American Boy

Yes, I am still writing about stories that took place many months ago. This one is from June-ish.

It is the beginning or maybe the middle of math class. One student raises his hand to ask if Connecticut is near Virginia. I answer "yes," because this is a shorter reply than, "please ask me questions about America's geography after class."

 Next a second student declares that the geographically-curious student "wants to be an American boy." In response, the American boy straightens his shoulders as if to say, "so what if I do?" Two days earlier he had also been accused of wanting to be American, that time because "he is always trying to speak like an American." Except, the accuser elaborated, he sounds instead like someone who has been drinking alcohol. He accompanied this explanation with an imitation of drunken swaying--while remaining seated--and some garbled speech.

While it is distressing to learn some Gambians believe American accents resemble drunken speech, I am relieved to know the "American boy" does not have a speech impediment, which is what I'd previously mistaken his occasional mumbly-garbly speech for.

However, I have to wonder how much exposure these students actually have to American accents, given that the two actors I most hear about are Arnold Schwarzenegger and Bruce Lee.