Do I Look Like I Know What Is Going On?

First of all, I think the answer should be no.  I don't really look like I know what is going on, any more than any other person. 

I want to paint you a picture of what I look like walking around this city.  I normally have my backpack, which does not have Ernst & Young or anything embroidered on it, so it looks strange.  I only have about 3 outfits I rotate around to wear to work, and none of them are a suit.  So again, I look out of sorts.  Add to this I wear my tennis shoes to walk to class.  (I walk at least 3.5k each way, to and from class.  You would wear yo sneakas too, foo.)  No female wears tennis shoes unless they are running.  Especially when they are wearing semi-dressy clothes.  Plop me down (wearing hand-me-downs and sneakers) in a city where women wear high heels all the time and everybody is lookin' super fly and classy.  Would you think I look like I know what's up?

Apparently, people think I do.  Because I get asked for directions and the location of things more often than I ever would have guessed I would have been asked.  Just today I was on my way to class, and this woman asked me if there was a metro close to where we were.  I told her it was straight ahead, about a block away.  I have been asked where the metro is, where buildings are, and things I can't even understand by people speaking neither English or Spanish.  (Some German guy started talking to me in the metro one day, and I just shook my head with a confused look on my face.  I think he got it.)

There are, of course, the crazies that come up to you and try to say crazy things and beat you up and rob you and whatnot.  I stay away from them.  Obvio po.  But why do people think I am a good candidate to give them directions in this city?!