Eh?!
Something that's become quite a phenomenon for me since I've been over here in NZ is my constant mis-identification as a Canadian. More often than not, when meeting a new Kiwi (mostly clients at work), they will guess that I am from Canada. At first I thought it was just an innocent mistake, in that to the rest of the world I do have a 'North American' accent. But as more and more Kiwis think I'm from the Great White North it is starting to make me laugh!
I mean, not only am I not from Canada, but I am from the South and have a definite southern twang. Whenever traveling outside of the South in the USA, I would be called on it, often mocked. Perhaps Virginia's own brand of southern accent is close to sounding Canadian to the rest of the world? Would they use long 'i's when they pronounce something like "I am from Virginia" as "Ah'm frum Vajenya"? Am I subconsciously starting to shed or hide my southern accent and coming across as Canadian?
Either way, it does not bother me in the slightest, I just find it a bit odd, is all. When I've met Canadians in the past, it seems to me that they have no discernible accent for the most part, except with certain words like 'aboot' ("about"), or the nearly-inaudible 'eh' that finishes some of their sentences. I definitely don't go 'eh' when speaking, so I know it's not that!
Who knows, perhaps after living over here for a few years, when I return home, everybody in the States will think I sound German or something.
Achtung!
Update 9/8/06 - I still get the "Are you from Canada?" thing, today from another American no less!! He's been over here 35 years, but still... The longer this goes on, I'm going to start having an identity crisis, eh.
I mean, not only am I not from Canada, but I am from the South and have a definite southern twang. Whenever traveling outside of the South in the USA, I would be called on it, often mocked. Perhaps Virginia's own brand of southern accent is close to sounding Canadian to the rest of the world? Would they use long 'i's when they pronounce something like "I am from Virginia" as "Ah'm frum Vajenya"? Am I subconsciously starting to shed or hide my southern accent and coming across as Canadian?
Either way, it does not bother me in the slightest, I just find it a bit odd, is all. When I've met Canadians in the past, it seems to me that they have no discernible accent for the most part, except with certain words like 'aboot' ("about"), or the nearly-inaudible 'eh' that finishes some of their sentences. I definitely don't go 'eh' when speaking, so I know it's not that!
Who knows, perhaps after living over here for a few years, when I return home, everybody in the States will think I sound German or something.
Achtung!
Update 9/8/06 - I still get the "Are you from Canada?" thing, today from another American no less!! He's been over here 35 years, but still... The longer this goes on, I'm going to start having an identity crisis, eh.
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