I was reading Dooce today* and she’s currently spending some time in Amsterdam. In regards to the language she says:

“I have the overwhelming urge to speak English with a Dutch accent, and I have to consciously stop myself from doing it. I imagine that it would be cute to, oh, absolutely no one.”

Reading this comment instantly induced a flashback to my Eastern European trip. During that time I spent twelve days sightseeing, drinking, and sometimes (innocently) sleeping with crazy aussies. It was the closest you could get to being immersed in a culture without actually visiting the country. So instead of picking up a Czech accent I would catch myself talking with an Australian accent.** Like Dooce I had to consciously stop doing it, and even then I maintained subtleties like phrasing, emphasis, and tempo. I’m sure it sounded ridiculous … actually I know it sounded ridiculous … because sometimes I’d talk to these two girls from New York and we’d all be talking to each other with dumb Australian accents.

* Many of you have commented on my usage of the word “nubbin”. To fill you in, I got it from Dooce. Secret’s out!
** This was of course an unintentional accent, unlike the fake Boston accent I often hear at my favorite bar.