Every now and then I get mistaken for being English. Happens occasionally, usually when I’ve just met new people or what not. I’m not sure why. I guess it is probably something to do with not having a typical Aussie accent and being in possession of a passable vocabulary. For the record that ‘typical Aussie’ accent is something that makes me absolutely cringe. I can’t stand that ‘Kath and Kim / Croc Dundee / Steve Irwin’ stereotypical ocker accent that pervades the various media of our popular culture. The only thing worse than Australians over doing it in movies and in various TV shows is hearing it totally murdered altogether by a foreigner – think Meryl Streep in Evil Angels delivering that ‘Oh my gawd… a deingo tuk moiy baybe!’ … must have been the worst Australian accent I’d ever heard – total disaster.
I don’t know anyone of my acquaintance who actually speaks like that at all – perhaps with the notable exception of some of my country cousins whom I rarely see and have nothing in common with. When I travel through Europe (even in the UK!) I get taken for English all the time… quickly followed by various speculation as to the possibility of my being either German, Swedish or Norweigan and once even Danish (it’s the blonde hair, blue eyes thing I’m sure). Anyway the most recent occasion where I was asked if I was English was on the Pain Management Course a little while back. One of the instructors asked where in England I was from and I had the pleasure of telling him that I was born in Toowoomba and grew up about 30mins drive away. When he suggested that I sounded like I spoke with an accent, I responded with a cheeky smile that – "No I am not English, I just have a decent vocabulary, an above average grasp of the English vernacular and choose to speak all proper like!" 😉
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