[Magdalen] Kiwi Talk.

[Cantor03 at aol.com]

I watch a bunch of cooking shows on the PBS "Create" Channel.  I find  it's
the next best thing to cooking these cuisines myself and actually eating  
them.
 
Among the many (there are Mexican, French, SE Asia, East Indian, etc,  and
several Italian shows) is a delightful series featuring Annabele  Langbien
in "Free Range Cook."  She is located near the Southern Alps of
New Zealand, and so there is some lovely scenery along with the food.
 
I find her cookery very nice, but I am also interested in her accent.
I don't know whether she is typical for all or a part of New Zealand.   She
is non-rhotic, of course, but aside from some interesting  inflections,
most difference from North American accents is the very different
pronunciation of vowels, especially "e"s.  Most of those come out  with
a long "e" sound such that extra becomes eeextra, etc. 
 
What I'm getting on the program is a rather amusing delay time where
she says something that I find initially almost unintelligible, but then  my
brain quickly rearranges and sorts it out, and then I know what she's
said.
 
 
 
David Strang.