mistaken identity, again

i don't get it. i'm mistaken as from some other asian country. always. to date, i've been vietnamese, laotian, cambodian, and recently japanese. it's weird because all these people randomly come up to me in various locales and start speaking their native tongue. i wouldn't mind so much if maybe they were hot, or female for that matter, but they seem to always end up being men looking for a hot date. sorry folks but i just don't swing that way.

there was this one time where i did end up being talked up by a woman. sadly, she was severely drunk and thus unable to keep up a decent conversation without slurring or involuntarily burping up a storm. truly, not a pretty sight.

yesterday was different though. it was the first time in a long time that i could actually understand what was being said to me. it probably helped that i learned that language some time back. sure, i'm mostly rusty now, but sometimes the old brain just works and gives me a glimmer of intelligence.

i walk in to the store and the first thing that the person behind the counter says is: irasshaimase. i just nod and look around. immediately, i notice that everything is marked in japanese.

i go up to the counter and talk to the cashier. i ask: eigo wa wakarimasu ka. i get an immediate answer of hai and that's when he realizes that i'm not japanese.

sometimes, i suppose it's useful to know another language, especially if you're interested in that culture. that being said -- i've a long way to go, since i'd eventually want to learn spanish, french, italian, cantonese, and mandarin alongside my already deteriorating japanese to further my appreciation for them.