You Say Whaa…?

I have been in this country for many years, sometimes I can detect where someone is from by their accent, but not always. I can tell if somebody is from the south, or a New Yorker, or if they are from somewhere out of the country. I have a hard time understanding Australian accents. But, I am crazy from a man with a French accent, which can be a little difficult to understand also. 

Sometimes, having to deal with my own accent is a challenge that I encounter almost daily. I can tell when people don’t have a clue what I just said. And yet in my mind, it is completely clear to me. Now, we have the new cell phones where you can record your text message. With my busy life, I can sometimes feel too lazy to grab my readers. Sometimes I try to send a recorded text. When I record it comes out COMPLETELY off. It can be profane or just a sentence that doesn’t make any sense. Nothing at all like what I was trying to text. If I am lucky if I checked it before I send it I can catch those horrible mistakes, but sometimes I am in such a rush I send it and it is not till later I can see, horrified of my miscommunication. If you are one of those who receive my texts, forgive me, have a good laugh and don’t hold me accountable. 

One of my favorite stories about accents happened to my brother Alfonso. This goes back 29 years ago, when he had just moved into the country. Actually, he was taking English classes because he was just freshly unpacked from Guadalajara. As he was helping a customer, a good looking woman, he was trying to do his best to assist her, and at the same time to practice his English. He had just learned a new phrase, which was “…as a matter of fact.” He was constantly using this new phrase—as a matter of fact this…as a matter of fact that. As part of the discourse with this customer, he used his famous phrase. He doesn’t know how he said it, but she turned to him rather upset, and said “what are you saying you mother $#%@*&!” He looked at her like a deer in headlights! Very shocked, he timidly repeated what he had said, but she stormed out of the store!!!! As a matter of fact, now that I think about it, neither he nor I have ever used that phrase again.

As always, I love hearing your own similar stories. You can email me directly or leave your comment below for other readers to enjoy as well. 

Hope your year is off to a good start! May your 2015 unfolds with not too many opps.