Learning to Listen to English

A number of years ago there was a  neat little TV program I reeeeally liked and enjoyed……It was about a group of young people somewhere in England who were attending veterinary college.   It was filmed in what I almost believed to be a make-believe setting — I mean, Wow!  The school itself was situated in a dreamy and bucolic expanse of small rolling hills of bright green, big beautiful trees,  perhaps a couple of bubbly streams coursing over  shallow bedrock……..that’s what I mean by the scenery appearing to be almost surreal in its green perfection.  Hah.  Really beautiful.    The television series followed these [frequently] hapless young adults thru  very tough courses of animal husbandry.    There was just one itty-bitty distraction, though……….

I just had dinner~~~with “Vets in Practice” to keep me company. The TV picture was fine, it’s just the way the people talked that I had some problems de-coding. OK, maybe it’s me, maybe I’m not used to the real Briton as opposed to the enunciating perfection of British actors on TV. Know what I mean?

The British accent is so luverly, as a rule, why then is it so darn hard to understand when just ordinary people are speaking in the course of their ordinary lives? I sometimes stop chewing my food to see if that helps to understand what they are saying. Nope, that’s not it.

I turn up the volume. No help there, the mumbling I’m hearing is just exaggerated with it being louder. Here and there I get a few clear words……
The dog’s owner:: “ah so it’s a scan of her belly you’ll be wantingta borndlly signeeey farrrily blingera?”

Me:: WHAT?

The vet:: “Yeash I’ll corkknie dingalridiny
dkwooodkj not to mention her furry bottom”

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