Today, I have considered regional issues.
I don't really like northern accents. Maybe that's not something I should be admitting within regionally dispersed company, but since I never hear any of you talk, it shouldn't be an issue. ;o)
Perhaps my problems with the accent lie with the particular people I associate it with. Despite attending university where the majority of students are from the south (or London, basically) the people I live with are mostly northern. I didn't even think about a divide of that kind before I came here, and besides it probably wouldn't have been one of my main considerations in applying for universities.
For most students, going to university is the first time they've truly experienced life outside of the immediate vicinity and they don't always have a real idea of the differences between the life they're used to. Increasingly, I discover stark differences between northern and southern, distinctions that stretch beyond whether it's called a 'cob', a 'roll' or a 'bap'. I can't pretend like some people's accents don't grate a little.
Awfully snobby, I'm sure, for me to put so much emphasis on something so insignificant as a person's pronouciation. I suppose, as a creature of comfort, I like what I'm familiar with. I like talking to people who sound sort of similar to me. I don't like the sound of my own voice anyway, it's even more distinguishable when I talk to people who all have totally different accents to myself.
The general banter and the odd quip can be fun, diversity is healthy and all, and stereotypes are bound to crop up somewhere - it's all jokes, innit? I don't recall ever having played the "superior southerner" card, honestly, I didn't realise it was such a huge deal until I came here. I don't like the feeling of not fitting in; I do tend to find I prefer southerners to northerners. Huge generalisation, I'm sure, but there you go, that's me - shallow, close-minded and offensive. Sorry.
On the jukebox: Oasis ~ Married with Children
I feel like you are offended by my blog - if that is the case I must apologise, because I did not mean for it to be a direct attack on anyone. Out of the six people who read/comment on my blog regularly, I already knew that at least of two of you are southerners, and I suspect that a third one is as well.
ReplyDeleteI know a lot of very, very lovely people from the south of England - unfortunately I also know some prententious, shallow people who *do* often play the 'superior southerner' card, if not out loud then by their actions. These people tend to make their presence felt, especially in a university like Durham. You do not strike me as one of them :-) And don't get me wrong, there are plenty of idiots from elsewhere as well.
I suppose I am lucky in this from several respects. Firstly, I am a Midlander at a northern university with a predominantly southern population. At times this can feel like the worst of both worlds, but in terms of the variety of the experience I am getting, it is the best of both worlds.
Secondly, my family comes from all over England, and partly for this reason (partly for others), I am pretty well-travelled. I suspect that this has given me more of a cultural awareness than I realised at the time, probably more than I realise now. Going to university was a culture shock the wrong way round - I expected it to feel a lot more northern when actually it was a culture shock to the ways of the south. This has probably made me slightly defensive.
Thirdly, I am used to not fitting in from any respect.
Fourthly, the accent in my home city is fairly horrendous by anyone's standards - so anything's gotta be an improvement really :D Although I do not speak with it myself for the most part (I occasionally slip!), I can understand what you mean about the comfort of familiarity. I spent a good proportion of my first time at university pining away for lack of hearing a good Brummie abou' the place!
I can't help feeling, though, that managing to be adaptable is a good skill, at least in the short term. It's something that I'm still learning as well :-)
Oh, no, no offence from your end, just I tend to get the brunt of the abuse from northern housemates, which isn't so fun.
ReplyDeleteI know exactly the southerner types you speak of, because, well they crop up everywere, don't they? Durham, I can imagine would be particularly so.
I like being surrounded by southern accents, but perhaps it is more the association - I like my friends dahn sauuth and I like where I live.
Managing to be adaptable is a useful skill indeed, unfortunately, I don't deal so well with change, but hey, I'm learning, too...
Also: I love the long comment. Makes me grin muchly :oD
"I didn't realise it was such a huge deal until I came here..."
ReplyDeleteIt isnt, is it? Shoulnt be, anyway. Every region (or country, or whatever) has its fair share of annoying people; a Northerner has exactly the same capacity for arrogance as a Southerner, in my experience. If I met someone who was arrogant (or whatever), I wouldnt think it's because of where they come from, just because they're an arsehole.
Also, 'bap' vs 'cob' vs 'roll': if you hadn't already told me where you are at university, I'd've guessed it properly by now :-P
ReplyDeletedickie: I suppose it's not so much the actual arrogance as the assumption of it. Many a time have I been on the end of a drunken rant "you southerners think you're so much better than northerners...rahrahrah...you think I'm common & poor...blahblahblah..." um, excuse me, when have I ever insinuated any of those things?
ReplyDeleteLucy: I had no idea there were even different words for it before I came here!? Naive, am I. Rolls all the way...
I'm safe, you've heard me talk ;o)
ReplyDeleteI've not really come across any of the north/south divide but then again I've not really manage to stray into the northern part of our dear land too much recently so maybe I've got all that to come. I talk to a Geordie lad on occasion 'wayaye' and all that and sometimes we jokingly take each other on because I come from so far daan saath and he's so far oop north.
I love accents, I love the that that there's so much diversity and so many different sounding variations all over the place. That said I guess I've never been the brunt of too much teasing. Sometimes I get mocked for being a 'farmer' because of course all people from Devon are famers and live on farms and drive tractors and milks cows in the morning and don't know how to spell - can you tell that annoys me somewhat? ;oP
It's that assumption word again ;o)
xxxx