My accent gives me power, but it also takes it away.
Telemarketer calls? I'm sorry. I'm just a renter. An exchange student, really. Mrs Hewitt? Don't know her. The owner of the house? Gee, I don't know. Ask the real estate agency. Again, what do I know? How long have I been here? Oh, just arrived. I am but a helpless foreigner. I cannot answer anything.
Powerful me.
But what about things that bother me? By having an accent, I'm stuck with just dealing with it. Crappy service? Too bad. I'll take it. Grumpy, sullen teen bitchy when she takes my movie ticket. Yes, thanks. So glad you showed up to work today. Sigh. Don't think this is an Australian thing. I know Americans and any other nationality would do the same. Instead of dealing with the issue, they'll hear the accent and just discount you as a bitchy American, bossy Australian, arrogant German, negative description of Countryman from Country X. You get the picture.
Powerless me.
I didn't know how powerless I was until yesterday when I took Andrew to the movies. The woman next to me had flipped up the armrest that divided her seat from her child's so her daughter could lie on her lap. Yes, aw. How sweet. It was. For a while. The little girl had more interest in visiting with her friend Darcy across the cinema, so mum was duly dumped for Darcy. Why do I care?
Mum decided to spread across both seats with her bare feet on the chair, soles facing me. She didn't make a lot of noise shuffling around. I wouldn't have known had I not wondered why the cinema started to smell like sweaty, acidic feet.
I should have said something, but I didn't. Could you? What would you have said? How do you politely ask someone to have their rank nasty, manky-ass troll feet removed from the vicinity of my olfactory capture zone? I worried that she'd just hear the accent and get annoyed at the unfriendly American. She would go home to tell people about another rude Yank and omit the part about her stinky feet.
St. Me, patron saint of foreign accents in awkward situations.
Nuh-night, Puss Puss.
yeah but you would have been an arrogant Yank who wasn't being offended by bad mannered manky toes
Posted by: LBTEPA | January 15, 2009 at 11:33 AM
Last week Scott Brown (Aussie/Japan) sent me this:
http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=3UgpfSp2t6k&feature=related
Posted by: speedygeoff | January 15, 2009 at 03:12 PM
Geez. You've been an Aussie Cit'zen too long! Next time pull your deodorant out of your hand bag and start spraying.
Amy Walker isn't Australian. She could be Texan though. I'll ask Joy.
Posted by: Quentewen Tewentino | January 15, 2009 at 04:55 PM
Ew. Stop it.
You Australian peoples are weirdos.
Posted by: Joy | January 16, 2009 at 08:30 AM
I heard that Ewen!
Posted by: Joy | January 16, 2009 at 08:30 AM
The part about accents is brilliant! I think that is true from one region of the U.S. to another and probably true in other countries too. Now for the feet: Gross! I probably wouldn't have said anything, but I probably would have looked around for some other seats.
Posted by: twopinkfeet | January 16, 2009 at 11:53 AM
i bet she was a nuff nuff
Posted by: I sing to greyhounds | January 16, 2009 at 08:16 PM
I probably wouldn't have commented either, but I would have been equally annoyed. Another good reason not to go to the theater.
Posted by: Rob | January 17, 2009 at 01:13 PM
Actually, I don't think she's Texan. I can understand Amy Walker - I can't understand Joy.
Posted by: Quentewen Tewentino | January 18, 2009 at 12:47 PM
I read your joy of accents and was very amused..... sorry about the stench at the movies...
We have selected you in the hope of hosting a small World Run Day event in Australia. Please visit our site at www.runday.com to see if you are interested. Charity runners across the world are invited to attend World Run Day on November 8, 2009. Please feel free to contact me by telephone in the USA at 516 208-7030 if you are interested. In the meantime, best of luck with your running.
Sincerely,
Bill McDermott
World Run Day
www.runday.com
Posted by: Bill McDermott | January 18, 2009 at 02:37 PM
Hi, I-Hate-Toast. Ella's mom here. Thanks for your note on her old Blog. No idea why you cannot post to the new one! I will go in and double check the settings. It should be exactly the same, so your Mac shouldn't matter. Thanks for keeping tabs on her.
Sorry about your movie/foot experience. Too bad you didn't have some breath spray in your purse. Could have given her digits a quick mist ;-}
You can reach me directly at xracermom@yahoo.com
Posted by: gerry | January 21, 2009 at 07:22 AM
Conflict Resolution....I'm not good at that either. Move, scowl/hurrump and crunch your crisp packet really loud.
Posted by: Cat Su | January 24, 2009 at 05:56 PM
You cannot imagine how weird is my accent when I try to speak english (or american if you prefer)!!!
Posted by: Black Knight | January 24, 2009 at 10:01 PM
have you given up on blogging? i think FB is interfering with your blogging.
Posted by: Joy | January 25, 2009 at 08:15 AM
I would start sniffing the air loudly then lean over, tap her on the shoulder and say in my most conspiratorial voice "do you smell that? What COULD it be?"
Posted by: 21stCenturyMom | January 27, 2009 at 02:51 PM