Sitting in the hotel room, watching tv with all the Aussie accents. Strange thing about Australia and this move is that it’s somehow scarier to be here than it was for me to move to China on my own. The thing is, I find it easier being in a country with a different language because it’s nice to be able to use the language barrier as an excuse. Here, if I do something wrong or stupid, it’s harder to have an excuse. If I’m confused here, I feel stupid. If I watch the news and am half-listening and think that they’ve been talking about (and showing replays of) rugby only to be told it’s football – I feel stupid.
I feel a bit of shock every time an Aussie opens his or her mouth. I keep expecting the comfortable Canadian accent and slang, that ever-present “eh”, and am always slightly jarred to hear the crazy Aussie accent. I feel like I’m in a film that’s been dubbed, like the voices don’t quite match the faces.
Being in the hotel is kind of a safe place. All airports and all chain hotels are the same, generally speaking, around the world, so I haven’t yet been fully exposed to “Australia” so to speak.
And also, I've been here 14 hours and have yet to see a kangaroo.
2 comments:
At least this time you're in a country where you can eavesdrop while people watching.
Just play Mad Gab when they use slang.
Example:
"Hey chickie babe, are you listening in on our chin wag? Crikie! Take your chockie and choof off."
Mad Gab version: Hey _(noun)_, are you listening in on our _(noun)_? _(verb)_! Take your _(noun)_ and _(verb)_.
Sorry, what a clanger... I meant Mad Libs.
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