Quagmire of English Accents

One of the problems that I have encountered here is of my English accent. I realised that studying in an English medium school back home, working in an environment requiring this language and having produced work in it, all seems insufficient when it comes to the British accent!

After settling down, the first problem was to deal with the phone calls in this accent. To my horror, I realised there is not one uniform accent but various accents- of Midland, of Yorkshire, of Scotland, of Wales, etc, etc.. I was grappling with all of these, that I confronted a unique one- British Asians. It was very difficult initially to train my ears to comprehend it properly.

Then started the Big Brother with Shilpa Shetty and I identified absolutely the new one -Liverpoolian accent. To me, it rhymes and lyricises the words. Without understanding the sentences in the beginning, I enjoyed its swirls and tunes.

Whatever criticism Celebrity Big Brother might have invited, to me it was interesting to pick up and identify various accents-even the loudest Essex accent in there.

As a result, I can now actually recognise the accents that were in there! This hearing capability of the English accents, made me proud. At least I could distinguish them and understand them.

My pride only lasted until a friend’s family with their five year old daughter visited me. She spoke only English and I was not able to understand her deep, solid accented voice. I would take minutes before replying to her little queries. Suddenly she said to me- “I wan some sa”. I handed her a ‘samosa’. To my embarrassment, she repeated- “I wan some wo.” I was perplexed. Her mother intervened to explain that she wants some water.

The other day, when she visited, I was asking her parents what would they like to have- Tea, coffee or any cold drink? The little girl told me- “My pa wants no more tea”.

I turned to her father to confirm. He laughed and told me that his daughter is saying- “My pa wants normal tea.”

It’s a big hassle to deal with the little kid and to get puzzled in the quagmire of the accent.

But living in Britain, has made me realise that it is difficult now a days to find people who speak Oxford English. Is there one left outside the University?

One has to deal with hundreds of accents- all nationalities living here speak with their own accent, which is a mixture of their mother tongue and English- the sound, vowels, letters, words, all are mixed up.

Multiculturalism has wrapped the language in its fold. I wonder, which one should I pick up…

Jamaican Tshirt

I am in Europe since past six years but nothing like the global village that london has become! Here one can see people from almost all the cultures of the world. I always wanted to have this enriching experience...

I possess a Tshirt from Jamaica, which has been a part of my baggage since last seven-eight years. Myself wondering today, why I owe it since sooo long?

Well, its a gift from a friend, who had visited Jamaica and decided to bring that Tshirt for me. It is white in colour and pure cotton. The Tshirt has perfect length to my taste, which is a bit longer than the Tshirts easily available in the market. It touches my thighs and makes me comfortable while jogging. So I have been using it on my jogging days in Asia and now in Europe. The Tshirt fits me well, that shows I have not gained weight in the past years.

Interestingly, my humble Tshirt with just one name printed on the front, in blue-'Jamaica' , went unnoticed until I came to London.

After settling down in this new city, the first thing I wanted to find was a park, where I can breath in fresh air and breath out all my longing for home, family and my country. The search began and luckily I discovered a nice park just in the vicinity.

Early next morning, I put on my Tshirt heralding 'Jamaica' on top of it and went out. I started jogging in the green lanes and suddenly I realised that all the men from African background were looking at me. I became very conscious due to this uncalled for-attention. Still kept on jumping and running and walking..

Suddenly I realised a young man coming towrads me. I lowered my eyes and continued with my routine. He came close and just stood in front of me. I stopped. He asked- "Tell me buddy, are you from the Caribbean?" I said, "No." Then the black guy asked, "Then from Africa?" Again, I said no. He stood there for a few seconds looking at my Tshirt and then walked off slowly.

The attention that the Tshirt evokes among all the blacks in the park is astonishing and I believe, it is unique to the UK.

I have started thinking of retiring my Tshirt now, to avoid the gazes. But find it hard to part with my longest jogging companion.

However, I am trying to get used to greetings from Black guys. Yesterday, when I went to the park along with the Jamaican label, an African guy, who was totally drunk and carried a bottle in his hand, walked towards me with faltering steps.

He tried to stop his shaking demeanour, looked at my Tshirt, raised his other hand and said- "Good morning, buddy."

I am still procrastinating, should I bid good bye to my old Tshirt now.

One thing is clear, how much attracted we foreigners are to any symbol, however small, attached to our native culture! It is a joy to see something, which has the slightest fragrance of the soil, we all have left behind....

I am sure, all of us in London have seen one's own 'Jamaican Tshirt', somewhere, in something, which made us stop and stare, reminding us of our roots...

Welcome!

I am delighted to begin my blog! Since coming to Britain, the desire to connect to fellow Asians has been overpowering.

This would now be a niche to express my personal opinion on life as a foreigner in Britain, on struggle as a migrant in the UK and on experiences here as an Asian.

This blog is also a space for Asian writers, who have not been able to get published in the UK. You are welcome to send me your poems, short stories and comments. I would very much like to publish your best musings on this blog.

This is a space for all the creative Asians, who have a thought, an opinion or a story to tell and share it with the rest of the community.

I want Spectator to give voice to the silent musings....