KaleidoKleio

Friday, October 19, 2007

He-llo!

Yesterday (Wednesday) morning my phone rang as I was getting ready to head out, and it was a familiar but unsaved landline number (beginning with a 25- so Kuwait City). I answered with the usual sounding "hello" I give to unknown numbers, which sounds different from the hello I use when people I know are calling me. The tone of my hello to the unknowns is actually something that I found myself picking up after living in London - it's a very English-style sing-song "he-llo?!" (think of it going down in tone on the first syllable and then up on the second). Much to my surprise, I got the exact same "he-llo!" back! It was an English accent on the other end of the line, with a lady asking, "May I please speak to [my name]?" For a few seconds, I felt like I was back in London. I certainly was not expecting to receive a call first thing in the morning from someone with a proper English accent, and I know it might sound silly but it really started my morning off right. I miss England, I miss the English, I miss the English accent, and were it not for my daily podcast downloads I fear I would start prank-calling random London phone numbers just to feel closer to them. And I actually ended up having a really good day yesterday - perhaps one of the best I've had so far since I've moved back. Go figure.

It was a (social) call from the British Embassy, by the way.

posted by Kleio at 1:28 am

7 Comments:

  • Your post made me laugh out loud. I'm trying to think of random English people you can chill with just so that you can indulge in their accents ;P

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 10/21/2007 8:12 am  

  • Tooomz: Glad I could make you laugh. :) There is of course my brother-in-law who has a proper English accent. Whenever I need my Brit fix I can just go round to see him! It's just quite pleasant when you can encounter something like that so totally unexpectedly.

    By Blogger Kleio, at 10/21/2007 5:25 pm  

  • he-llo!
    Thought I should share some good music:

    Ryan Adams.. if you haven't heard his cover of Oasis' Wonderwall, you should download it--good stuff. Otherwise:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvIRk8wvC_A

    Elton John's cover of it:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qFJ4UaSZ34

    and a Letterman gig
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YRuY49nXgA8

    By Blogger Trevelyana, at 10/22/2007 4:27 am  

  • I couldn't understand half of what the English were saying when I first to England because I lived in the US and was used to the American accent. But now I like the British accent more, it kind of grows on you. But take a translator when you go to Scotland hehe

    By Blogger Traveleer, at 10/23/2007 12:08 pm  

  • Sorry it's taken me so long to post your comments and to reply, guys!

    Trevelyana: Good to see you back here again! Nice stuff you sent. I must repay the favour soon. :)

    Traveleer: I just love the diversities that exist in the various British accents. I've gotten quite used to most of them. Unfortunately, my American accent has stuck. I was hoping it would change after two years in London. Although apparently (slightly horrifyingly) my accent alters when I speak to English people! The other day I was in my friend's office when my phone rang. It was another call from the British embassy and my friend's eyebrows nearly shot off his head when I said "good morning" back to the woman on the other end of the line. According to him, all he heard from me was a normal "hello?" and then suddenly a very English-accented "good morning!" Oh no - how very Madonna of me! LOOL!

    By Blogger Kleio, at 11/06/2007 2:11 am  

  • its nice to be able to switch accents when you need to. My American accent is gone and my British accent is not 100%. So I guess I am an aussie now hehe

    By Blogger Traveleer, at 11/06/2007 8:57 am  

  • LOL! Good one. :)

    By Blogger Kleio, at 11/06/2007 3:07 pm  

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