Tuesday, 10 January 2012
Saturday, 7 January 2012
Assimilation/Pronunciation
Obviously assimilation to Australian culture is much easier than assimilation to French culture for me. Australians speak English. However, even when I finally had a bit of a grasp on the language in France, I still felt very unsure about using colloquial expressions because different types of people used different expressions, and I wasn't sure what was appropriate. Being appropriate can be a big deal in France. It's the same in the states with expression though. "Sick!" and "Bro!" aren't expressions that say, your grandparents would use or understand. It took me awhile to figure out what expressions were appropriate for who (friends, acquaintances, older people, authority figures etc).
Anyway, in Australia they have lots of expressions that I hadn't heard before I arrived which originally sounded pretty hilarious to me, but now I hear and are no big deal. It still amuses me to hear myself using them though. Expressions like: That's heaps good! or How you going? or Let's go to breaky! or, at work Would you like any breads for the table? (Aussies pluralize and shorten everything, breaky = breakfast, breads = bread)
But I use them every day! And no one looks at me weird! They look at me weird if I don't use them. Hah, like the word pepper.
I fail to say "pepper" like and Aussie. I just can't do it. It reminds me of first trying to speak French with French accent. I felt like a complete idiot speaking with a French accent, versus speaking French with an American accent. I guess I was just being stubborn. But really, and I knew this, I sounded like more of an idiot speaking French with my American accent. When I finally started speaking with French accent people understood me better, and took me more seriously (the exact opposite of what was happening in my head). But, as I got used to it, I was able to take myself seriously as well. In Australia it's quite the same. No one understands me when I ask if they want peppeR, but I feel like a complete idiot if I say peppAH! I still can't bring myself to say 'peppa' (as I shouldn't!). It's a catch 22 though. If I say "Would you like any peppeR?" the people laugh at me!, but if I say "Would you like and peppah?" I laugh at myself!
Again, if I say: "How're doing?" vs "How you going?" I sound like an idiot/people think, where are you from?/I sound pretentious whereas if I just use their expressions vs American ones I can have conversations that don't start on a foreign note. I'm not very good at expressing this...I'm not trying to say I've taken up an Australian accent, but I do use their expressions which doesn't make me a sell-out!
I've come to the conclusion that using a particular groups expressions doesn't mean I'm being peer-pressured, I'm just assimilating. Using them makes everything less confusing (ie makes for better communication for everyone). And it applies to me in both France and Australia and maybe life in general.
Clearly I am exaggerating to make a point, however useless. I do find it interesting though. I think all of these thoughts stem from a moment in high school when my dad made fun of my brother and I for using expressions like "sick!" and "awesome!" or even "cool" lol. Granted he was making fun of us because he thought we were turning into illiterates, but what I'm trying to say is: we were just ASSIMILATING dad! Not changing our morals or losing our own vocabularies!
Anyway, in Australia they have lots of expressions that I hadn't heard before I arrived which originally sounded pretty hilarious to me, but now I hear and are no big deal. It still amuses me to hear myself using them though. Expressions like: That's heaps good! or How you going? or Let's go to breaky! or, at work Would you like any breads for the table? (Aussies pluralize and shorten everything, breaky = breakfast, breads = bread)
But I use them every day! And no one looks at me weird! They look at me weird if I don't use them. Hah, like the word pepper.
I fail to say "pepper" like and Aussie. I just can't do it. It reminds me of first trying to speak French with French accent. I felt like a complete idiot speaking with a French accent, versus speaking French with an American accent. I guess I was just being stubborn. But really, and I knew this, I sounded like more of an idiot speaking French with my American accent. When I finally started speaking with French accent people understood me better, and took me more seriously (the exact opposite of what was happening in my head). But, as I got used to it, I was able to take myself seriously as well. In Australia it's quite the same. No one understands me when I ask if they want peppeR, but I feel like a complete idiot if I say peppAH! I still can't bring myself to say 'peppa' (as I shouldn't!). It's a catch 22 though. If I say "Would you like any peppeR?" the people laugh at me!, but if I say "Would you like and peppah?" I laugh at myself!
Again, if I say: "How're doing?" vs "How you going?" I sound like an idiot/people think, where are you from?/I sound pretentious whereas if I just use their expressions vs American ones I can have conversations that don't start on a foreign note. I'm not very good at expressing this...I'm not trying to say I've taken up an Australian accent, but I do use their expressions which doesn't make me a sell-out!
I've come to the conclusion that using a particular groups expressions doesn't mean I'm being peer-pressured, I'm just assimilating. Using them makes everything less confusing (ie makes for better communication for everyone). And it applies to me in both France and Australia and maybe life in general.
Clearly I am exaggerating to make a point, however useless. I do find it interesting though. I think all of these thoughts stem from a moment in high school when my dad made fun of my brother and I for using expressions like "sick!" and "awesome!" or even "cool" lol. Granted he was making fun of us because he thought we were turning into illiterates, but what I'm trying to say is: we were just ASSIMILATING dad! Not changing our morals or losing our own vocabularies!
Wednesday, 4 January 2012
Tuesday, 3 January 2012
Monday, 2 January 2012
Books
In Australia:
Slaughterhouse-Five
Lord of the Rings
Marching Powder
A Million Little Pieces
The Prince
L'étranger
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Tuesdays with Morrie
How to Make Love Like a Porn Star
The Help
Back in America:
The Great Gatsby
Pakistan on the Brink: The Future of America, Pakistan and Afghanistan
Catch 22
Toulouse 2013:
The History of Love
Streetwise French
RollingStone - Jimi Hendrix La Saga du VooDoo Child (hors-série collector, spécial 70e anniversaire)
A Year in the MERDE
Slaughterhouse-Five
Lord of the Rings
Marching Powder
A Million Little Pieces
The Prince
L'étranger
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Tuesdays with Morrie
How to Make Love Like a Porn Star
The Help
Back in America:
The Great Gatsby
Pakistan on the Brink: The Future of America, Pakistan and Afghanistan
Catch 22
Toulouse 2013:
The History of Love
Streetwise French
RollingStone - Jimi Hendrix La Saga du VooDoo Child (hors-série collector, spécial 70e anniversaire)
A Year in the MERDE
La Première Gorgée de Biere
Dead Ringers - Charlotte Portman
Dead Ringers - Charlotte Portman
The Time Keeper
Grey Matter - Kyle Dorsett
Beautiful Creatures
Bossy Pants - Tina Fey
Jitterbug Perfume - Tom Robbins
Perks of Being a Wallflower
Grey Matter - Kyle Dorsett
Beautiful Creatures
Bossy Pants - Tina Fey
Jitterbug Perfume - Tom Robbins
Perks of Being a Wallflower
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