NO, I am not Russian.

Yesterday was a day where I defently felt like a foreigner!! Most of the time I can blend in quite well...
I was on the bus with a friend and the guy closet to us heard me speaking english, he STARED!!!! to the point where (totally out of character for me) I stopped talking to my friend and said to him "hello, do you speak english? did you want to speak to me?" It didn't help, he stared all the more. and my friend was quite shocked!
I had a redeeming experience in being a foreigner. I got on a marshuka to go home and there was no place to sit so i stood (very normal) but the lady sitting in front of me proceeded to talk to me... oh no! I politely told her I don't speak Russian. It was like she did not believe me ... so she spoke louder. I told her again and then other people around her told her as well.
Another lady on the marshuka now having heard, spoke English and invited me to squish on the seat next to her. She introduced herself and we had a great time chatting. I even got her cell phone number and I hope to meet up with her soon.


It has gotten me thinking about this whole foreigner thing. Should I try to blend in? In say an African or SE Asian country they would know instantly so perhaps I should just realx and not worry about it. At the same time, it makes life easier in some respect to blend in. In other situations it is best to be the foreigner!
Perhaps that is the way it is to be done... a little bit of both!

From Russia!