me mum's from lincolnshire (apparently)

okay - so here's the tidbit i promised: on friday i was in bath. as some of you know, i have a tendency to pick up on the accents of those around me. i think b/c i'd been so long amongst non-english speakers, i really soaked up how people were talking once i landed in england. so, much of friday, i would find myself speaking in a british accent. i never knew when it'd come out until i started talking. since i don't know any of these people, it didn't really matter. but i got myself into trouble when i took a taxi to collect my things at my first b&b and head on to my second one. out came the british accent. and once we were on our way the taxi driver became chatty. where was i from? "kansas" but i don't sound like i'm from kansas. "well, me mum's british. she's from lincoln" (sorry mom! my british friends i met in prague were from lincoln & it sounded like a nice place) does she live here or in the states now? "states" does she miss england? "oh, yes." etc, etc. i couldn't believe what was coming out of my mouth. but it seemed less awkward than trying to explain to a complete stranger that i pick up accents from people and i can't help what comes out. i guess at least i'm glad i really did sound british and not like an imposter.

another fun moment was when i arrive in bath, i got totally turned around by my directions. the b&b was only a mile away from the train station so i started walking but ended up going in the complete opposite direction, walking for like 30 minutes. eventually i stopped at another b&b to ask for directions. the lady was the quintessential british b&b-er. she brought me back to her kitchen and had me sit down while she called a taxi and rang my b&b to make sure they didn't give my bed away. she kept going back & forth between the front & the kitchen trying to find info for me and i didn't know whether i was to follow her or stay sitting, but it seemed rude to just sit, so i'd stand every time she got up. finally she turns to me and says, "sit down, love, i'm not the queen."