Photo taken in the bedroom of a distinctly American messy teenagerToday I had the honor of receiving a Stylish Blogger award from the gorgeous Joybird at Songbird in His Court. Now before I go on, I need to say that I've been given blog awards before, but I haven't posted about them because it made me shy. But I did and do very much appreciate them nonetheless. I'm always surprised that anyone would want to award my babblings. Anyhoo, it's what Joybird said that made me laugh out loud, and I had to respond.
"Jodi lives in the USA but there is something distinctly British about her in my opinion."
Unbeknownst to Miss Joybird, I have been told this very thing all my life.
Not just about the UK, but other countries as well. For example, there was the recently immigrated Irish guy who was working on our house. This is what he said - "Your accent is pretty good American, but where are you really from?"
While in the Ukraine, someone said to me through a translator, "You're too polite for an American. Where are you really from?"
A friend from West Africa told us that "Your hospitality is more Liberian than American".
I've also been asked what part of Eastern Europe I'm from, was wished "shabot shalom" from a salesperson in a department store, been mistaken for a Canadian, and was told by a Welsh friend that the stork definitely dropped me on the wrong side of the pond.
I like to flatter myself by thinking that I'm unknowingly living out I Corinthians 9:22--being all things to all men. But who knows. One thing I know to be true, though. I do love people, all kinds of people. And I'm grateful that blogging has enabled me to meet so many from all over the globe.
So the award requires the revealing of 7 things your readers may not know about you.
The story above counts for number one.
2. When I'm stressed, I hum the theme to "Elmo's World". I have no idea why.
3. I went to a different school every year until I got to ninth grade. Don't ask, it's complicated.
4. I sometimes spell the word color this way: colour. I think it looks prettier the British way.
5. When talking really fast I pronounce "house" like a Canadian. Not on purpose. Really.
6. I once smirked at a man in a cafe who wouldn't stop staring at me. I later found out that the man was the painter Andrew Wyeth.
7. This is the longest post I've ever written.
8. (bonus) I have an overly-sensitive conscience, which is why I can't pick a certain number of people to send the award back to. Seriously, I love all of the blogs I read, and it's too painful to choose only a certain number. That is why I haven't really played along before. I really do enjoy the creativity and uniqueness that each one of you express. I think you're all wonderful. So to any blogger who reads this, feel free to join in. I pick you.
27 comments:
wow - that was a long post. you deserve every award for being awesome.
maybe andrew was eyeing you to be his next Helga!!!
The British way of spelling words is different from the American way because in the early 1900's there was a big push in the U.S. to conserve nature (sound like today?) American English spelling was reformatted to drop letters from words (such as the 'u' in 'colour') so that when books and newspapers were printed, less paper would be used since there were fewer characters to print.
I think no.3 says it all. I moved around a lot as a child. It gives you a different perspective and you have to fit in fast.
I'm now stuck with the image of you smirking. Not good!
Vicki - ha ha, maybe. In truth, the only man that will ever see that much of me is my husband xD
Niamh - most informative xo
Cheryl - sorry about the smirking...
I love these posts - always interesting to learn more about a favourite blogger. Thank you for sharing :-) Funny you should say that about being thought British - I've always somehow how imagined you with a British accent! Although I do sometimes think of you as Kiwi too :-)
You also say the word, "pound" in a kind of Canadian/Scottish way. When I was little, I thought it was because we have Scottish in our family. I was disappointed when I realized I wouldn't have a quasi Scottish accent.
I love these little details about you -- when I'm stressed I hum the "ABC's" -- we must have to revert to a special place in our childhood. I just did it on the flight from NE to MA during turbulence -- major humming of the ABC's and shushing my children, who relentlessly asked why I was humming.
Michelle, I can't claim to THAT special place in my childhood since Elmo didn't exist when I was little. However, my kids automatically ask me what's wrong when they hear me humming that song.
How do we Canadians say house? I'm curious. Loved your post. I received an award but had no idea what to do with it, so I ignored it. Wish there was a blogger handbook out there.
Hooooose, sounds more like moose than mouse.
jodi so funny, I laughed when I read that too. I think it's all the tea and tea related talk that goes on over here.
I just love you no matter what nationality you are channeling.
You're a hoot:) This was great fun to read. Now I wish more than ever that I could meet you in person. I like your spelling of colour. You do seem quite colour-full!
:D I add those extra letters too especially in "colour" and "amoung." I attributed it to reading too many old British books (amoung is definitely colonial,) but now I can say it must have rubbed off from you.
You'd make a lovely Canadian.
I was super curios (see the intentionally absent u) to know how we Canadians say house too. Mouse and house totally rhyme in this part of Canada (the western part). like this: how-ss
It's not everyone who can say they've smirked at Andrew Wyeth! :o) How funny. I enjoyed this post - thanks for sharing!
I can't stop giggling. Jodi, my fellow citizen, this post rocks! I at least know that my instincts, while wrong, are clearly in good company. Andrew Wyeth staring, goodness. Wyland flirted with me once in his gallery, but that doesn't carry quite the same cultural cache. And I'm a bit honored that I sparked the longest post you've ever written. But I am loquacious, maybe it's contagious.
Congrats on the award! Of course you deserve it!
I think your hospitality is very Korean. :-)
I LOVE that you smirked at Andrew Wyeth! How droll!
okay ~ loved this.
and you.
longer comment erased and deleted and I wish we talk IRL
Loved this, love you, thanks for the laughs this morning! I read this to Em while she was eating breakfast and we chuckled all the way through it.
"colour" "grey" "theatre" ALL much prettier.
And Vicki stole my Andrew Wyeth thunder ; )
Hahaha. You know, I always thought we could do well in Europe ;D
Oh, and Leslie, I know what you mean. I always spell "gray" like "grey". It just looks better. It's like what Anne said about her name: "Print out "A-n-n" and it looks absolutely dreadful, but Anne with an "e" is quite distinguished."
Just saying :)
~Bron
okay, i am laughing. a lot. and you so deserve the award.
my whole life people have told me i have a southern accent. people are always asking me where i'm from. they don't believe me when i say here (california). the most south i've ever gone is los angeles. :)
Jodi
Lovely to know you a little bit better, chameleon et al. You better check AWs painting your face maybe dubbed in one. Smile I hope not with the smirk though, you are too funny sometimes.
Have a lovely week end and revel in your all awards.
joanny
Absolutely, Bron! Anne knew what she was talking about (or at least LM Montgomery did : )
Thanks for making me laugh this morning, Jodi! Visiting by way of Beth Stone and on the recommendation of Tea Girl Amy. And I have always liked the British spelling of colour, too :)
Oh, {Jodi} this is delightful in every way. I'm not surprised to find that everyone thinks you're just like one of *them* or someone who, alone, truly understands them... It probably stems from a highly intuitive and responsive-to-language-and-culture nature. Maybe there's a personality type, like type O negative blood that's a 'universal donor'! :) hm. intriguing. All in all, though, the biggest underlying factor is probably love. It shows.
This was fun and pleasant to read, and definitely no problem with it being the longest post you've ever written!
I also find British spelling prettier, and write British whenever I can. Easier for me, when I'm not American. :-)
Ann without an 'e' is the English spelling. Anne with an 'e' is the French spelling.
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