got a trench for the first time!

I'm so used to being mistaken as a local that sometimes I just play along. I get a kick out of seeing their reaction when they realise I'm actually Malaysian.

It's not so much because I speak so fluently that I can pass off as a native, but apparently due to my appearance. However, I'm sure there are times where they must think this Japanese grrl is just trying to show off her English, or being rude because she speaks on the phone in the train, or not having the manners due to eating while walking on the road.

There are times where being a foreigner gets you away with things, just as there are times where it's nice to blend in and not be noticed.

Just last weekend as I was walking past the Sannomiya station with my Swedish colleague, we bumped into one of the HR managers and his son who were just coming out of the exit. I had to made the effort to wave and smile at him though the encounter was a brief one.

Later I commented to Stefanski that if I was walking alone, no one would have seen me there. It's not that I had anything against the manager, but would be nice to just chill out and be part of the wallpaper... ne!