Hold your mouth right

My dad used to joke that you have to hold your mouth right to make the fish bite. I was too young for irony and would move my mouth around trying hard to catch a fish. It's kind of the same way here. I do all sorts of goofy things with my mouth trying to make sounds that will be understood. Unlike with fishing, some of it actually works. If I open my mouth more when I say Keppy, they hear me. If I give a little Billy Idol sneer with the "s" in Kristin, I get a better response. I try to purse my lips instead of close them when making an "m" sound at the end of a word. It sounds kooky but Carol explained that nobody wants to see me pressing my lips together and I think she is right. There is a lot to remember when trying to learn a new language and I'm glad I got this little "mouth right" tip from my old man back in the day.