Accent

I was having lunch with my labmate. We were having random converstaions with topics ranging from Iran's president, MRI, zidane head butting materazzi......asihwarya rai..It was then I mentioned to him how she had a strong american accent during the CBS interview and also added she has that while talking to indian reporters too and that pisses me off..

Suddenly my labmate's facial expression changed to the one that Joey has when he tries to multiply 13 with 11 or some numbers like that, basically you guys get me right..

LabMate: hang on..hang on..what did you say -- american accent!!
Me: Yes, the accent with which americans in general and you in particular speak.
LM: No man, I do not have an accent.
Me: Dude any creature who speaks has a language and an accent.
LM: No man..This is the reference accent. You can say some people have northen accent, some have southern but I have no accent.
Me: yes, exactly you have a general american accent.
LM(Now visibly irritated): No man, this is the way english is supposed to be spoken. You have an accent. An Indian accent.
Me: Yes, I have an accent and I do not see the need to change my accent according to some american's needs unless I am doing buissness with him/her and my interaction is necessary. Since I am in america, I put in extra effort to understand you and try to speak in a way that you guys can understand. If you were to be in India it will be otherway around.
LM: No man. This is the correct way of talking in english and you guys should try to speak like this instead of critisizing the lady who is trying her best to do the correct thing.
Me(Must have an utterly amazed and angry look): Shut up man. There is nothing called correct accent. Language consists of grammar and pronounication but not accent. Go and ask any linguist.
LM: Man!! you are getting too technical
Me: !@##$$%%%^^^
LM: Lets ask people around. I am sure everybody wants to speak english the way I speak. (cleverly not using the word accent!!) In Korea I am sure people will pay me to learn to speak english this way.
Me: Is english a main language in Korea.
LM: No.
Me: Now it makes sense. There is no english hence when they try to learn obviously they try to go for the most global accent(hats off to spectacular hollywood movies.).
LM: No man. I am sure Indians will also try to speak like this. If not they should start doing it. Americans define english.
Me(I must be shouting by now): Bullshit!! In that case only english people can say that they have the right accent and even they talk to each other saying you have yorkshire accent and stuff...never say you guys invented english. English was introduced to Indians before it existed here. And Indians learn to speak english from their childhood.
LM(Now completely at loss of words): You mean people talk english in daily lives in India.
Me(By now exhausted with excitment): Yes man. And thats why we have our own accent cause we speak like that from our childhood. We do not have to learn "how to speak english" from americans.
LM: man, whatever I do not have an accent. I define the reference accent as the most prevelant accent in the world. Something has to be the basis.
Me: You might be shooting yourself in your own foot. I am not sure but there might be more Indians speaking english than the population of americans who speak with your accent.
LM: fuck off man..you understand what I mean. Let me change the definition as the basis is the accent which is prevelant in highest percentage population of any country.
Me: First of all you just can not define things as you like. Second, again maybe australia or england beats you in that coz they have less immigrants.
LM: Thats it man. Our definitions are different. Both of us are correct in our own ways. We spend so much time debating such random topics.
Me: Yeah, We could not convince each other over such a trivial matter. Think about when countries have differences in opinions!!! Anyways man you should know that anybody who speaks any thing has to have a language and and accent. Go and ask any linguist.
LM:@@##$#$%$

I really get entertained debating with this labmate of mine. Do not make any conclusions regarding him just on the basis of this blog. He is a very nice guy at heart. The guilt conscience in me makes me write this as he has been very helpful to me in lab and here I am making fun of him.