Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Talkin' the talk

Dharmonia says she can tell, just by shifts in my accent, inflections, and vocabulary, when I'm talking to somebody either Irish or African-American on the telephone (she should talk: I can tell which individual person is her interlocutor in like situations).

Now she claims the accent even comes through in print; herewith (redacted) version of email sent to an Aran hotel:

Subj: Availability of gift certificate for overnight stay Feb 5 - Feb 15?

A chairde:

I am writing from America to make enquiry regarding the possibility of purchasing a gift certificate for friends traveling to Inis Mor between Feb 5 and Feb 15. If possible, I would like to use a Visa card to pay the costs of dinner in the hotel and an overnight stay for friends C and P, that gift certificate to be called for by them upon arrival at Kilronan. Could I ask the hotel to be in touch with me regarding this possibility? If email is not convenient, I append below my mobile and fax numbers.

We have fond memories of playing music with Paddy and Locko in the bar and hope to share this experience for our friends traveling in February.

cell: xx xxx xxx xxxx
fax: xx xxx xxx xxxx (attn: "Dr Coyote")

Go raibh maith agat.

all the best,

dr c
To which Dharmonia (CC'd on the note) replies:
You should write all of these e-mails - you sound like an Irishman and you can tack on the occasional Irish phrase, which I have no prayer of doing unless I say "the man a thousand welcomes and to the center of town" 500 times.

xxo
I love my wife. Not least because she makes me laugh. :-)

1 comment:

Dharmonia said...

Agus Tá grá agam duit. xx