So That's New!!

Ever since I left New Zealand I've had a lot of people make wrong suggestions about where I'm from. The moment I open my mouth I'm marked as different by my accent.  Over the last couple of years it's become one of my favourite games to make people guess where I'm from. I've had precisely three correct guesses and many many wrong guesses. From the inevitable Australia or highly popular England, to the somewhat less understandable, Germany or France, and on one notably memorable occasion Jamaica! (I mean really??? What are you smoking??? Do I sound Jamaican??? Do I look Jamaican???)

Today however was a definite first!

I'm sitting on the front seat of the bus. It pulls up one stop from my home stop and another foreigner gets on. I make friendly and say "Hi." He looks at me, his expression changes to one of surprise and he says "Hi" too and goes to find a seat. Then the bus lurches off.  I get out of my seat in preparation for alighting at the next stop and end up standing next to this foreigner. He asks me "How long have you been in Korea?" "Six months," I reply. "Oh," he says looking confused, and adds, "Only that short a time, you have an Asian Aura, I thought you were Asian when I got on the bus."

I think Asian tops Jamaican on the 'Most Unlikely Place For Me To Be From' list seeing as this guy didn't even wait for me to talk before he made his assumption!!!!! All I can think of to say in his defence is that I was praying in my head  when the bus pulled up to his stop - would prayer give me an Asian Aura???