Snapshots without Camera - Accent Issue

The Martini Club
of
Lost Snapshots





Beau o cafea la un Starbucks, in timp ce citesc Washington Post. O doamna in varsta, cu trasaturi foarte fine, ma intreaba daca poate imprumuta ziarul. Sigur ca da, ii raspund fara sa ezit, si adaug, de fapt tocmai am terminat de citit articolele care ma interesau asa ca ziarul este al Dumneavostra.
Ah, va multumesc foarte mult, sunteti extrem de amabil. Pot sa va intreb ceva? De unde veniti. Accentul Dumneavoastra imi pare rusesc.
Nu ati ghicit, nu vin din Rusia. Multa lume crede ca accentul meu este rusesc, dar se inseala. Cunosc sirul logic. Accentul meu nu este nici american, nici britanic. Si nu este nici spaniol. Asa incat urmeaza ipoteza ruseasca.
Dar veniti din Europa de Rasarit, nu-i asa?
Da, Doamna, aveti dreptate.
Lasati-ma sa ghicesc. Nu veniti din Polonia, nu-i asa?
Aveti dreptate, nu vin din Polonia.
Si nu veniti nici din Ungaria, nu-i asa?
Iarasi aveti dreptate.
Ei bine, am senzatia ca veniti fie din Bulgaria, fie din Romania.
Doamna, sunteti in directia cea buna.
Am fost odata in Romania, nu am fost niciodata in Bulgaria. Lasati-ma sa ghicesc; va rog, mai spuneti ceva.
Cum doriti, doamna.
Ok ... veniti din Bulgaria.
Oh, imi pare atat de rau. O desfasurare logica atat de stralucita ca sa ratati exact la sfarsit!

I am drinking a coffee at a Starbucks, while reading the Post. An old lady asks me whether she can borrow the newspaper from me. Surely, I answer without any hesitation, and I continue, actually I have just finished reading the columns of interest, so the paper is yours.
Oh, thank you ever so much, you are very kind. But, can I ask you something? Where did you come from? Your accent seems Russian to me.
Oh, you didn’t guess, I didn’t come from Russia; many believe that my accent is Russian, only they are wrong. I know the logic flow. My accent is neither American, nor English, it’s not Spanish, so the next assumption people make is that it’s Russian.
But you come from Eastern Europe, isn’t it?
Yes, Madam, you are right.
Let me guess, you don’t come from Poland, do you?
That’s right, I don’t come from Poland.
You don’t come from Hungary either, is it?
That’s right, too.
Well, it seems to me that you come either from Bulgaria or from Romania.
Madam, you are on the right track.
Well, I was once in Romania, I was never in Bulgaria. Let me guess; please, say something more.
As you wish, Madam.
Okay … are you from Bulgaria?
Oh, madam, I am deeply sorry, such a brilliant flow of logic and you missed just at the end!