The Red Coats are ... here?

Last night I had to do some shopping at Trader Joe's and was oohing and aahing over their cheese section; it's one of the best places to get good cheddar here. The Scottish guy next to me struck up a conversation about which ones are good, and I mentioned that it was so hard to get good cheese here, being that I moved here from England and I'm used to the choice back there.

The look he gave me was a mixture of amusement and absolute disbelief. He just said "uh huh" and made his excuses before leaving. It was clear that he absolutely did not believe I had even set foot in the British Isles, let alone grew up there. Of course, a lot of people here love to boast of their 1/8th Irish blood, or their 7/13th Scottish blood, or how their ancestors sailed over on the Mayflower.

I think I passed the test! My Nan is in Florida right now on vacation, and she was telling me how frustrating it is when people fawn over her accent all the time she's there. It's for that exact reason that I generally speak with a Californian accent until I'm talking with my family. It's not perfect, and if someone knows I'm English they'll pick up on the nuances and turns of phrase that give me away, but to most people I meet on the street, they don't notice a difference.

And that's just how I like it.