where you from?

As soon as I open my mouth to say something, someone will nearly immediately ask me, "Oh, where are you from?", or worse, "Where's your accent from?", as if the voice coming from my larynx is detached from my physical body.

Normally, I'll respond simply with Canada and if that prompts further interest, which almost always does, I mention that I'm from the west coast of Canada. Sometimes, I'll meet someone who knows a bit about the geography (i.e. has visited there or hopes to emigrate there) and I usually go into further detail -- happily, I might add.

Sometimes, I forego all the small talk and immediately say that I'm from Vancouver. Although I'm originally from Victoria, I figure most people will have heard of the city that is constantly ranked in the top five places to live in the world.

Last week I was asked where I was from (let's neglect the fact that I was asked by the nice girl cutting my hair). And when I answered, "Vancouver", she replied, "Vancouver, where's that?".