Recently, I have decided to attempt to learn how to speak with an Australian accent. Now, I know what you are all thinking; if you have ever spoken to me in real life you would know that I have the most bizarre speaking voice in the world which is odd and strange and instantly recognisable and is basically synonymous with my name. It’s this weird Filipino-American mix that makes me sounds stilted and nasal and all sorts of out-of-place things. I don’t even know why I have it, seeing as I was born and grew up here. Maybe it has something to do with my parents actually knowing out to speak English. I don’t know.
When I announced this during lunch at uni once, the general reaction was that of dismay and discouragement. “Why are you trying to do that? You sound fine. That’s a stupid idea.”
But bear with me. I have my reasons.
These include; silly carried-over insecurity from the junior years of high school when boarder-generated anti-American sentiment was at its highest, a perception that people would hang up on me less often if I worked at a call centre which ended up being a stupid reason because I was unceremoniously rejected before I even got to the interview stage, not wanting to be mistaken for an international student again, a desire to say “bogan” and “bloody” with the right accent because let’s face it, they just don’t sound right when I say them, and most importantly, boredom.
As a result I have been repeating everything everyone says, ever. Apparently, this is very offputting.
I also sit around repeating various text that I see around me. Apparently, this makes me look psycho.
I think the worst part is that I’m not even getting close to sounding anywhere close to the accent I want. Most of the time people can’t even tell that I’m trying.
