Quote Originally Posted by GaijinPunch
Yeah, it's usually cab drivers, and I am indeed sick of telling the same story over and over again, but I've almost never been given that "you couldn't possibly know what you're talking about" look. I do get the "Wow, your'e Japanese is great! I'm still going to butcher English in our conversation though!" bit quite often.
I didn't mean that people gave me the "you couldn't possibly know what you're talking about" look. It's more than many look genuinely surprised that after 2, 3 or 4 years in Japan I can speak Japanese at a reasonable level, read a menu in Japanese, or know where Kobe or Aomori (or any other city) are. This expression of surprise on their face always makes me feel like they first thought I was the last of the idiot.

Funny that I haven't experienced anything similar in any other country - and Japan is the 7th country where I have stayed (at least a few months) as something else than a tourist. I guess I would make less fuss if Japan was my first international experience, but it isn't and it only stresses more this peculiarity of the Japanese.