What'd you say?

I've gotten used to the Kiwi Flatmate's accent, and she says that even she usually forgets she has an accent.  But the other day, she was reminded of this during a taxi ride home.  
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She told the cab driver our address, "East blah blah Street" and the driver had no clue what she said.  "Aces bleh bleh Street"?  She repeated the word "East" several times until he got it.  
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"You're not from around here, are you?"  he said.  "You must be from somewhere far away, like Tennessee."  
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"Nope," she said.  "New Zealand."
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"Oh, is that near the Netherlands?"
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"Nope.  Australia."
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"Ah, down in the bottom half."
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"Yup."
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Thankfully the cab driver is the first American she's met that hasn't known where New Zealand is.  I know where New Zealand is, but now I'm wondering...where's Old Zealand?  Or is Old Zealand just called Zealand?  
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Actually, I have an idea where it is.  Maybe it's where you go in your dreams?  Get it?  Z-land?
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Signed,
American Roomie

Jamerican Accents

We talk a lot about accents at The Red Door.  Mostly because we have very different accents.  As you might have guessed, the Kiwi Flatmate speaks with a distinct New Zealand accent.  The Jamerican and I both talk Amerrrican (i.e. we like those R's).  The Jamerican studies speech pathology and can mimic most accents pretty well.  Her Scottish accent is dead on.  But the curious thing is, she will not (or cannot?) do a Jamaican accent.  Whenever she tries, she freezes up and then bursts into laughter.  

The Jamerican lived in Jamaica until she was 8, so the Kiwi Flatmate and I keep thinking we can get something good out of her.  The best we've gotten so far is for her to share with us some Jamaican proverbs such as, "Wanti wanti cyan getti getti.  Getti getti nuh wanti wanti."  Also, she showed us this video and translated it for us.

Stay tuned because soon we will be having an The Contest of the acCentury in which we all try to do each others accents.  

Signed,

American Roomie