Randomly talked to by strangers

[Jericho Desu]

This isn't an everyday occurrence for me, but before I started reading my Japanese studying books on the train it never really happened at all, now from time to time (maybe 4 times a month) I get people commenting on me about Japanese, am I studying it, wow thats incredible yadda yadda yadda.

I'm not the most social guy on the planet but neither am I bad at conversations (I think) however I get really uncomfortable sometimes when this happens, its like now that the persons mentioned it what am I supposed to say? Usually its "Yeah"+smile or "Its Japanese not Chinese"+almost smile or something like that, then its like ok back to the book with this awkwardness between us remaining until either the person gets off or I get off.

I think some of the worst times is when a Chinese person asks if I studying Chinese (usually because I use a Kanji dictionary alot) I just don't want to say Japanese because it feels weird, but I say it anyway cause yeah I know its fine.

Anyway if you get talked to by strangers out of the blue how do you usually take it? Any examples? I'm especially interested to hear from woman since they must get talked to by strange guys all the time trying to hit on them and so fourth.

 

[Putrefaction]

For that same reason, I don't do it in public places, and if I do, I do it when I'm by myself or people I know. Nothing pisses me off more than the people who ask how much I know and why I'm taking it and a million other questions.

 

[Tsuyoiko]

Anyway if you get talked to by strangers out of the blue how do you usually take it? Any examples? I'm especially interested to hear from woman since they must get talked to by strange guys all the time trying to hit on them and so fourth.

When I get hit on by strange men it's kinda easy because I just flash my wedding ring. The most blatant one was a guy who just walked right up to me in the street in the middle of the day and said, "You're a beautiful lady," to which I replied, "Yeah, my husband thinks so too". He practically ran away

Since I have a "scripted" way to deal with that one it's pretty easy to handle. It's the unexpected ones that throw me, because I'm particularly bad at dealing with the unexpected. A few weeks ago I was in the supermarket and was talking to my husband about the carrots (don't ask!), when an old man just started answering me as if my husband wasn't there, in quite a rude manner. I totally lost it and had to leave the supermarket.

The weirdest one was when I was on a bus once and a couple of Middle Eastern guys started talking to me in a foreign language that I didn't even recognise. I am of Jewish descent, so I do look slightly Middle Eastern I guess, but it still seems something of a stretch for them to assume I might understand them ☝

 

[Jericho Desu]

For that same reason, I don't do it in public places, and if I do, I do it when I'm by myself or people I know. Nothing pisses me off more than the people who ask how much I know and why I'm taking it and a million other questions.

The thing is due to where I live and where my Uni is I spend at least an hour or so on the train so I just use that time for studying, in fact that's a time I rely on quite a lot for "book" studying, when I'm at home I use other methods. That's another reason I get annoyed, I'd rather spend time studying then talking.

 

[Jericho Desu]

The weirdest one was when I was on a bus once and a couple of Middle Eastern guys started talking to me in a foreign language that I didn't even recognise. I am of Jewish descent, so I do look slightly Middle Eastern I guess, but it still seems something of a stretch for them to assume I might understand them ☝

Aww man I really hate it when people assume I'm from the same place and start talking to me in some different language, I guess its a cultural thing for them, but I find it annoying.