Working in a shop in California
Apr 26th 2012, 9:43 pm
#16
Forum Regular
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 61
Re: Working in a shop in California
[QUOTE=Bink;10026834]
I actually don't mind the 'cute' comments on the accent. Down here it's more "Oh my Gosh, I LOVE your accent, say something British" and then I'm stood there with a blank expression trying to think of something British!
[QUOTE]
I would say bugger me sideways - they have no idea what that means
I always have a problem ordering coke in a restaurant, I always say please after and get the blank face and again asked what I would like to drink, I've had to stop saying please - I hate being rude though.
Last week I went into a sub shop and ordered what I wanted and the bloke behind the counter asked if I was from London - the first time in 10 1/2 years someone got it right, I actually thanked him that he had got it right
Brendan
I actually don't mind the 'cute' comments on the accent. Down here it's more "Oh my Gosh, I LOVE your accent, say something British" and then I'm stood there with a blank expression trying to think of something British!
[QUOTE]I would say bugger me sideways - they have no idea what that means
The biggest problem I have is ordering Diet Coke. When I first met my wife she thought it was hillarious that every time I tried to order it, they'd say oh you want Dr Pepper?
Even now, at Drive-Thru's I have her order as no-one ever understands when I say coke. They understand the food just fine, just not the drinks.[/
Even now, at Drive-Thru's I have her order as no-one ever understands when I say coke. They understand the food just fine, just not the drinks.[/
Last week I went into a sub shop and ordered what I wanted and the bloke behind the counter asked if I was from London - the first time in 10 1/2 years someone got it right, I actually thanked him that he had got it right
Brendan
Apr 26th 2012, 9:55 pm
#17
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Location: CA
Posts: 472
Re: Working in a shop in California
I've been here 15 yrs and still get asked the same questions by every new person I meet.
When I worked as a waitress I hid my accent by doing a very good American accent. I am know on phones (sales) and I still do the accent. It can work in your favour though. If I want something from somebody I use my normal accent - cuz they think it's "cute".
When I worked as a waitress I hid my accent by doing a very good American accent. I am know on phones (sales) and I still do the accent. It can work in your favour though. If I want something from somebody I use my normal accent - cuz they think it's "cute".
Apr 27th 2012, 3:00 am
#18
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Re: Working in a shop in California
Well I also work in a shop in California and I'm Scottish so my list of questions are:
-Are you Irish? (no that sounds very different but EVERYONE asks me that!)
-Is Scotland part of England? (one guy really argued with me on this one to the point I had to walk away, he totally didn't understand the notion of a United Kingdom or Commonwealth)
- When did you come over?
- Are you here for school? (no I finished university years ago and am here for my husbands job)
- What does your husband do? (is it any of your business?)
- One guy tried grilling me on how I got into the country. My response was the US govt issued my husband and I with visas to which the customer responded 'but surely an American could do your husband's job?' My answer..actually my husband's so highly skilled very few people in the world can do his job!
I think I am going to start saying I am from Belfast to see what happens
I just can't get over how nosey people are!
-Are you Irish? (no that sounds very different but EVERYONE asks me that!)
-Is Scotland part of England? (one guy really argued with me on this one to the point I had to walk away, he totally didn't understand the notion of a United Kingdom or Commonwealth)
- When did you come over?
- Are you here for school? (no I finished university years ago and am here for my husbands job)
- What does your husband do? (is it any of your business?)
- One guy tried grilling me on how I got into the country. My response was the US govt issued my husband and I with visas to which the customer responded 'but surely an American could do your husband's job?' My answer..actually my husband's so highly skilled very few people in the world can do his job!
I think I am going to start saying I am from Belfast to see what happens
I just can't get over how nosey people are!
Apr 27th 2012, 4:12 am
#19
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 22,105
Re: Working in a shop in California
I cant find a topic the same so apologies. Just wanted to share the amusing time I have had since working in a shop here:
1) Are you from Australia/down under/new zealand/Ireland/wales/Scotland/South Africa - Yep guess everywhere but where I come from! If you dont know? Ask!
2) Where in England are you from- I tell them Southampton and they either go deathly silent or they then tell me about a distant relative who lives somewhere on the other side of the country.
3)How did you get out here. This is where I have to bite my tongue from saying on a plane.
4) What brings you here- and then I have to explain hubby's job!
5) Your accent is so cute (I wonder how they would feel about someone saying their accent was cute)! I have at times joked and said I dont have an accent!
6) Even work colleagues try and impersonate what I am saying and they love when I say "Tutti Fruiti!"
7)Some people flat out fail to understand me
8) Questions like "Do they have so and so in the UK?"
9) One guy last week asked me whether I had immgration papers and a work permit- oh how I wanted to say "oh no, actually I snuck over the Mexican Border!"
Its all good fun!
1) Are you from Australia/down under/new zealand/Ireland/wales/Scotland/South Africa - Yep guess everywhere but where I come from! If you dont know? Ask!
2) Where in England are you from- I tell them Southampton and they either go deathly silent or they then tell me about a distant relative who lives somewhere on the other side of the country.
3)How did you get out here. This is where I have to bite my tongue from saying on a plane.
4) What brings you here- and then I have to explain hubby's job!
5) Your accent is so cute (I wonder how they would feel about someone saying their accent was cute)! I have at times joked and said I dont have an accent!
6) Even work colleagues try and impersonate what I am saying and they love when I say "Tutti Fruiti!"
7)Some people flat out fail to understand me
8) Questions like "Do they have so and so in the UK?"
9) One guy last week asked me whether I had immgration papers and a work permit- oh how I wanted to say "oh no, actually I snuck over the Mexican Border!"
Its all good fun!
Apr 27th 2012, 4:53 am
#20
Lost in BE Cyberspace
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Location: Bay Area, CA
Posts: 13,111
Apr 27th 2012, 5:27 am
#21
Joined on April fools day
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Location: 30 miles from a decent grocery store.
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Apr 27th 2012, 9:50 am
#22
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Re: Working in a shop in California
Apr 27th 2012, 5:06 pm
#23
Senior Moment
Joined: Nov 2003
Location: NYC
Posts: 5,008
Re: Working in a shop in California
I cant find a topic the same so apologies. Just wanted to share the amusing time I have had since working in a shop here:
1) Are you from Australia/down under/new zealand/Ireland/wales/Scotland/South Africa - Yep guess everywhere but where I come from! If you dont know? Ask!
2) Where in England are you from- I tell them Southampton and they either go deathly silent or they then tell me about a distant relative who lives somewhere on the other side of the country.
3)How did you get out here. This is where I have to bite my tongue from saying on a plane.
4) What brings you here- and then I have to explain hubby's job!
5) Your accent is so cute (I wonder how they would feel about someone saying their accent was cute)! I have at times joked and said I dont have an accent!
6) Even work colleagues try and impersonate what I am saying and they love when I say "Tutti Fruiti!"
7)Some people flat out fail to understand me
8) Questions like "Do they have so and so in the UK?"
9) One guy last week asked me whether I had immgration papers and a work permit- oh how I wanted to say "oh no, actually I snuck over the Mexican Border!"
Its all good fun!
1) Are you from Australia/down under/new zealand/Ireland/wales/Scotland/South Africa - Yep guess everywhere but where I come from! If you dont know? Ask!
2) Where in England are you from- I tell them Southampton and they either go deathly silent or they then tell me about a distant relative who lives somewhere on the other side of the country.
3)How did you get out here. This is where I have to bite my tongue from saying on a plane.
4) What brings you here- and then I have to explain hubby's job!
5) Your accent is so cute (I wonder how they would feel about someone saying their accent was cute)! I have at times joked and said I dont have an accent!
6) Even work colleagues try and impersonate what I am saying and they love when I say "Tutti Fruiti!"
7)Some people flat out fail to understand me
8) Questions like "Do they have so and so in the UK?"
9) One guy last week asked me whether I had immgration papers and a work permit- oh how I wanted to say "oh no, actually I snuck over the Mexican Border!"
Its all good fun!
Apr 27th 2012, 7:15 pm
#24
Banned
Joined: Apr 2012
Location: New York City
Posts: 563
Re: Working in a shop in California
Americans are so weird about accents. They love a British accent, but seem to look down on any other race that has a strong accent. This, despite the fact that Americans have the strongest, most easily identifiable accent in the world!
In response to impertinent questions like this, it's best to reply Why would you ask something like that? Usually shuts them up.
A cab driver said to a white South African friend of mine here If you're from South Africa, how come you're not black?
I'm from London too. Mind if I ask where you're from?
Americans can be so obnoxiously inquisitive.
One of my neighbors works in the deli of my local supermarket. We own on our street and he rents. So I'm grocery shopping and he accosts me in the aisle and wants to know how many rooms in my house, how many bathrooms, etc., etc. I tried to be polite, but the more information I gave him, the more he wanted.
One guy last week asked me whether I had immgration papers and a work permit
I'm from London too. Mind if I ask where you're from?
One of my neighbors works in the deli of my local supermarket. We own on our street and he rents. So I'm grocery shopping and he accosts me in the aisle and wants to know how many rooms in my house, how many bathrooms, etc., etc. I tried to be polite, but the more information I gave him, the more he wanted.
Apr 27th 2012, 7:24 pm
#25
Sursum corda
Joined: Sep 2002
Location: Richmond Hill, GA USA
Posts: 38,860
Re: Working in a shop in California
Alrighty then. 
Apr 27th 2012, 8:40 pm
#26
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Posts: 472
Re: Working in a shop in California
Well I also work in a shop in California and I'm Scottish so my list of questions are:
-Are you Irish? (no that sounds very different but EVERYONE asks me that!)
-Is Scotland part of England? (one guy really argued with me on this one to the point I had to walk away, he totally didn't understand the notion of a United Kingdom or Commonwealth)
- When did you come over?
- Are you here for school? (no I finished university years ago and am here for my husbands job)
- What does your husband do? (is it any of your business?)
- One guy tried grilling me on how I got into the country. My response was the US govt issued my husband and I with visas to which the customer responded 'but surely an American could do your husband's job?' My answer..actually my husband's so highly skilled very few people in the world can do his job!
I think I am going to start saying I am from Belfast to see what happens
I just can't get over how nosey people are!
-Are you Irish? (no that sounds very different but EVERYONE asks me that!)
-Is Scotland part of England? (one guy really argued with me on this one to the point I had to walk away, he totally didn't understand the notion of a United Kingdom or Commonwealth)
- When did you come over?
- Are you here for school? (no I finished university years ago and am here for my husbands job)
- What does your husband do? (is it any of your business?)
- One guy tried grilling me on how I got into the country. My response was the US govt issued my husband and I with visas to which the customer responded 'but surely an American could do your husband's job?' My answer..actually my husband's so highly skilled very few people in the world can do his job!
I think I am going to start saying I am from Belfast to see what happens
I just can't get over how nosey people are!
Oooo, I'm Scottish too! Yes, I get the Irish thing all the time, so I say no I'm Scottish and then they say "oh, what's the difference".
Or "you're Scotch" ARG! -that drives me MAD! It's Scot!!!
Ooooo, also - whenever I say thirty they ALWAYS think it's fifty! Try it - it's so bloody funny.
When I first came here I had a girl ask me "erm, so what, like do kids do in your country... do they, like have TV's?"
Oh and when they ask me how I got my green card, I always say "what green card...?"
Apr 29th 2012, 9:33 pm
#28
Dizzy Blonde
Joined: Sep 2007
Location: Cincinnati, Ohio.
Posts: 964
Re: Working in a shop in California
Whenever I get the 'where are you from'..... I normally just tell them, 'union, kentucky' with a very sweet smile
Working just across the river, in cincinati OH, you would be shocked at the amount of people that respond 'really? Wow, I didn't know they had that accent down there!'.
On the other hand, my USC husband has picked up some britishness in his voice - his workmates have noticed it particularly when he is on a rant about something.... They normally shut him up by telling him 'bloodyhell mate... Chip chip cheerio' lol....
Working just across the river, in cincinati OH, you would be shocked at the amount of people that respond 'really? Wow, I didn't know they had that accent down there!'.
On the other hand, my USC husband has picked up some britishness in his voice - his workmates have noticed it particularly when he is on a rant about something.... They normally shut him up by telling him 'bloodyhell mate... Chip chip cheerio' lol....
Apr 30th 2012, 10:16 am
#29
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Re: Working in a shop in California
So are all the best people........as was John Logie Baird who gave the World's first ever demonstration of televised silhouettes at Selfridge's department store on Oxford Street, London, England UK on 25 March 1925.......that (BLEEPING) irritant Scotch.....
....that comes in a bottle and then a glass and not in human form......Scene: London, England, UK......Alexandra Palace - 02 November 1936 -the World's first public television service.
Apr 30th 2012, 10:13 pm
#30
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Joined: Jan 2012
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Posts: 472
Re: Working in a shop in California
So are all the best people........as was John Logie Baird who gave the World's first ever demonstration of televised silhouettes at Selfridge's department store on Oxford Street, London, England UK on 25 March 1925.......that (BLEEPING) irritant Scotch.........that comes in a bottle and then a glass and not in human form......Scene: London, England, UK......Alexandra Palace - 02 November 1936 -the World's first public television service.
....that comes in a bottle and then a glass and not in human form......Scene: London, England, UK......Alexandra Palace - 02 November 1936 -the World's first public television service.