Asia Sends a Big Ol’ “Howdy!”
May 22, 2008
Years ago I attended what I thought was billed as an “International Music Festival.” Somehow I missed the word “Country” in the title. What the show turned out to be was American-style country music, played by bands mostly from Asia. The only song title I remember from the show is “Just a Singapore Cowboy,” but that should give you an idea of the flavor of the thing.
I thought the show was moderately entertaining and filed the memory of it under “Amusing Anomalies.” I mean, what could be more unlikely than Asian dudes in cowboy hats?
So, my jaw dropped when I opened this month’s issue of The Atlantic and saw this article entitled Thai Noon. Please check out the photo that accompanies the article. Thais, it seems, love the whole idea of the American Wild West, along with country music. They do their best to talk the talk and strut the strut.
Then I realized that Thais trying to sound like cowboys is only marginally odder than Mainers trying it. Cowboy hats and country music are huge here in Maine. Mainers can look the part, but the game is over when we open our mouths.
The International Dialects of English archive offers this sound clip of a traditional Downeast Maine accent. Shows ya kinda the way we talk around heah, chummy.
May 22, 2008 at 5:24 pm
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Have a good day
May 22, 2008 at 6:07 pm
Except, of course, for Willy Nelson.