Overseas Advice

Random Fact: "Sunderland, much like my home town, used to be a coal mining area."

A while ago, my mentor Kay told me that the international students would look to me to translate British for them. However, she told me that I would more than likely not be able to understand the Geordie accent for a while. I thought she was crazy at first since I was able to understand the Irish, Hartlepool, and Manchester ones. Well, when Eva (HK) and I went to buy some supplies I asked a worker at a store if they had any pots. The only think I could really understand was the word "no", so I looked blankly at her and said that I guess they didn't have any there.

I really shouldn't doubt the experiences of other people in a foreign country. However, I am more willing to ask some of my British friends about England rather than believe someone who just visited the area. One of my professors told me that Sunderland used to be a coal mining area, which is true, but he also told me that there were no trees. I have tons of pictures of trees and I'm really thinking about sending him a picture to let him know, LOL. Nah, I don't know if he takes jokes well or not and I might take another class with him, so I shouldn't.

Still, I guess in the mix of fact and fiction we all need to decide what's right and hope that it is truly the right decision. Or else I might end up looking cluelessly again at a guy who speaks a dialect so original that not even some of the natives of England can understand it.