......so it confuses me that 80% of the people I meet ask if I come from New Zealand. You can ask any of the New Zealanders I work with, we don’t sound the same. This is the first time I’ve even left my country, so it amazes me that I have magically picked up this new accent. But this is not the oddest part of these conversations I so frequently have here…..
“So are you from …..(dramatic pause as they try to pick the correct country)…..New Zealand?”
ME: “No I’m from South Africa.”
“Oh Wow! (Another pause) I have a friend that went to South Africa.”
It is at this point that I’m not sure how to respond. Should I phone this friend and carry on the conversation with them instead? We would apparently have a lot more to talk about.
“That’s nice,” I say. “Did they enjoy it?”
“I think so.” And then they conclude, “You really don’t have a South African accent.”
And as I change the subject I can’t help but wonder how they are so certain if they haven’t actually ever been.
LOL!! Classic one my girl;)
ReplyDeleteYou should keep it on the same subject and ask them how they can be so sure without having been to SA themselves... put them on the defensive for once...
ReplyDelete