Huh? What was that?

Ever talk to someone and wonder if they know how they sound? Do you hear your own accent? Does a Texan know he sounds like a Texan? You know the girls sound different from the guys, I don't know why, but they do. I have the opportunity to talk on the telephone to people from every corner of the country and it is funny how some have the quintessential regional accent, and then there are others who seem to have worked very hard to shed the accent, and yet it is still trickling out. Then there are the transplants who have their original accent but "tainted" by their new location.

A lot has been made about Madonna and her British accent, which she shouldn't have since she is from Detroit. What most people will never understand is that as a woman, a singer and a musician she was destined to pick up the British accent. It was completely unavoidable unless she refused to interact with the British people that she was living around. Why do I say this? Well, it has to do with my own experience, it seems to be a natural mechanism of women to adapt to their surroundings and part of that adaption is to absorb the local accent. I'm sure that there is an anthropological reason such as the need to find a mate or some such, and it makes sense. By blending in with the local population it makes the task of fitting in and finding a mate much easier. There are those accents that may never be lost such as the Bronx, or the real deep southern drawl. And sometimes a national accent such as German or Russian may be very hard to shake, but if the ear is good then it is very likely that the accent will be pretty near indiscernible after some practice. A great example of this is The model Heidi Klum, I was recently listening to her give an interview, and although she learned English later in her life, she has nearly no accent to her English. Most people would not be able to hear even the slightest lilt to her English, but to those of us with a good ear can still pick it out.

Musicians and Singers are great at picking up an accent and blending in to a new area. I always wondered why I had the ability to pick up an accent, and then while talking to some other friends of mine who happened to be musicians they made the point that having an ear for music makes it easier to hear lots of other things. Consider that half of the British singers sound American when they sing, it's because they were influenced by so many of the old blues masters who were American. From New Orleans, to Memphis to Chicago the Blues brought American music to the world and the influence gave so many singers an American accent, at least when they sang.

Since I have been studying languages I have found that if I can listen to a native speaker, I can blend right in with the rest of the natives, at least when I speak! I try very hard to learn as much as I can from Native speakers of what ever language I am studying, when I was learning Spanish I listened to Colombians, Puerto Ricans, and Mexicans, when I wanted to study French I listened to the French Exchange student in my school, when I study Russian I listen to the Ukrainians that I know, because that's the accent that I want when I speak Russian. I will worry about Ukrainian later.

One thing I have learned while studying languages is that the more you learn, the easier it gets, and the more you want to learn. I agree with the idea that if you are going to live in America you should be able to speak English. I don't think that one need to be fluent the second they set foot on the ground, but at least make the effort to learn and understand. My belief also is the reason that I study languages, because I also believe that if I wish to visit someplace in the world I should be able to speak that language. Maybe not fluently, but at least enough to be able to go grocery shopping and to get around the city without getting myself in a pickle. They say that Americans are often treated rudely in foreign countries, but I think it is not because they are American, but because most Americans don't make any effort to learn about where they are going. When Americans encounter foreigners who have no English skills, all too often they treat them with the same rudeness. It only takes a little effort to learn a few key phrases in a different language, and just the fact that you are trying makes all the difference. When I was in Ukraine, and looking for a store, I asked for directions, first in my terrible Russian, and then the person I was asking realized that I spoke English and they wanted to practice English! So we made a little team for a few hours, I would practice my Russian, and they would practice their English. It was a great exchange and later I found that as long as I tried the Russian first, I got smiles and all the help I could ever need when I needed it. Sometimes I would resort to sign language, but more times than not whomever I was talking to would know enough English to understand my Russian and I was happy to be understood.

Learn a language. It's fun and you may find out that you need to learn better English. It's amazing how many English words come from Other languages and how much we already know from our own mongrel mess of a language. I once read that a child is born with the capacity to understand and emulate as many as 500 different sounds, and as they develop their language skills they lose those that they have no use for. A child will learn what it hears. Let them listen to the Foreign TV stations , rather than plonking them in front of the cartoons that you understand. Expose them to as many languages as you can. it's good for them, and you may be surprised at how much and how fast they learn.

I wish I had that chance when I was a child.

Where have I been...

I like to travel, and the truth is that it doesn't matter to me most of the time the destination, as much as I enjoy the journey. Occasionally the destination is more important than the journey, and sometimes they are equally important to me. One of my favorite places in the world is Odessa, Ukraine. I have been there twice now and I hope to someday be able to live there at least for a year or two. The city completely fascinates me, both because of its' history and its' people, especially the ladies! (see above^^^) Now in the process of traveling to Ukraine I have had the privilege to spend a couple of nights in Vienna, Austria. That is a cool place too, let me tell ya! It is a mish-mash of old and new, and in at least one case Ancient! There is a little ice cream shop there that has the best vanilla custard I have EVER tasted. My first time in Ukraine I also had a chance to visit Kharkov, as well, plus even though I never left the airport, I also bounced through Kiev. That pretty much covers my European experience thus far.

Now, when it comes to the USA I have been LOTS of places. When I was a kid we used to go to visit my mom's family in Pennsylvania. That's the beginnings of my wanderlust. But I have found that no matter where I go, I am like a big yo-yo , and I have to come home to upstate New York . Home is where I have to go, it may not be where I want to be every day and all the time, but it is where I have to be at least for a little while. So when I was old enough to drive, I began to explore, first my region, then soon my state. When I was old enough to drive out of state I was off and running! First time I drove an interstate on my own, I missed an exit and ended up lost in downtown Syracuse with my little sister in the passenger seat, and the gas gauge just about bouncing on E. But it was a learning experience and I have taken a lot from it. And now when I get lost in any city in the world, I simply take my time and find my way out. Then I have a reference point from which to start when I go there again. at least in an American city I can generally read the signs and get a fix on where I am, My Russian isn't the greatest yet so when I am lost in Ukraine it's really and adventure!!

So here I am stuck in school and wanting to GO someplace, my senior year took forever because all I wanted to do was get out! Well It took me all summer after graduation, but I eventually had what I wanted and I took off for what I expected were greener pastures. I was south-bound and looking for glory. Having grown up in snow country I was looking for a warm winter in South Florida. Well it lasted for a couple of months, then I just knew that life was getting in the way of living and I headed for home. It was expensive to live down there and I wasn't making the money that I had hope to be making working in the business that I knew well, instead I was a shop monkey working in a metal-fab shop. It was work, but not what I wanted to be doing. So back to NY. So I have basically lived in NY since, but I have been all over this country in the mean time. I love Maine. I have driven across the US all the way to the Pacific Ocean once, and as far as Colorado one other time. Colorado is WAY cool, too cool for one post. Same for Maine and California and Tennessee. Yes indeed, I have had my adventures in TN! I have been around Kansas City, Missouri and Kansas. Toured Indianapolis, Indiana. Driven through Nashville in the afternoon rush hour, visited Lynchburg and the great Jack Daniels Distillery. I do have a favorite place in TN but it's not so much the place as the people who live there in Li'l ol' Bean Station! I have driven through some of the biggies, Washington DC, Charlotte, NC, Richmond, VA, Bristol, TN, Daytona FL, Miami, FL, Tallahassee, FL. Been through Mongomery, Alabama and Louiseville Kentucky, not to mention Cleveland and Columbus, Ohio. Hey, I drove I-70 from Columbus to Grand Junction 4 times! I have been to the Mad Greek's in Baker CA. I have spent time on the 405 in LA, and I have been in morning rushhour traffic in Orange county CA, on a motorcycle. For some of you that's an everyday occurence, but for this country boy from NY that was a true experience. two of the sweetest people in the world were kind enough to ride motorcycle with me along the Pacific Coast Highway from San Luis Obispo to Monterey. I have been to Memphis and walked along Beal Street with two of the most important people in my life. Saw the original Memphis Belle but never did see Graceland though.

I haven't been every where I want to go yet, but I have been lots of places and many that I haven't even listed here yet. Someday maybe I will be able to sit down in my favorite chair and just happily relive the memories, but I still have MANY left to make, so I will think about my next trip, when I have the money! right now I will look at the globe and decide where I want to go!