My dear mother-in-law is a native of Mexico. She's fluent in both Spanish and English. And she makes the absolute tastiest and roundest tortillas I've ever seen! By contrast, my tortillas usually end up looking like amoebas or the outlines of third-world countries.Since I know Spanish (I should say I knew Spanish -- I've not used it much in the last 5 years and my knowledge is quickly vanishing), the more I'm around my mother-in-law, the more I find myself easily picking up her accent and expressions.
Last night while competing in our annual tourney of Eurorails I heard myself using my mom-in-law's signature phrases and even copying her exact tone of voice!
I'm certain the explanation for my parroting is due to our proximity this last week. My mom-in-law has been my companion in the car, on walks, and in the kitchen as we prepare meals.
Have you ever fallen prey to this speech-copying phenomenon?
