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I'm trying hard to keep my Australian accent. My mom would disown me if I didn't.

My mother always spoke to me in English, so it's technically my maternal language, and it became a kind of private language - I was happy that I could speak in English to my mum and the majority of people wouldn't understand it.

My accent remained terrible. It was very hard for me to initiate any conversation with someone I didn't know.

I grew up, as many Indians do, in an archipelago of tongues. My maternal grandfather, who was a surgeon in the city of Madras, was fluent in at least four languages and used each of them daily.

You can learn any accent you want. It's a fascinating thing.

I'm different. I don't speak perfect American. I do have a lilt of an Indian accent. I thought, 'Maybe the world's not okay with what I bring, being Indian.'

When I lived in India, I'd speak like an Indian to get good prices while shopping. I'm good with accents.

In my normal life, I do not speak with an accent. It's harder for people to realize my hearing loss in everyday life.