: Zapravo, jedino kada sam se
osećao prijatno
02:39
wearingноси it is by pretendingпретварајући се
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noseći je bilo je pretvarajući se
02:42
they are the robesodore of a kungKung fuFu warriorратник
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da je odelo kung fu ratnika
02:45
like LiLija MuMu BaiBai from that filmфилм,
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poput Li Mu Baija iz tog filma,
02:48
"CrouchingPritajeni TigerTigar, HiddenSkrivena DragonZmaj."
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"Pritajeni tigar, skriveni zmaj."
02:52
(MusicMuzika)
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(Muzika)
03:35
Okay.
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U redu.
03:36
So my artworkуметничко дело is about identityидентитет and languageЈезик,
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Moj umetnički rad se bavi
identitetom i jezikom,
03:44
challengingизазован commonзаједнички assumptionsпретпоставке
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izazivajući uobičajene pretpostavke,
03:46
basedзаснован on how we look like or where we come from,
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zasnovane na tome kako izgledamo
ili odakle smo,
03:51
genderпол, raceтрка, classкласа.
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rod, rasa, klasa.
03:55
What makesчини us who we are anywayУ сваком случају?
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Šta uopšte nas čini
nama samima?
03:58
HPHP: (In Chinesekineski)
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HP: (na kineskom)
04:04
YRTVOJ: I used to readчитати Spider-ManSpider-Man comicsstripove,
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JR: Čitao sam stripove o
Spajdermenu,
04:07
watch kungKung fuFu moviesфилмове,
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gledao kung fu filmove,
04:08
take philosophyфилозофија lessonsлекције from BruceBrus LeeLee.
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išao na časove filozofije
kod Brusa Lija.
04:11
He would say things like --
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On bi rekao stvari poput -
04:13
HPHP: EmptyPrazna your mindум.
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HP: Isprazni svoj um.
04:15
(LaughterSmeh)
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(Smeh)
04:16
Be formlessbez ikakve forme, shapelessBezobliиna, like waterвода.
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Budi neodređen, bezobličan,
poput vode.
04:22
Now you put waterвода into a cupчаша.
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Sad sipaj vodu u čašu.
04:24
It becomesпостаје the cupчаша.
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Postaje čaša.
04:27
You put waterвода into a bottleбоца, it becomesпостаје the bottleбоца.
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Staviš vodu u flašu, ona
postane flaša.
04:30
Put it in a teapotчајник, it becomesпостаје the teapotчајник.
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Sipaj je u čajnik,
ona postane čajnik.
04:33
Now, waterвода can flowток
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Voda može da teče
04:36
or it can crashцрасх.
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ili da se sudari.
04:39
Be waterвода, my friendпријатељ. (ApplauseAplauz)
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Budi voda, prijatelju.
(Aplauz)
04:42
YRTVOJ: This yearгодине, I am 32 yearsгодине oldстари,
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JR: Ove godine napunio sam
32 godine,
04:46
the sameисти ageстарост BruceBrus LeeLee was when he diedумро.
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što su iste godine koje je
Brus Li imao kada je umro.
04:49
I have been wonderingпитајући се recentlyнедавно,
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Skoro sam se pitao,
04:52
if he were aliveжив todayданас,
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kada bi bio živ danas,
04:54
what adviceсавет he would give me
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koji savet bi mi on dao
04:56
about makingстварање this TEDTED Talk.
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o pravljenju ovog TED govora.
05:00
HPHP: Don't imitateимитирати my voiceглас.
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HP: Ne imitirajte moj glas.
05:03
It offendsужива me.
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Vređa me.
05:05
(LaughterSmeh)
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(Smeh)
05:08
YRTVOJ: Good adviceсавет,
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JR: Dobar savet,
05:09
but I still think that we learnучи who we are
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ali i dalje mislim
da učimo o sebi
05:13
by copyingкопирање othersдруги.
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kopirajući druge.
05:15
Who here hasn'tније imitatedимитирана theirњихова childhoodдетињство heroјунак
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Ko ovde nije imitirao
svog junaka iz detinjstva
05:19
in the playgroundигралиште, or mumMama or fatherотац?
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na igralištu, ili majku ili oca?
05:23
I have.
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Ja jesam.
05:25
HPHP: A fewнеколико yearsгодине agoпре, in orderнаручи to make this videoвидео
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HP: Pre nekoliko godina, u cilju da
napravim ovaj video
05:30
for my artworkуметничко дело, I shavedobrijana off all my hairкоса
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za svoj umetničko delo,
skroz sam obrijao kosu
05:34
so that I could growрасту it back as my fatherотац had it
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kako bi mogla ponovo rasti
kao kod mog oca
05:37
when he first emigratedemigrirao from IndiaIndija
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kada je prvi put
emigrirao iz Indije
05:40
to the U.K. in the 1960s.
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u Veliku Britaniju
1960-ih godina.
05:43
He had a sideстрана partingrastanak and a neatуредан mustachebrkove.
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Imao je razdeljak i otmene brkove.
05:47
At first, it was going very well.
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U početku, išlo je dobro.
05:50
I even startedпочела to get discountsPopusti in IndianIndijanac shopsпродавнице.
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Čak sam počeo da dobijam popuste
u indijskim prodavnicama.
05:53
(LaughterSmeh)
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(Smeh)
05:57
But then very quicklyбрзо,
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Ali ubrzo zatim,
05:59
I startedпочела to underestimateподцијенити
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počeo sam da potcenjujem
06:00
my mustachebrkove growingрастуће abilityспособност,
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moć rasta svojih brkova,
06:02
and it got way too bigвелики.
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i oni su veoma porasli.
06:05
It didn't look IndianIndijanac anymoreвише.
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Nisam više izgledao kao Indijac.
06:08
InsteadUmesto toga, people from acrossпреко the roadпут,
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Umesto toga, ljudi na ulici
06:10
they would shoutvikati things like --
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su mi dobacivali stvari poput -
06:12
HPHP and YRTVOJ: ArribaArriba! ArribaArriba! Ándalendale! Ándalendale!
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HP i JR: Ariba! Ariba!
Andale! Andale!
06:14
(LaughterSmeh)
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(Smeh)
06:16
HPHP: ActuallyU stvari, I don't know why I am even talkingпричају like this.
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HP: Zapravo, ne znam zašto
uopšte ovako govorim.
06:18
My dadтата doesn't even have an IndianIndijanac accentnaglasak anymoreвише.
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Moj otac više nema indijski akcenat.
06:21
He talksразговоре like this now.
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On sad ovako govori.
06:24
So it's not just my fatherотац that I've imitatedимитирана.
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Nisam samo imitirao svog oca.
06:28
A fewнеколико yearsгодине agoпре I wentотишао to ChinaKina for a fewнеколико monthsмесеци,
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Pre nekoliko godina otišao sam u
Kinu na nekoliko meseci,
06:32
and I couldn'tније могао speakговорити Chinesekineski,
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i nisam mogao
da pričam kineski,
06:34
and this frustratedфрустриран me,
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što me je frustriralo,
06:36
so I wroteнаписао about this and had it translatedпреведено
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te sam pisao o tome i prevodio
06:40
into Chinesekineski, and then I learnedнаучио this by heartсрце,
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na kineski, a zatim
učio to napamet,
06:47
like musicмузика, I guessпретпостављам.
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poput muzike, valjda.
06:50
YRTVOJ: This phraseфраза is now etchedurezan into my mindум
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JR: Ova rečenica
mi se urezala u um
06:53
clearerjasnije than the pinпин numberброј to my bankбанка cardкартица,
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jače nego pin broj
moje bankovne kartice,
06:56
so I can pretendпретварати се I speakговорити Chinesekineski fluentlyTečno.
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tako da mogu da se pretvaram
da tečno pričam kineski.
07:00
When I had learnedнаучио this phraseфраза,
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Kada sam učio ovu rečenicu,
07:02
I had an artistуметник over there hearчујеш me out
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imao sam umetnika u okruženju
da me čuje,
07:05
to see how accurateтачан it soundedзвучало.
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da vidi koliko je to
tačno zvučalo.
07:07
I spokeговорио је the phraseфраза, and then he laughedсмејао се
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Govorio sam rečenicu, a zatim
se on smejao
07:10
and told me, "Oh yeah, that's great,
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i rekao mi je: "O da, dobro je,
07:13
only it kindкинд of soundsзвуци like a womanжена."
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samo što nekako zvuči
poput žene."
07:15
I said, "What?"
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Rekoh: "Šta?"
07:16
He said, "Yeah, you learnedнаучио from a womanжена?"
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Reče mi: "Da, jesi li je
naučio od žene?"
07:20
I said, "Yes. So?"
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Rekoh: "Da, pa šta?
07:22
He then explainedобјаснио је the tonalSetom differencesРазлике
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Zatim mi je objasnio da su
tonalne razlike
07:25
betweenизмеђу maleМушки and femaleзенски пол voicesгласови
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između muških i ženskih glasova
07:27
are very differentразличит and distinctпосебно, and that I had learnedнаучио it very well,
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veoma različite i izrazite i da sam to
naučio veoma dobro,
07:31
but in a woman'sжена voiceглас.
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ali sa ženskim glasom.
07:33
(LaughterSmeh)
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(Smeh)
07:35
(ApplauseAplauz)
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(Aplauz)
07:43
HPHP: Okay. So this imitationимитација businessбизнис
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HP: Ovo imitiranje
07:46
does come with riskризик.
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ima svoje rizike.
07:48
It doesn't always go as you planплан it,
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Ne ide uvek
kao što ste planirali
07:50
even with a talentedталентован translatorпреводилац.
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čak i sa talentovanim prevodiocem.
07:54
But I am going to stickштап with it,
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Ali držaću se toga,
07:56
because contraryсупротно to what we mightМожда usuallyобично assumeпретпоставити,
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jer uprkos onome što obično
pretpostavljamo,
08:01
imitatingимитирајући somebodyнеко can revealоткривају something uniqueјединствен.
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imiranje nekoga može otkriti
nešto jedinstveno,
08:05
So everyсваки time I failпропасти
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Svaki put kada ne bih
uspevao
08:08
to becomeпостати more like my fatherотац,
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da budem poput svog oca,
08:10
I becomeпостати more like myselfЈа сам.
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postajao sam više poput sebe.
08:14
EverySvaki time I failпропасти to becomeпостати BruceBrus LeeLee,
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Svaki put kada ne uspem da
budem Brus Li,
08:19
I becomeпостати more authenticallyautentično me.
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postajem sve autentičniji ja.
08:23
This is my artуметност.
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To je moja umetnost.
08:24
I striveTežite for authenticityautentičnost,
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Težim autentičnosti,
08:27
even if it comesдолази in a shapeоблик
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čak i kad ona dolazi u obliku
08:30
that we mightМожда not usuallyобично expectочекујте.
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3696
koji ne bismo uglavnom očekivali.
08:33
It's only recentlyнедавно that I've startedпочела to understandРазумем
147
501802
4236
Tek skoro sam
počeo da shvatam
08:38
that I didn't learnучи to sitседите like this
148
506038
3707
da nisam naučio da sedim ovako
08:41
throughкроз beingбиће IndianIndijanac.
149
509745
2146
jer sam Indijac.
08:43
I learnedнаучио this from Spider-ManSpider-Man.
150
511891
3276
Naučio sam to od Spajdermena.
08:47
(LaughterSmeh)
151
515167
1738
(Smeh)
08:48
Thank you.
152
516905
1557
Hvala vam.
08:50
(ApplauseAplauz)
153
518462
6016
(Aplauz)
Translated by Stefan Zrnovic
Reviewed by Mile Živković

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ABOUT THE SPEAKERS
Hetain Patel - Artist
In his compelling stage works, Hetain Patel uses powerful imagery and storytelling to examine questions of identity.

Why you should listen

"What determines our identities anyway?" asks Hetain Patel. As a child, Patel wanted to be like Spider-Man or Bruce Lee; later, he aimed to be more like his father, who displays a much different kind of bravery. From these ambitions, Patel's new show Be Like Water examines shifting identities of all kinds, using dance and bold imagery to power a story of self-examination and self-creation. 

As a conceptual artist, Patel has used photography, sculpture, installation and performance to challenge cultural identity. For his work, he has grown a mustache exactly like the one his father wore when he emigrated from India to the United Kingdom in the 1960s, and remixed the practice henna tattooing to incorporate English words and comics books. Patel's conclusion about identity: that it is an ever-shifting game of imitation. 

 

More profile about the speaker
Hetain Patel | Speaker | TED.com
Yuyu Rau - Dancer
Yuyu Rau's dance skills span a wide range, from ballet to contemporary to Chinese classical.

Why you should listen

Yuyu Rau is a dancer trained in ballet, contemporary and Chinese classical dance. Born in Taiwan and now a resident of the United Kingdom, Rau has performed with a wide range of dance companies and worked with choreographers like Wayne McGregor, Javier De Frutos, Luca Silvestrini and Douglas Thorpe.

Yau has toured with conceptual artist Hetain Patel, performing in his stage work Be Like Water. In the piece, Rau acts as Patel's translator, and often stands in to help him tell his story. 

More profile about the speaker
Yuyu Rau | Speaker | TED.com