The students in [Asian] 1010 sat there silently, eyes fixed on anything but the teacher. I raised my hand (because I was a nerd).
"Yes, [Asian Name]."
I began to recite the numbers. As soon as I had finished, she began to laugh.
"Who taught you those numbers?"
"My mom."
"She must be from [region] because you speak [Asian] with a very thick [region] accent."
I was shocked. Mostly because she could hear that accent over my very thick American accent.
..................................................
While visiting my father's family in the south, I asked my cousin a question that I have often wondered.
"Where we are from, we call your accent a 'southern accent.' What do you guys call our accent?"
He looked around, and then said with a laugh, "Ya'll talk like a buncha Yankees."
I didn't see that one coming.
The number one question I got in Tennessee with my straight Utah accent was "Where y'all from girl? You talk funny."
ReplyDeleteFunny, I would think. I was thinking the same thing about you!Here's from one Yankee to another. =)
I'm often teased that I don't have an Asian accent or the ability to mimic one.
ReplyDeleteI was born in the States!
While serving as a missionary in the north of France, I was one day doing some street contacting with another sister missionary who was born and raised in the south of France. While introducing myself and my companion to a contact, I mentioned that I was from the US, but she was native French. The contact replied that her accent was worse than mine.
ReplyDeleteHA!! funny thing. At the bus stop today, a russian girl was teaching me how to say "how are you" (formal) in Russian. Despite my vain attempts, I had failed miserably. When I asked her how I sounded she told me I had a thick Japanese accent. Which is convenient because I am not Japanese! (sarcasm)
ReplyDelete