The Garlic Bread

Yesterday I went to a Greek deli and asked for garlic bread.

The man asked, "Where do you come from?"

I said, "From India."

He said, "That's why you speak like that."

Then I asked him, "Where do you come from?"

He said, "From Greece."

So I said, "We are brothers, we are brothers!"

He was Dividing fault with my pronunciation of 'garlic.' But he himself was speaking broken English.

When I first came to America, I used to feel a little sad when people could not understand me. But now I don't have to repeat words like 'magnificent' and 'table' because people understand me. Americans may criticise me, but the British-even children-don't have any problem understanding me.

In Scotland I find it very difficult to understand the people. Three or four times I have to ask them what they are saying. It is too much, too much!

-2 November 1986