shifting nationalities

[parasitegirl]

On my way to the train tonight an older Japanese man stopped dead in his tracks and looked at me, smiling. I smiled back and he spoke. I was expecting perhaps a nervous hello  or a Japanese greeting (no "merhaba" because I was not in the restaurant) and was not expecting him so greet me the way he did, which was a very proud of himself " Buenas noches."

My latest older Amazon-book-bringing delivery man likes to greet me in French and I haven't the heart to tell him otherwise.