Disillusioned
#106
Re: Disillusioned
Clearly your reply was meant to be as kind as you would give to anyone who asked you where you were from, then. Clearly you're not looking down your nose at me, or treating me like anything bad, for feeling a certain way about something. Well, shoot me for having an opinion that seems to be quite common.
#107
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 41,518
Re: Disillusioned
Clearly your reply was meant to be as kind as you would give to anyone who asked you where you were from, then. Clearly you're not looking down your nose at me, or treating me like anything bad, for feeling a certain way about something. Well, shoot me for having an opinion that seems to be quite common.
#108
Re: Disillusioned
Usually I just thank someone if they like my accent, it's when they start trying to mimic it, it starts getting tedious.
And I have to say I've only once in 5 years been asked if I was Australian.
And I have to say I've only once in 5 years been asked if I was Australian.
#109
Re: Disillusioned
I dont really see the problem...I love being from all around the world...
Won't ever really get tired of it...i just think it's funny...and not anyones fault that they are "geographically challenged"...
Won't ever really get tired of it...i just think it's funny...and not anyones fault that they are "geographically challenged"...
#110
Re: Disillusioned
It's not EVERYONE I get annoyed with though, you see - I don't for example get annoyed if it's asked in the natural course of a conversation, or if I've known the person for a while. I've had a few happy convos with people as a result of "the" question too.
Sometimes though, it feels like an onslaught...it really does!
Sometimes though, it feels like an onslaught...it really does!
Last edited by JayBowyer; Jul 14th 2010 at 10:51 pm.
#111
Re: Disillusioned
Maybe it's where I'm based? Is it a Midwest thing, maybe?
#114
Re: Disillusioned
I've lived in the States for almost 20 years now, and could only survive here for a couple of reasons:
I live in Portland, which is the closest socially/politically to the UK than anywhere else I've heard of or experienced in the US.
<snip>
I know from this forum and others that the kind of friendship and support I've found is almost unknown in the US, whether or not you are American born and bred, live near your family or not, or whatever. Being part of a community that values morals and living right I think is huge.
I live in Portland, which is the closest socially/politically to the UK than anywhere else I've heard of or experienced in the US.
<snip>
I know from this forum and others that the kind of friendship and support I've found is almost unknown in the US, whether or not you are American born and bred, live near your family or not, or whatever. Being part of a community that values morals and living right I think is huge.
Howdy, neighbor.
#115
Re: Disillusioned
[B]
Hahaha Leslie!
The way I see it though, if you want to give me a compliment, for goodness sakes let it be something I deserve to be complimented over - like I dunno, one of my paintings - or my hair (with or without lit match) that day - or something I've actually done! It would be so odd if I went around complimenting every American for having an American accent. Back in Britain, none of us are particularly unusually accented: there are about 59,999,999 other people with the same-sounding voice! Well, within reason of course - cultural and geographic accents aside.
.
Hahaha Leslie!
The way I see it though, if you want to give me a compliment, for goodness sakes let it be something I deserve to be complimented over - like I dunno, one of my paintings - or my hair (with or without lit match) that day - or something I've actually done! It would be so odd if I went around complimenting every American for having an American accent. Back in Britain, none of us are particularly unusually accented: there are about 59,999,999 other people with the same-sounding voice! Well, within reason of course - cultural and geographic accents aside.
.
West Waleian
Welsh Valleys
Mid-Wales
East Midlands
West Midlands
Brummies
Liverpool
Manchester
Bradford
Newcastle
Scotland (take your pick)
- but of course everyone within a 50 mile radius of the Thames talks exactly the same.
Aye, a very homogeneous set of accents, we Brits have.
#118
Re: Disillusioned
I worked in retail for a little while. Once you have heard it thirty times in a day, six days a week, and have had to explain yourself over and over and over again, it tends to get tiring. VERY tiring.
Also, in my opinion, asking someone where they're from because their accent "sounds funny" within the first sentence of the very first conversation you've ever had with them is rude!
Also, in my opinion, asking someone where they're from because their accent "sounds funny" within the first sentence of the very first conversation you've ever had with them is rude!
Hi, I'm meauxna, I'm from Oregon. It's the one above California.
It's a way people have of expressing their interest in you. Doesn't make it any more/less annoying to know that, but there you go.
#119
Re: Disillusioned
Far be it from me to call de Briddish rude, but I'm American and I got the same thing from your countrymen when I was living overseas. My Brit DH would get a version of it too.. you just have your party piece answer and cut it short if you want to keep your sanity.
Hi, I'm meauxna, I'm from Oregon. It's the one above California.
It's a way people have of expressing their interest in you. Doesn't make it any more/less annoying to know that, but there you go.
Hi, I'm meauxna, I'm from Oregon. It's the one above California.
It's a way people have of expressing their interest in you. Doesn't make it any more/less annoying to know that, but there you go.
I just always referred to it as that weird state north of even weirder Northern CA...
#120
Re: Disillusioned
(In my case the lack of universal health care is what has me really, really worried.)