The Short Tounge

My first interaction with a real Aussie (other than my step family) was when I went for a Zumba class with mum few months back. I had the impression that the boy at the tilt didn’t want to serve me because I thought I heard him said “I cannot help you” instead of “How can I help you”! Sure enough my temperature starts boiling and I gave that boy a little fright when I raised my voice and question back “What do you mean you can’t help me??”

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Having been in Australia in for 10 months++, I had concluded that Australia have their own English. Because to survive in Australia, somehow it’s not English that one needs to understand but instead it’s the Australian short tounge.

There are a lot of words and pronunciations that the Aussie’s will use and cast a cloud of quizzical look to us who have been watching US TV and learning UK English. For example ‘tha’ for ‘thanks’ and ‘paw-paw’ for ‘papaya’?

But then again, who am I to comment as I am only a Malaysian with a Man-glish accent and wears a head of black hair… *wink - of course its black!*

But should I be ashamed of it - When I am using English with an accent? Or should I be proud when I am using English that nobody understand?