Top 10 Questions

AKA: Things I'm Asked Regularly, and the Reactions.

1. Do you have a boyfriend?
Answer: No.
Reaction: *disappointed sigh*
Who Asks: students, generally female

2. Is HE your boyfriend?
My Answer: No.
Their Reaction: *disappointed sigh*
Who Asks: students, generally female

3. How old are you?
Answer: 23 (or "22" last year).
Reaction: You're so young!
Who Asks: EVERYONE. Including students who are a decade younger than I am at least.
Reaction 2: That's my mom's age!
Who Asks: 1st and 2nd grade students.

4. Where do you come from?
Answer: America.
Reaction: Oooooh, America! (and, as of late) Obama! Yes, we can!
Who Asks: Everyone, students included.

5. What is your favorite Japanese food?
Answer: Onigiri (rice balls), umeboshi (sour, pickled plum), curry, sushi ... the list goes on.
Reaction: Whaaaaaa...? You like umeboshi?
Who Asks: Students, generally, though new acquaintances are often curious about this, too.

6. What's this ring on your right hand?
Answer: My college ring.
Reaction: General disappointment/"Do you have a boyfriend?" (Wearing a ring on the right-hand ring finger here means that you have a boyfriend, and he's serious enough to give you a ring.)
Who Asks: Students, though teachers are interested when they hear the response.

7. How long have you been in Japan?
Answer: Under 6 months / Under a year / a year / a year and a half (depending on when the question was asked).
Reaction: Did you study Japanese before you came here?
Answer 2: Not really. (I watched a lot of anime with subtitles...?)
Reaction 2: Wow, your Japanese is really good! (I think this generally means that my accent is good.)
Who Asks: New acquaintances and, surprisingly, waiters/waitresses at small restaurants and taxi drivers.

8. Are you related to *point at other foreigner* him/her? (Alternatively, "Is he/she your brother/sister/mother/father/daughter/son/... ?)
Answer: No...
Reaction: But you look so much alike!
Who Asks: Students. My teachers don't actually verbalize the question, but their eyes show they want to know the answer.

9. How are American schools different from Japanese schools?
Answer: Well, there are no cram schools, and...
Reaction: NO CRAM SCHOOLS?!
Who Asks: Adult acquaintances and teachers. And the one taxi driver that one time.

10. So really, no boyfriend?
Answer: *in my head* ...Goddammit.
Reaction: Disappointment.
Who Asks: Everyone in this nation, it seems. Why does everyone want me to be dating someone??