Ok so the title needs some explaining and although I'm giggling to myself over it it probably sounds a hell of a lot better speaking but this really makes me smile! Over here you have to get your pronuciation spot on for them to understand you and this usually means talking in a pretty generic Asian accent. When I was in KL (Kuala Lumpur for the uninitiated) I was looking for the Petronas Towers and said pet-ron-AS, getting a blank look in return a few times. After a little confusion is said pet-ron-AAHHH-s and straight away they understood me! Dom an Aussie I met was trying to get a taxi to Chinatown and the driver didn't undetstand him at all, his friend then said it relly quickly and with a it of anger in his voice and the driver was right on it! And in the hotel the other day a Japanese man came in and we need to know people's hotel when they book a tour, refer to the title for this conversation!
Another very Asian thing as most people know is karaoke so when in Rome... Two nights in one week we've been now, gathering a group of mainly native English speakers which is harder than it seems (see below if I remember to get into this) and going nuts and pissing off the locals! the first time we went a few people were leaving so we went to party and as soon as 10 Westerners arrived a load of local teenagers arrived! I can see it on Facebook now 'Westerners at karaoke, everyone to karaoke!', they didn't turn up last night but a local left shaking his head in digust as Bel my 'colleague' and Jack did Welcome to the Jungle! Apparently I rocked 'Without Me' by Eminem but I'm not so sure...
I've only been in the Highlands a week and feels so much longer, I know my way around town, the good cheap places to eat, the 24hr restaurant that sells beer, where to get a motorbike, the usual tourist stuff, it is pretty small here so it's not too hard! And living in a dorm I've met loads of people, special mentions for Marcus who raised the bar of intellectual discussion which has monumentally slipped since he left, Gemma and Kevin some sound English people who fell out with Kelvin the bar man and Jack, the legend of the Jungle Bar.
Native English speakers are rather hard to come by, this plce is full of Germans! Now I like Germany, I've been there twice this year and met some great locals but OH MY GOD the oe here can't give it a rest! Questions, questions, questions! 'What percentage of the tour will be in the car', 'can I was my shoes in the washing machine', 'what temperature will the water be', 'where can I buy a phone cad from', 'will it fit in my phone', 'how much will it cost to call home'???????????? I don't fucking know leave me alone and go plan some more! I don't want to hate them I really don't but they make it so damn hard!
Anyways off for some Chicken Rice for breakfast or something else suitably Asian...
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