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Writer's pictureCathie Rooyen

Accents

Tuesday 16th August 2022


I woke up early and sparked into action.  Well, I got into my running gear because it seemed like there was a lull in the rain. It seemed to have drizzled all night which brought about a cooler morning making it a good time to run.


I'm still impressed with all the well tarred pavements and walking paths in the UK. It means that I don't have to run in the road like in Johannesburg and of course, the parks are great to run in too.


Although I have had a different English accent in South Africa, all my life, I still struggle with different accents here. Yesterday I was running along (please read that term loosely lol) when the Fire Brigade arrived at the park. I saw them from afar and the helmeted youngsters start walking along the bushes beside the stream. As I pass the first chap, he says something to me that I know wasn't a question but I have no idea what the content was. I blurted out 'I'm just trying to get fit...'

The clever part of my brain was shouting at my blabbermouth. But it was too late, I'd thrown my words at him, fortunately I was running away from him and could only feel his confused look and not actually see it.



Today in a 'Nana Caf' of a big hospital, the youngster on the tills, asked me something that I could figure out the right reply to. My older sister who hadn't heard him, was trying to get him to repeat when I suddenly blurted out

'Yes... sit in'

I still don't know what words were used but I figured out the general question. 


The hospital trip was for my brother in law and it turned out be less serious which was great. I tried to be unobtrusive while trying to take photos of all the different sections of a massive working hospital. I know I shouldn't get excited about a place full of sick people but it's fascinating seeing how the NHS works.


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