I am speaking English I swear!

Hey Everyone,

Hope you all had a nice Bank Holiday weekend back in Ireland. I always love the Jazz weekend so I am gutted I missed out this year. I was working at the weekend but I did get to go out Saturday night to join friends for one of their Birthdays. So just a little update for you all. The job is going well. I got some great feedback today  and they seem to be really happy with me which is great. I am still getting used to how different it is, the hours etc but so far so good.

What I am going to talk about today is the fact that people are having a hard time understanding me. Its kind of funny really, sometimes its because I talk too fast but most of the time its because I use completely different words to what they normally use.This post is a little guide for anyone who has either experienced this when in Canada or for anyone planning on moving here...

• Rubbish: This isn't a word here, they have no idea what you are saying when you ask, "will I take out the rubbish?" Its Garbage!
• Hoover: I didn't realize hoover was a company name for what they understand as a vacuum cleaner! I am never going to be able to call it anything else though. Its a bloody hoover!
• Toilet/Bathroom: They do understand when you say it but you get some odd looks so its the washroom/restroom if you need to do your wees and poos.
• Jumper: I still laugh when I think about this one.. Me and Parker were doing a promotional job a few weeks ago and he left his jumper on one of the chairs. He asked the manger could he go back and get his jumper. The silence and blank stare was hilarious and I just shouted over..."Your SWEATER Parker". So if your looking for  something to keep you warm, get your sweaters out guys!
• Half Seven: I keep doing this when confirming reservations or giving someone the time. I say half seven, eight or whatever the time is and they can't for the life me figure out what I am talking about. Its Seven Thirty... This one I am really struggling with getting use to saying.
• Plaster: So today I cut me finger in work and asked for a plaster. They laughed and I figured out it was a band aid I was looking for."'Plaster is for the walls Zita". They are right though.
• Gawk: Ok, I'll let this one slide as even people from different parts of Ireland might not understand that gawk is another word for vomit. So when I said, " someone got the gawk", I guess its fair if they don't know what I am talking about.

To be fair when you think about it, the words they use make waaaay more sense then the ones we use. Like jumper, what the hell? You don't jump into it, why is it even called that? If I come back home using these words for awhile, forgive me..But for now I need to learn the way Canadians say things so I can communicate with the world!

Hope this guide helps others survive the communication barriers between us Irish and the Canadians.

Have a great week:-)

Talk soon xx

Zita J