"MOST people whose accents shift around are a bit sheepish when they realise it, or talk about it. Tourists who visit other countries find themselves mimicking the local rhythm or a few sounds, and when they see they're doing it, get embarrassed. (It's so common that they really shouldn't be.) ...."

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http://www.economist.com/blogs/johnson/2011/04/accent&fsrc=nwl

Johnson - a blog, named after the dictionary-maker Samuel Johnson, where the correspondents of "The Economist" write about the effects that the use (and sometimes abuse) of language have on politics, society and culture around the world.