Actually the truth is (but don't tell anyone) I'm from Essex - a county just outside London. And if you tell anyone that knows the meaning of the word Essex girl that you're from Essex, they will instantly morph into a grinning idiot and begin in a highly annoying sing-song voice "You're. An. Essex. Girl! You're. An. Essex. Girl!" And then I'll stand there rolling my eyes and saying "haha yes very funny. No, I don't own a pair of white stilettos, sorry to disappoint you". Which is why I rarely tell anyone I'm from Essex. London sounds better. And besides I did live in London for years before moving to Calgary. And I was born there. So really it's true.
Anyway. When I arrived in Calgary, I stuck out like a sore thumb with my strange accent and peculiar words. And I wouldn't have bothered changing a thing but I wanted the Canadian folks to stop staring at me as if I had just descended onto earth in a spaceship.
For instance, I'd be chatting away, and someone would interrupt me with "uh, what did you just say?" and I'd say "I said I nearly lost the plot" (as in, lost my mind) and then they would fall about laughing and be all "oh ha ha he he ha ha oh that is SO cute!".

And then there was the time J took me to a hockey game and I yelled at the Anaheim Ducks for being "RUBBISH". And told the Flames to "GIVE IT SOME WELLY". And a few people in the seats ahead of us made a point of turning to see who was making the strange remarks.
And the time I wrote "ta!" at the end of an email to a colleague. He was like, what the frick is "ta"? Thanks. It means thanks.
And then I was playing golf with a client and I accused someone of being "jammy". Oh boy did I get hell for that one. (Jammy = lucky)
And when I said I was totally "sloshed" last night. (Drunk)
And when I told someone I had a "stonking" headache. (Big)
...Let alone all the other little words that are perfectly normal to me but which mean sweet fanny adams to people here:
Trousers (pants)
Knickers (panties)
Lift (elevator)
Flat (apartment)
Cuppa (cup of tea)
Faffed around (wasted time)
Boot (trunk)
Crikey (holy crap)
Bloody nora (holy crap)
Dodgy (iffy)
Kip (nap)
Nutter (weirdo)
Knickers (panties)
Lift (elevator)
Flat (apartment)
Cuppa (cup of tea)
Faffed around (wasted time)
Boot (trunk)
Crikey (holy crap)
Bloody nora (holy crap)
Dodgy (iffy)
Kip (nap)
Nutter (weirdo)
So I changed a little, so as not to be so alien.

Now I say, "that sucks!", "awesome!", "holy crap!", "garbage", "groceries" and "for sure!".
Only thing is, with all this adapting and altering and acclimatizing, a certain group of not-so subtle people noticed: my friends and family in England. I'd be on the phone and suddenly there'd be a snort at the other end, or someone would actually stop me in my tracks and blurt in my ear "Bloody hell Sarah! You sound SO Canadian!"
So really I can't win, I'm destined to be laughed at whichever way I speak.
My only advice to others in this situation is this: if some Tom, Dick or Harry should give you a bit of Barney Rubble while you're on the dog and bone, don't be a merchant banker, just tell them you're cream crackered so as to avoid everything going a bit Pete Tong. Eh?