What Kind of Accent Do You Have?

The host committee has been selling a variety of souvenirs of Texas. As we chatted about the various items, the talk turned to the accent(s) of Texas. One woman at the table had a fairly thick sound in her voice, but she allowed how with so many newcomers to Dallas, the old accent was disappearing or at least getting softer. If you went west, well, “Now in West Texas, you can still hear that accent. You know, like on ‘King of the Hill?’” Austin and points south also have their own accent. Then of course, East Texas has its own sound as well, “a bit more nasaly.”

Having talked about Texas, it was natural to talk about what kind of accents there are in Michigan. What do you think?

I think off hand, I could identify three. There was of course, the general accent all of us have: the schwa sound where we reduce all vowels to “uh” – that of course is something we work hard to correct during the forensics season. But there are at least two others I thought:

The Yooper accent, with its sing song, sort of like the Minnesotan -- both them the residue of the Scandinavian languages of the first settlers, and then toss in a little of the end of sentence vocalization, that “eh?” You know what I mean, eh?

The other accent in Michigan that I could describe is that of Downriver Detroit, a result of the migration of workers from Applachia during the teens and twenties. Thus, locals call a certain town Ypsi-tucky. In the Detroit area, and in general with auto industry blue collar workers there is a distinct Midlands accent, a bit more ‘southern’ , more twang and dropped “g” (tryin’) than that found in say rural Mecosta County, and certainly different from the way we talk in Grand Rapids.

Of course, trying to describe how you sound can be very maddening since who really hears themselves? Too often we are like fish trying to describe water.

So how do you speak? What do you sound like?

Blogging the NFL: Noontime Oratory

Seven orators! This is a frightening experience especially when you imagine them all going after the same Oprah-style speeches. But I was wrong.

Topics included English as Official Language, for; Diversity (title: Beauty in the Beast) – fun and very smart; a celebration of arguing by – who else?—a debater; the meth epidemic, not the most exotic topic, but well presented; modern slavery, he ought to be on the final stage (and how could you resist a speech that opens with Brittany Spears Whip Me, Baby…)?; and Why Ask Why speaking appropriately about curiosity.

An hour and a quarter later, you put down the pen and go, wow.

Day Two: It's All So Familiar

Walk around the halls and the scene is unmistakable: this is a forensics tournament. It is actually a kind of a cozy thing, even if they are also competitors. Even knowing that this is nationals, I still look around and think, Surely, there must be some one here I know. But of course at Nationals it is rare enough that students repeat, let alone that you would recognize them. So the only game to play is, ‘hey! They look like….” And occasionally wonder what do they sound like? And what is their piece?

Blogging the NFL: Day two

We’re more relaxed. Some of the adrenaline has lessened. There is also more focus in the cafeteria and less of the giddy energy off Monday.

Update later in the day: the Pressure Builds.

We’ll hear more at the party about who advances, but this last round five really pressed the team. Pressure and sheer fatigue are beginning to wear on everyone. Still, with so many rounds, if you blow one, you may not be out of it. For the moment though, there is a little more pressure in the hallways. We’re in the final hour here, and it is make or break it time for many.

Recreation

We’re planning on hitting Hurricane Harbor tonite. It’s hot, sunny, a perfect time. And compared to Six Flags, cheap. More fun later.

Update:

No Hurricane Harbor -- instead it was a trip to Grapevine Mills Mall. All outlets all the time. Interesting. Some great bargains if a $185 tie for $85 counts (Nieman Marcus outlet -- it was impressive...)

Heard Any Good Pieces?

We’re talking about pieces. sitting, waiting for our name to be called to judge. The topic quickly turns to pieces we've heard, and types of pieces we just as soon avoid.

We’re agreed that Michigan should benefit from Humorous Interpretation. Meanwhile we’re anticipating the pieces of doom and gloom that go under the label of dramatic interp. One more holocaust piece? Who could stand it? What about sister serial ax murderers of the holocaust…. With a bad father. Yeah, that would do it.

Then there were the famous "hits" of the past, Dingoes Ate My Baby (from years ago) …. described by one coach thus: In an unearthly wail permeated through the walls with a nasty Australian accent, “dingoes ate my baby..”

Civilization in Colleyville

Monday afternoon

When I first mentioned that I was looking for someplace to pick up a NYT out in Colleyville, the parents just looked at me with that sad look of some one who knows that well, there is something lacking. Eventually, there will be a Borders then there can be a hope for civilization. Until then, it’s a trek. Or as I found it out, the trip to the nearest Starbucks.

More imaginatively, I imagine how the town of Euless must have been. Each neighborhood development is walled, and most are relatively new. The pattern is one of denser develop0ment that is nonetheless suburban in nature -- ie. no relationship to any fixed center. Off to the side one can see homes of a later vintage, perhaps from the sixties. Underneath, I wonder what the land once looked like, the ranches, the farms. Little is left of that now. Just houses, and airplanes taking off overhead.

Update
I asked some of the locals, "where does the country start?" and they said that you had to go a little further out, still even here, not quite on the edge of the city, bits of the landscape keep poking through. Not everything is developed.

Tuesday night we were in Grapevine, an old farm community. To be on a real mainstreet actually felt good.

World Cup

Monday

What brings kids together? Sure you can talk about how the last round was, and what they spoke about, or what their piece is, but the real favorite? Soccer.

First thing Monday morning, we get to the cafeteria, plug in the machine and boot up. Yeah! Swiss up by 1 over Togo. Next to me, a spiky-hair girl from Oklahoma has her laptop up aned running, surfing the FIFA site. We’re talking soccer – “my mother didn’t believe Japan… can you believe it? Do you realize that some people don’t know Japan has a black player?” 4-0 Ukraine. Way to go!!

Next thing I know, shes copying out the brackets, who’s going and what’s going to happen. Soccer is a pretty reliable conversation topic anywhere you go.

Blocked

Monday, 1:27

The school is fairly late construction, but the wireless blocks use of blogspot. So no on-the-spot news from here. But at least it’s air-conditioned. That’s a start.

Blogging the NFL. Recreation

OK, so we decided not to go to opening ceremony. The fee was steep ($50), so we left it to the kids to decide: should we stay or should we go. We stayed.

Instead we went looking for a place to eat. Found a chain BBQ place. Sure tries to be authentic, and you did smell the hickory smoking. That made it very tasty. But there were the small things that gave a pause.... just what WAS that canoe doing up on the wall? "Why yes, Frank, I paddled that canoe clear to Dodge drivin' that hunnert head of cattle..." uh-huh.

So rather than be entertained we entertained ourselves. We've found the kids from Portage, and have been hanging out with them. That, and watching the games, France v. Korea, and of course Mavericks v. Heat. Later in the afternoon headed up to Colleyville for a dry run; found the Starbucks around the corner, and of course they sell the necessities: coffee and the NYT -- and the WSJ. ah civilization.

On the way back, picked up some food for breakfast. We'll have cereal, juice and fruit in our rooms.

Tomorrow's the day, and everyone is beginning to get geeked. At the sports bar, there was another extemper, busy reading more documents (how did we know he was an extemper? aside from reading, there was the collapsible file folder next to him.... that's a pretty good sign. ) Well, it's early to bed. We leave here tomorrow at 7:15.

Blogging the NFL. Registration

With our late travels we took the time to sleep in (and with the time change - we're on CDT - we could always say it really wasn't 11:00 but 10:00. See? Feel better?

Finally made it to Registration around 12:30. It is amazing what the place looks like in daylight. As it is, the roads and parking around the Hyatt Regency are best described as a plate of spaghetti, with roadways everywhere, and how exactly does one get out, again?

Inside, the Hyatt was nicely plummy, the registration was certainly different from last year's on the deck at the Philadelphia stadium. This was in a ballroom, and since we were there a little later, no lines either.

The Vendor displays were ok, but not as many or as interesting as last year's event. And there was not the same level of swag either. Yes, we're in this for the tchotckies! Met reps from several schools, and it is depressing when they offer that the most outstanding thing about their school would the renovated properties. Academically? well that is another story. Not every school was like that, though. The conversation with the rep from Colorado College in Coloradro Springs was very worthwhile. Knowing that they were drawing from Greenhills and International Academy gave a good sense of the place -- that and the block scheduling they use. The kids found it useful.

At Registration Ms P and I got judging assignments. Our first (and only one Monday) is at 2:30. Ok. Next?

Where are the pictures?

Alas, I left the adapter at home. So although we are taking pictures, none will be posted until we get back.

Our hotel

This is an older property, a little scruffy, a little "New Jersey": Seven stories with atrium, three glass elevators, what passes for a sports bar but no restaurant. a hint of the played out if not the tacky. Of course, you know you're in an interesting place when the security guard is going up and down the corridors reminding youngsters of the curfew. Just the place for highschool groups and conventioneers, and visitors to the theme park across the highway.

In fairness, the rooms themseleves have been nicely upgraded, very contemporary, plus some nice stuff in the bath. The marketer in me, notes that it is geared a little more to the woman than guy/family: oatmeal soap, juniper shampoo. Nice, but uh...

With two rooms, it is also possible to split work and sleeping. I'll go for that.

Blogging the NFL. Civilization!

With Sunday morning I could finally see the landscape. Our hotel, though nice , is on the industrial side of Arlington, if not the other side of the tracks, at least on the otherside (east side) of the highway.

Driving through neighborhoods, got a chance to see snippets of old ranching Texas -- one of those few remaining fields, but mostly it is suburbs and the build-up along the old Dallas-Ft Worth highway with the usual faded motels, gas stations and what not.

After church it was the seach for the other necessity of life, the New York Times. The Barnes and Noble I had found in the rain wasn't open. But a computer search revealed a Starbucks about five miles away. And they had the Times. so a few minutes later I was satisfied: bagel, latte and the New York Times.

We are getting better
In the

Blogging the NFL. We arrive

Well Saturday was a trip. At O'Hare we got in an airplane traffic jam, 45 minutes on the runway before we took off. How much can you do in an airplane, inching down the runway? Well, let's see: sit and talk, take a nap (yep we're still there), read? How about listening to cheesy soft "jazz" on XM Radio? Did all that, none of it really helped.

Arrival at Dallas was odd. Here it was Saturday night at a major airport andnot even 9 and they were alrelady rolling up the sidewalks. Last time I saw a place so deserted, with that curious ambient neon-lit ennui and its purposeless muzak was in rural Nevada. About 3 am as I recall.

Oh, and the baggage was late.

Finally made it to the rental site -- away from the terminals. Interesting "just go ahead and pick out your car..." That easy. We tried several. Sure the Jeep looked nice, but it could only hold everything if the luggage sat on our laps. So we settled on the Trailblazer. Enough room for the luggage (barely -- did we really bring that much?) and enough for the tall people among us.

Got to the airport just before the rain hit. Now there was a thunderstorm for you, all lightning, and hard hard rain. a tornado too, we heard, but that's another matter.

It being 10:30 pm by now, everybody else stayed in, I went out in the driving rain looking for Chili's. At dark, in the wet, the entire landscape was confusing, but did begin to orient our hotel relative to the area offerings. More on that next.