Neil Hopcroft

A digital misfit

I have never felt so foreign

as when talking to a bunch of Californias who introduced themselves to me tonight – a truly surreal experience where while we were basically speaking the same language I understood everything they said but none of them understood a word of mine. Is my accent really that strong? We managed to establish a protocol where they’d ask me to repeat three or four times and communication was successful.

The club itself was not as good as last time – the venue a bit smaller and there was less music I knew. Sadly Falcos Tango the Night Away was one of the few – there has to be a time when its turns from parody to something else.

Upon leaving I discovered one of the Americans looking a little lost outside, turns out he was trying to navigate to Shinjuku using a pocket compass – I’m not sure how he was going to do that, I don’t think he knew either. So we wandered together toward Shinjuku – it turns out it was only one of the others who couldn’t understand what I said.


Categories: Memories.

/ 4 Comments

4 comments

  1. Anonymous

    Truth. (by Fernando, Argentinian)

    It happens the same to me too hehehe, I think your speech is to fast for non-uk-english speakers. You know what, there was a lunch room at fifth floor, remember I said that people seemed to disappear for a while, well they were moving through elevator from one level to the other and back.
    How much time did it took to you go back home walking?

    elektromarble@hotmail.com

    Reply
    • neilh

      Re: Truth. (by Fernando, Argentinian)

      But English isn’t your native language – I’m thankful that you’ve gone to the effort of learning it, I try to be understandable but I forget sometimes and the music is so loud I find it difficult the hear anyway. My amazement really was that, on the surface, English and American people speak the same language, but it isn’t really the same. All the Americans I’ve met before have been at least slightly adjusted for an English accent.

      In England we get exposed to enough American television, films, and culture in general, that we understand most American accents. I’d always assumed it worked the other way too, but perhaps not.

      Yes – I found the room upstairs by accident when I was trying to leave. I wasn’t very excited about it, it seemed like someones front room they’d opened up and put a bar in the corner, it was a really odd place (but maybe a lot of Japanese places are like that – I’ve not been to many bars here).

      It took a little longer to walk home than expected – nearly an hour. But I had company for the journey so that wasn’t too bad.

      Reply
  2. neilh

    Not all Americans need that kind of subtitling, just the ones that haven’t encountered a real English person before. Not sure what they’d make of, say, a scouse accent.

    Reply
  3. neilh

    It would seem that way – maybe I’ll move there next? It’ll be a different twist on the looking at other cultures, something a bit more voyeuristic where I understand what is going on (what people say, at least) while noone understands me.

    Reply

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