So I live with one other English girl and
three girls from America.
Its funny that although we all speak
English, the differences between American English and British English is very
different.
I have grown up on American pop culture my
whole life, from watching Sesame Street and Barny as a child I grew to love
Friends, Ugly Betty and a little something called Glee. However watching
American shows is completely different to actually living with them. I can hear
myself already start to say certain words (really trying hard to keep hold of
my Yorkshire accent) whereas the other girls are slowly starting to put on an
English accent (when I say put on I mean trying to put on and there trying to
put is a mash up of an old English/cockney/Yorkshire twist.
We joke how we will all come back home with
a strange American/British accent, so apologies in advanced for all you back
home who will have to listen to me. Ha.
Confusion really did hit in, when school
supplies started to be discussed. Pencils, Pens and rulers cause little but no
problem at all. It was when a certain object that we Brtits call the rubber
came into question. So Rubbers in America do not mean the thing you use to
correct your work by rubbing it out. Oh noo. So let me tell you a little story
of how this confusion can cause quite a kafuffle.
So a guy in our Church has a business
selling Church supplies. If I recall correctly my Dad had asked him to order
some Stationary personalized with our Churches name on and with our slogan
“bringing heaven to earth’ to hand out to visitors etc. So the businessman
ordered the usual Pens, Pencils and rubbers. So I guess he imports these things
from America as when he opened the parcels he had a shock when there was one of
the boxes jam packed with Rubbers but not what we call rubbers, but what
Americans call rubbers. All individually marked with Harrogate New life church,
connecting Heaven to Earth. (If you do not know what a rubber is in American I
suggest you go find out to make the story comprehendible)
I haven’t experienced anything quite so embarrassing,
except when I asked to smell one of my students cocacola flavored rubber, my
fellow teacher had to hold it in to laugh. I will remember to call it an eraser
soon.
