re: #76 Fenway_Nation

I’m trying to think of a scenario- any scenario- where my accent (or lack thereof) could be considered ‘charming’ or ‘alluring’ by any stretch of the imagination.

I actually don’t have an accent per-se, but I can mimic the Southern, Boston and Canadian accents fairly convincingly, yet I get the feeling those are accents people automatically deduct IQ points from the second they hear somebody speaking it.

I can also speak conversational Spanish and some basic Russian, but I don’t think fumbling through some really simple guidebook Spanish (or Russian) would be considered all that attractive.

After I got out of the Air Force, I looked for airline jobs. Non-existent. Well, not strictly true. I got an offer from a commuter for $18 large a yesr. So I wnt south and got a job as a geologist and knocked around the Gulf for a couple of years and then went with a multi-national that specialized in real time downhole data logging. I was basing myself out of New Orleans, but spent three months overseas and one month back home on leave. The overseas tours were three weeks on, one week off, but they kept you on half pay on your down time and gave you a plane ticket to wherever you wanted to go on the continent on your week off.

Pretty sweet.

Most of my work the first year and a half was in the North Sea (Aberdeen was referred to as Abilene because there were so many Americans coming through the town at the time), and my first three week stint was on the Dixielynn 95, which was staffed with about 80% Scots, 19% Brits, and me. I got off the helo, walked into the Hilton, and was met by a Highlander who attempted to explain the ins and outs of the rig to me. I looked around in a panic. I really was not able to understand him. One of the Brits on my crew was walking by and I grabbed him and asked him to translate. They both thought this was hilarious.

So, for about two weeks, I was the idiot yank. After a while, I was able to follow along, and by the end of the first three weeks, I was fluent. I can still pull off a reasonable Glaswegian or Edinburgian accent, but that Highland brogue is so still so dense I can’t pull it off.