My kind of assignment

Oh how sweet it is to go to English assignments. It's even sweeter when you're the only native-speaking English reporter there and for once you get to watch the Arab reporters fumble for words and stare blankly at the speaker when they don't understand what he's saying.

It's also great to have the speaker seek you out because you are the only reporter there he feels totally comfortable talking with. All the other times I have to chase down Jordanian officials who avoid me because their English is weak and they'd rather sneak out the back door than deal with the new Canadian journalist.

The tables have turned!

I'm describing my afternoon covering the event in the previous post. About six Arab reporters and I sat with the American representative and chatted about his organization and what they are doing in Jordan.

Some of the other reporters had difficulty phrasing their questions. Some had to use translators to get their point across. Some asked questions that had already been covered, which made them look like they were either a) not understanding or b) not paying attention.

It was awkward for them, but I felt little sympathy. I recalled all the occasions they would elbow me out of the way at events and give me bored looks when I would ask the speaker to switch from Arabic to English so I would have something to take back to the paper.

When I arrived at the event some of the American organizers thought I was Jordanian and expressed shock at the strength of my English skills. Others assumed I was American and asked what State I was from and why I was working in Jordan?

They said my accent made them think I was from the U.S.

It was the first time I was told I spoke with an accent. For some inexplicable reason I had always thought the way (central) Canadians talked was the default sound and it was everyone else that had accents.

I know, how ethnocentric of me.

But honestly, how many times has someone said "Hey, I like your Canadian accent"??

It just doesn't come up.