I began to feel the same in my mid-20's after I left HK to live overseas for most of the time. It was rumored that Chinese fighter jet pilots communicate in Guanzhou Cantonese to avoid confusion. I still watch China Now (by the team of Ms.He (=Ho) & Prof. Zhang W.W. ), CanYue the sledge hammer & the "Capitan" w/ Chinese subtitle. I tried over the yrs, but too many words in putong hua have the same pronunciation whereas in Guan Chantonese the same words are very distinct.
Not a good beginning to learn from all these people who speak crappy English. Many from former colonies like India don't fare that well either.. As late as the mid-90's the upper-middle class Chinese from Singapore spoke their major language, i.e. English, w/ a wierd accent.
shame ! One of the best Guanzhou Cantonese pronunciations was heard on BBC news in 1960's HK. In NYC Ch.Town where the majority was from TaiShan county most speak crappy Cantonese. Few of the very best Guanzhou pronun. was heard in a cafe. It was spoken by an Indian man who prob. grew up/ born in HK.