The Iranian

Funny thing happened this afternoon. I went to my photoshop to pick up some photos. The lady who owns it was in. She is always very nice. I don't think that I've been in there for over a year. She remembered me.

She looks and sounds Iranian to me. I asked her if she was Persian. She looked startled, like she had seen a ghost. She said "Yes, I am as a matter of fact."

She looked at me in amazement for a minute, then asked "How did you know?". She seemed very concerned.

"Your eyes. Your accent.", I told her. "My ex-wife used to work for an Iranian. You look and sound like his wife."

She said that no one in Australia has ever pegged for a Persian. She said that she often gets mistaken for an Arab. Some people ask her is she is from Lebanon, or Italy. Never Iran.

I explained that there are lots of Iranins in southern California, the largest population outside of Iran I believe. So I learned over the years to tell the difference.

She was curious about me. She was studying me intently. "What about you?", she asked. "I can't place you. You aren't Persian, but you could be."

I told her what I was. She was dumbfounded. "Are you really an American?", she asked. "I'm very good with accents. I can always tell an American. But your accent... I can't place it. Are you sure you are an American?"

"Yes. I'm sure. Born and raised."

Asked her what she thought my accent was, since it didn't seem American to her.

"I don't know. Honest. I can't figure it out. You have no accent what so ever."

How strange. Most Aussies either tell me that (a) I have a thick American accent, or (b) I have an Irish accent. It must be the broad vowels that throws them.

I'm not sure what to make of this. I was wondering if she would tell me if I sound Aussie. I don't think that I'll ever be able to pick up the Aussie accent. I'm guess I'm too old now.