The Republic of Awesome

I am a social chameleon.

When I’m with primarily-English friends I speak international-English-style. Think English, the original bland flavour. Okay not so original - it’s English without the stiff-upper-lip accent of Englishmen. Or any accent for that matter.

Budden right, got some of my fwens speak with a more local accent one. So then hor, my England suddenly has a lot of ‘la’ and ‘lor’ and ‘le’ and ‘one’. Liddis very local right? Like if you not from here confirm kienot unnerstand what I saying one… (and two… three….)

Additionally, I think the finer unnoticible chameleon nuances slip into my speech when talking to different groups of people. Things like matching others’ key phrases, mannerisms and habitual ways of speaking. It’s like an eerie automatic mirroring response I have in-built.

Then there are times when I’m speaking to people with accents. I have to admit I’m  probably consiously trying to avoid picking up their accent. Why?

Cos it’s fucking insulting.

Imagine this guy, as Chinese as a chink in a chain-link fence, talking like he was freakin born on the Australian outback amongst the kangaroos and koalas and local tribes.

“G’fucking’day, mate!”

Plus of course no one likes it when some chap who clearly prefers to pepper his speech with ‘la’ and ‘le’ suddenly goes all stiff upper lip when talking to an ang moh. Like, wtf mate.

Do you social chameleon too?