The promised second language article

So here we go: no, I am not a native English speaker and there are a couple of words and phrases that give me away. Not necessarily as a German but yeah, as somebody with English as a second language.

The German in me makes all the 'W' sound a bit funny and muffled. Like in 'weird' or 'window'. One time we had a meeting in one of the jobs I had and I was suggesting something that had something to do with winter sports... so everybody looked a bit baffled and and asked what I meant with 'window sports' - I kind of shouted it again and was understood, which leads me right to next thing:

I talk really loud and while I am able to tune it down a little bit in person (with sudden outbursts), I cannot do so while on the phone. It never ceases to amaze me how some people are able to whisper into phones and then I wonder about the superhuman hearing the person on the other hand must have. Maybe I am holding my phone wrong (but I tried a couple) but I am not able to hear you on the phone if you do that to me - whispering into the phone. I find it pretty hard to concentrate on the phone call anyway - but I am totally cool with my headphones plugged in, then this becomes much easier for me. Since I don't want people to experience the same pain - I talk loud and mostly clear, which leads me to the next thing:

So I have my inner amp set on 11, but according to a Canadian friend of mine, it is still hard to hear if I say 'can' or 'can't', like in are you Mexican or Mexican't. After the double check by the person I am talking to I say 'can not' to make sure they understand.

On another sunny day we wen't for Burgers here in Shanghai and I thought it's best to go for the Cajun. So when my friends asked me what my choice of food will be I said the 'Cadshoon' - so this is apparently not how you say, but I know about the ragin' cajun and should have known better.

Ah! Just came to think about another one: 'gesture' - I say it like Jestjure. I find it weird that to have that it starts with that hard kind of g.

Bonus: Warwick Davis - the guy from Life is too short and friend of my favorite TV personality Karl Pilkington. I say 'war wick' instead of warrik.

I'll have a whole article dedicated to Karl Pilkington, but he is the funniest guy ever - don't even know where to start!