After spending 27 years of trying to move to Australia you wouldn't expect to miss the Scottish accent now would you? Apart from the obvious things ie friends and family, I really miss having a good blether with another Scot (immediate family excepted).
It would be sooooooooooo good not to have to speak slooooowwwllllyyyyy to be understood, and I would be forever grateful not to have to spell words using the phonetic alphabet over the phone in order to be understood.
We have an 'awfy joab' being understood on these pre-recorded phone messages and it frustrates the hell out of us.
Imagine if we could meet up with some fellow Scots and use phrases like jafancya or couldjaegoa? It would be heaven. We could bide at hame fur a dram or go oot fur a bevvy, hae some denner or go oot fur a swallay.
It's weird that I didn't actually use these sentences 'at home', but here in Australia I really want to use them AND be understood.
When we eventually get around to going back home (and yes we still consider Scotland as being home, well you can't live in a country for 40 odd years and not consider it home) it will be so weird to hear everyone talking with Scottish accents. That was one thing that Chloe noticed when she went back to Scotland.
After 2 years of living in Oz our accents haven't changed a bit but I do notice, that to be understood, I adapt mine when at work, especially when I answer the phone. It's either adapt or be so frustrated that you end up shouting down the phone at the idiot on the other end of the line. I mean, for god's sake, we speak the same language don't we?!!!!!! I feel like saying to them you're ancestor was probably a Wegie!
I've even had people saying to me 'I have a cousin who lives in Glasgow. His name is John McTavish. Do you know him?' Oh aye, he's the boy with the straight hair and curly teeth isn't he? FFS.
On the other hand we do get people saying 'I love your accent. Say that again' I even had someone tell me the other day that my accent was sexy! That was a first .....and last!
Unfortunately, or fortunately (if you're Paul) we won't lose our accents and we will just have to learn to live with all the comments we get on a day to day basis.
We wouldn't change it for the world :o)
