This time it was in an alley across from the leasing office of a fish market in Euljiro, Seoul. Not just any fish market, but specifically a market for dried fish only. Proudly self-described as the largest such market in all of Korea.
And while I was photographing points of interest as usual, a female vendor mistook me for a woman and addressed me as "mother" (it's the polite generic term for mature women). I advised her to address me as "uncle" instead. Actually, this is something that's wont to happen when I go out all bundled up in a thick form-concealing coat, complete with beanie and scarf. Must be my "soft" face.
I've actually developed the habit of pretending to be futzing with my face and covering it with my hand when entering a public restroom. This is not an exaggeration; it's happened a number of times in the past that I would pause before the mirror before exiting the restroom to make sure everything was in order, but just then a man would enter, see me and do a double-take, turn and march right back out, only to come back in after checking the sign -- giving me a funny look as he does so. This sort of thing was mildly amusing in the past (and to think that for a few years I actually sported waist-length hair... boy), but now that I'm, ahem, older it isn't so funny, it's just a source of annoyance; unfortunately it looks like this is something that probably will never be over until the day I die. And also the thing about how I "look Japanese".
Related post: A Trip Down Memory Lane
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