Fighting Dialect

When I originally learned Japanese, I learned in Aichi-ken. I like Aichi ken, but it does have several dialects. The on that I am used to is called Mikawa-ben. For information about the differences, go to this website, or, if you can't read Japanese (I realize this is many of you), I'll ramble on for a bit.


http://homepage.mac.com/ayustatim/mikawa-ben.html

Instead of saying "desu ka" when asking a question, Mikawans say "kan". Instead of irrashai (welcoming customers to stores), they say "oiden". Oiden in standard Japanese means 'come' in honoric language--if I recall correctly. I am not good at honorific Japanese. Instead of oishii (delicious) they say umai, but pronounce it umya. In Tokyo people say umai as well, but really only guys say it. I end sentences with yaa (kind of like saying 'isn't it') instead of da ne. I am used to saying ~~shinakya naranai (i must do something), whereas girls in Tokyo say ~~shinakya ikenai. Of course both are understandable, but it's a matter of refinement. At least I don't speak kansai ben. They say ookini instead of arigatou (thank you). I'd feel so bad if I couldn't be polite. I'm sure I would always be saying ookini. Even though I know to say arigatou, half the time I forgot to say gozaimasu afterwards, so I'm still not very polite.

Anyway, at dinner I told Arisa that the meal was umya ya (or naa, I can't remember) and she burst out laughing and told me I sounded like a country person. I knew the second it was out of my mouth that I should have said oishii ne, but my gut instinct is always umya. Dialects are fun!!