Yeah, it sounds luurrvely Expat! No-one likes hearing themselves recorded - I did an interview (on community radio, nothing to compare with FiveLive!) before Christmas about my book and cringed when I heard it and could only think of Paul Allott, the Sky cricket commentator. Terrible!
I think you both did really well. Your 350 million puppies comment was priceless and I have repeated it to several American friends today who think it's hilarious - especially when you compare it to the comment about Brits hiding behind doors when someone knocks (we are terrible at that aren't we). Good job Expat - think you did marvelous!
Hi Expat mum, I just listened to the programme and thought it was fab! Loved the part when you said to Mike: "I'm sorry Mike but that's absolute rubbish!" haha and I can relate very much to when you said about the Americans not understanding sarcasm... as here in Brazil the society in a whole is very much like the U.S. and is instilled with many things American and when I teach my English lessons in schools here they also don't get it when I make a sacrastic or ironic joke... only now my regular students are understanding me as I've explained the ways of irony and sarcasm in British society's sense of humour - I refuse to give up my irony! hehe Well done! I absolutely loved it! X
By the way I have 2 students (a couple) who are travelling to the UK for one month in June and I have told them about and sent them the link of your book on Amazon... It will be very useful for them whilst they are there as aside from speaking English they don't really know much slang or primarily the different words that are used by Brits and Americans for the same thing.... of course I have taught them many but nothing will compare to your book for their "reading up" before they travel! X
Can I just add that you are right in saying it's rubbish that the poor health care stats in America are exaggerated as I believe Mike suggested. If you talk to anyone who has suffered a major or chronic illness here, I would bet most of them would say they thought their health coverage was wonderful, until they really needed it. Even those who thought they had adequate coverage found themselves in bankruptcy as a result of an accident or catastrophic illness. Lives are completely ruined. Personally I don't consider myself to be truly free when I have to choose a career path based on whether or not the job provides me with health care.
Superb. I think you sound wonderful Ex-pat, but I don't like my voice either so I understand what you mean. I love the comments about the NHS, in fact, I would love to hear an entire program on the subject. I think Americans have been sold a bill of goods when it comes to their ideas about "social medicine" as it were. Maybe you could set them straight. I agree that British humour is lost on Americans. My love of irony is certainly lost on most of my colleagues and by the look on some of their faces I'm guessing I may have offended one or two but luckilyI found a lovely man who shares the same sense of humour. So we spend hours on end keeping each other in stitches.
Toni, I thought you sounded great. Agree with everyone above--no one likes the sound of her own voice (Hollywood celebs excepted). I'm blogging about your debate with Mike tomorrow, specifically the humor issue.
Goodness, "you guys" are very kind. I have apologised to Mike for calling his comment "rubbish" altho' he's lived in England long enough to know that that's a very mild comment. Not an insult at all really, just an opinion. Expat Kat (alias Pea Green Boat - see my blog link) was just commenting on the fact that she;s been in the States for four years and has had to change her doctors three times already. Even if you have access to good health insurance, it's only for a year in most cases.
It was a good debate. Well done to you for sitting all alone (well, I assume there was at least one or two other people there) in a studio in Chicago. One the recording, it sounded as if you were right there with us. I always hate trying to talk to people I can't see. Good job.
You did a great job and I agree about the poor healthcare situation in the US. Having said that when I was in the hospital in Oxford for a few days after my first child was born my sisters were asking me what the differences were like between the US and the UK hospitals. Just as they were asking a teenage girl about 9 months pregnant was walking by to go to the "smoking room" on the maternity ward.
Just listened and you were great! Agree that a healthy dose of cynicism is good for you. And very interesting what you say about children having more confidence - I wonder why that is?
sat and listened to the radio show last night and i think you both did a great job. excellent listening in fact. (not so sure about the wifey from glasgae tho'... she was a bit much for me.)
well done, you sound a bit like heather mills to me, (mean that as a compliment) but less geordie. i bet you roll right back into it when you gan hyem? we all do.
on the UK/US debate. that's a no win argument really, but you both did a good job at debating it. it's all subjective isn't it i suppose. but well done missus. much better than my radio debut where i sounded like margaret thatcher on heloium, so determined was i that i wouldn't sound deed rough. LOL
Well at least no one has said I sounded American. I would just have to close down the blog and shoot myself. Apologies to Americans, but I find the English-gone-American accent the weirdest in the world.
I totally agree with you there Expat mum! I watch Joss Stone on awards shows and her new American accent is so annoying! I hear Brits are now dis-owning her for giving up her "dialect roots"! X
Darn and double darn - I'll have to rummage around in cyber space to see if I can find this. All I got was a very polite voice apologizing for not being able to bring me the program I'd 'requested'.
I tried again and there it was. As someone said, there's no winner in a debate like this. We had the misfortune to have a medical emergency in the US two years ago. The bill came to nearly $20,000.00. Thank goodness we had insurance. I really don't understand the US reluctance to embrace universal health care. Good job - and you sounded very British to me.
Phew! So glad you told us whereabouts on the dial you were - could not have stomached listening to the whole thing. Well done, you were excellent... and what's wrong with your voice?
Hi...expatmum...you did very well. I'm listening to the show now. What amazes me is that there is still a Geordie accent in there (in the nicest possible way). Hope you do not mind me saying that...just that I do not remember that when we met for the drink. It also makes me smile that the things you are saying...are possibly things I would say as well. So I wonder is that a particular Geordie point of view? But overall...very impressed. I would be so tongue tied (in your place) that I would not be able to express a view on anything!!!
I too LOVED LOVED loved yr description of the 350 million lab pups. That is So acurate & perceptive! I live in Albania but there's a huge American ex pat community. They do make me feel very cynical, sarky & reserved, but it's made me also realise I LIKE being like that! Oh & my sis-in-law has married an American and she ha sone of those pseud American accents which to my ears sounds dreadful. My kids are very confident too but i think that's because they're ex pat kids & have lived in diff cultures & had to adapt break into new situations repeatedly etc.
Oooh I've been listening and you are sounding very knowledgeable and clever! Lx
ReplyDeleteYeah, it sounds luurrvely Expat! No-one likes hearing themselves recorded - I did an interview (on community radio, nothing to compare with FiveLive!) before Christmas about my book and cringed when I heard it and could only think of Paul Allott, the Sky cricket commentator. Terrible!
ReplyDeleteI think you both did really well. Your 350 million puppies comment was priceless and I have repeated it to several American friends today who think it's hilarious - especially when you compare it to the comment about Brits hiding behind doors when someone knocks (we are terrible at that aren't we).
ReplyDeleteGood job Expat - think you did marvelous!
Well done indeed!
ReplyDeleteHi Expat mum,
ReplyDeleteI just listened to the programme and thought it was fab!
Loved the part when you said to Mike: "I'm sorry Mike but that's absolute rubbish!" haha
and I can relate very much to when you said about the Americans not understanding sarcasm... as here in Brazil the society in a whole is very much like the U.S. and is instilled with many things American and when I teach my English lessons in schools here they also don't get it when I make a sacrastic or ironic joke... only now my regular students are understanding me as I've explained the ways of irony and sarcasm in British society's sense of humour - I refuse to give up my irony! hehe
Well done! I absolutely loved it! X
By the way I have 2 students (a couple) who are travelling to the UK for one month in June and I have told them about and sent them the link of your book on Amazon... It will be very useful for them whilst they are there as aside from speaking English they don't really know much slang or primarily the different words that are used by Brits and Americans for the same thing.... of course I have taught them many but nothing will compare to your book for their "reading up" before they travel! X
ReplyDeleteCan I just add that you are right in saying it's rubbish that the poor health care stats in America are exaggerated as I believe Mike suggested. If you talk to anyone who has suffered a major or chronic illness here, I would bet most of them would say they thought their health coverage was wonderful, until they really needed it. Even those who thought they had adequate coverage found themselves in bankruptcy as a result of an accident or catastrophic illness. Lives are completely ruined. Personally I don't consider myself to be truly free when I have to choose a career path based on whether or not the job provides me with health care.
ReplyDeleteSuperb. I think you sound wonderful Ex-pat, but I don't like my voice either so I understand what you mean. I love the comments about the NHS, in fact, I would love to hear an entire program on the subject. I think Americans have been sold a bill of goods when it comes to their ideas about "social medicine" as it were. Maybe you could set them straight.
ReplyDeleteI agree that British humour is lost on Americans. My love of irony is certainly lost on most of my colleagues and by the look on some of their faces I'm guessing I may have offended one or two but luckilyI found a lovely man who shares the same sense of humour. So we spend hours on end keeping each other in stitches.
Toni, I thought you sounded great. Agree with everyone above--no one likes the sound of her own voice (Hollywood celebs excepted). I'm blogging about your debate with Mike tomorrow, specifically the humor issue.
ReplyDeleteGoodness, "you guys" are very kind. I have apologised to Mike for calling his comment "rubbish" altho' he's lived in England long enough to know that that's a very mild comment. Not an insult at all really, just an opinion.
ReplyDeleteExpat Kat (alias Pea Green Boat - see my blog link) was just commenting on the fact that she;s been in the States for four years and has had to change her doctors three times already. Even if you have access to good health insurance, it's only for a year in most cases.
Well I loved your voice, Expatmum.
ReplyDeleteI liked the bit about being able to eat out of a doggy bag for a week, and I REALLY liked the bit about the 350 million labrador puppies.
I agree about the confidence that being here gives to kids. I see it in mine.
It was a good debate. Well done to you for sitting all alone (well, I assume there was at least one or two other people there) in a studio in Chicago. One the recording, it sounded as if you were right there with us. I always hate trying to talk to people I can't see. Good job.
ReplyDeleteYou did a great job and I agree about the poor healthcare situation in the US. Having said that when I was in the hospital in Oxford for a few days after my first child was born my sisters were asking me what the differences were like between the US and the UK hospitals. Just as they were asking a teenage girl about 9 months pregnant was walking by to go to the "smoking room" on the maternity ward.
ReplyDeleteJust listened and you were great! Agree that a healthy dose of cynicism is good for you. And very interesting what you say about children having more confidence - I wonder why that is?
ReplyDeletesat and listened to the radio show last night and i think you both did a great job. excellent listening in fact. (not so sure about the wifey from glasgae tho'... she was a bit much for me.)
ReplyDeletewell done, you sound a bit like heather mills to me, (mean that as a compliment) but less geordie. i bet you roll right back into it when you gan hyem? we all do.
on the UK/US debate. that's a no win argument really, but you both did a good job at debating it. it's all subjective isn't it i suppose.
but well done missus. much better than my radio debut where i sounded like margaret thatcher on heloium, so determined was i that i wouldn't sound deed rough.
LOL
helium of course.
ReplyDeletemrs. thatcher would never use heloium ;-)
Well at least no one has said I sounded American. I would just have to close down the blog and shoot myself. Apologies to Americans, but I find the English-gone-American accent the weirdest in the world.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with you there Expat mum!
ReplyDeleteI watch Joss Stone on awards shows and her new American accent is so annoying! I hear Brits are now dis-owning her for giving up her "dialect roots"! X
Darn and double darn - I'll have to rummage around in cyber space to see if I can find this. All I got was a very polite voice apologizing for not being able to bring me the program I'd 'requested'.
ReplyDeleteI tried again and there it was. As someone said, there's no winner in a debate like this. We had the misfortune to have a medical emergency in the US two years ago. The bill came to nearly $20,000.00. Thank goodness we had insurance. I really don't understand the US reluctance to embrace universal health care.
ReplyDeleteGood job - and you sounded very British to me.
Phew! So glad you told us whereabouts on the dial you were - could not have stomached listening to the whole thing. Well done, you were excellent... and what's wrong with your voice?
ReplyDeleteIt's just not what I hear inside my head so even after this many decades, I still get a surprise!
ReplyDeleteHi...expatmum...you did very well. I'm listening to the show now. What amazes me is that there is still a Geordie accent in there (in the nicest possible way). Hope you do not mind me saying that...just that I do not remember that when we met for the drink. It also makes me smile that the things you are saying...are possibly things I would say as well. So I wonder is that a particular Geordie point of view?
ReplyDeleteBut overall...very impressed. I would be so tongue tied (in your place) that I would not be able to express a view on anything!!!
I too LOVED LOVED loved yr description of the 350 million lab pups. That is So acurate & perceptive! I live in Albania but there's a huge American ex pat community. They do make me feel very cynical, sarky & reserved, but it's made me also realise I LIKE being like that! Oh & my sis-in-law has married an American and she ha sone of those pseud American accents which to my ears sounds dreadful. My kids are very confident too but i think that's because they're ex pat kids & have lived in diff cultures & had to adapt break into new situations repeatedly etc.
ReplyDelete