After years of romantically dreaming about castles, zealously reading English novels and watching BBC productions, and serenely picturing myself meandering thecountryside… I’m actually going to be there. I’m going to England. I’ve talked about the idea of this trip for a long time, and I’m finally at the next step. Now, I'm blogging about it.
http://janeaustenhereicome.blogspot.com/
But I am truly doing more than blogging about it. I’m planning it. Two of my friends are already on board with me. Truth is that they kinda started the idea up again, and together we’re planning, scheming and budgeting for a visit to Jane Austen’s world. OK, so England is more than just Jane’s land, but to give credit where it is due, we must confess that Jane definitely has played more than a small role in getting us to cross the Atlantic!
To us, it is also a home to castles and English manors, a place where the tranquil countryside still exists and where history is still very much alive, a birthplace to the tongue we speak and delight in. It’s like coming home in a way. Is it too ridiculous to say that? Oh well, it’s the way I feel...
Not quite like the small, square yellow sticky notes at all really...think legal size post-its!!
Friday, October 26, 2007
Friday, October 5, 2007
Working with Accents! Ooooh-la-lah!
It occurred to me today that I am quite blessed. Why? – you may well ask. Well...because I work in a global company, and as such I have daily interaction with people from all over the world. I know people from England, Australia, France, India, the Middle East, China, etc. In any given week, I have lots of global interaction from the 1,000 plus co-workers at my site to thousands more around the world. The president of my division is from France. The CEO over the entire company is from Australia. Yes, I am in a sea of accents, and I like it.
I have a work colleague in France who always inserts a line of French in his emails just to give me a hard time because my French is so rusty. His emails make me laugh as he tries to give me more practice with my poor French. Another colleague is from England. He visits my desk almost weekly with inquiries about something or other. He is always in a good mood and has plenty of British pluck!
I can be down the hall, around the corner and completely out of sight, but when a certain co-worker speaks, I can’t help but smile. His thick Australian accent is hard to miss. And then of course, I can recognize a Canadian accent rather quickly, too. I use to get daily calls from a Canadian colleague at our Saskatchewan office, and I always knew it was him by his hello.
Yes, I count myself fortunate to have the pleasure of mingling with people from all over the globe. It keeps life interesting!
I have a work colleague in France who always inserts a line of French in his emails just to give me a hard time because my French is so rusty. His emails make me laugh as he tries to give me more practice with my poor French. Another colleague is from England. He visits my desk almost weekly with inquiries about something or other. He is always in a good mood and has plenty of British pluck!
I can be down the hall, around the corner and completely out of sight, but when a certain co-worker speaks, I can’t help but smile. His thick Australian accent is hard to miss. And then of course, I can recognize a Canadian accent rather quickly, too. I use to get daily calls from a Canadian colleague at our Saskatchewan office, and I always knew it was him by his hello.
Yes, I count myself fortunate to have the pleasure of mingling with people from all over the globe. It keeps life interesting!
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