There’s something about Amy… Welcoming our latest recruit

Meet Amy Nguyen, Editorial Assistant, our newest recruit at 44. Here, the cheese connoisseur and keen comedy clubber talks cultural change and cat videos, and reveals the television show she finds herself regularly quoting…

Welcome, Amy! Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us. Can you start by telling us a bit about you and your background?

I’m from Canada and I studied early modern European history. After graduating, I worked in France at an engineering university for a few years and regularly frequented the local fromageries and boulangeries. Since moving to the UK, I worked as a social media co-ordinator before joining 44 Communications.

What have you enjoyed the most about the UK so far?

Definitely travelling around the country, visiting museums, and trying the local cheeses. Shout out to Godminster black truffle cheddar in particular!

So, aside from being a genuine ‘turophile’, what else do you get up to in your spare time?

When I’m not baking bread or looking at cat videos, I enjoy watching movies and weightlifting.

I have recently gone down a Buster Keaton-shaped rabbit hole and I’m working through his filmography. My favourite short by him is One Week, which is a lovely representation of newly wed life and has some amazing visual work with the surrealist house. I enjoy the slapstick humour and the incredible athleticism required for the stunt work.

I also grew up watching The Simpsons and often quote it, much to the bewilderment of onlookers… and the delight of friends and family.

What are the biggest cultural differences between your homeland and the UK?

The biggest difference I’ve noticed is the variety of accents and regional dialects in the UK. I might pronounce Calgary as cal-gree and take melk in my tea, but Canadian speech patterns and slang are fairly similar across the board. We all grew up watching the CBC, know what keeners are, order double doubles, and we wear toques.

Here, the regional differences are particular – even the word for a sandwich can change depending on what city you’re in. I try my best to adjust to British jargon, but when it comes down to it, I find we share a pretty common language.

What do you think you’ll bring to the 44 party?

Other than being a huge grammar nerd, I hope to contribute a different approach in terms of cultural and linguistic perspectives. I’ll also bring in baked goods and my cheery disposition.

What are you looking forward to most in 2022?

International travel seems more and more like a possibility this year. I’m looking forward to seeing my family again and hiking in the Rocky Mountains.

Also, I plan to catch a few live comedy shows, such as the Rob Brydon, Lee Mack and David Mitchell tour!