Had a similar experience on a tiny Greek island about a million years ago when I still smoked. Stopped at a little kiosk on my way to a taverna and asked the attendant for some matches.
"Smatches?" he asked, prob'ly hoping to add to his English vocab.
Tried slowing down "some. matches." and gradually speeding it up to get across the North American enunciation style. Finally nodded and smiled and just let the man have his new NA slang contraction. "S'matches" was as good as he got it.
Yeah, they crush it an' have a danged good time, too. Kid on bass is nuts! Dark amber shades and a big-ass Fender: yeah, baby! All of 'em are nuts! Wanna see 'em in a few years.