Elderly magnet

How's everyone doing? Does anybody read this blog anymore?
Just give me a holler if you do.

So, the past two years (yes, it's almost two years since I've been here fellas) ever since I've lived in Brisbane, I found something very odd about myself. I would have never known it if it wasn't so obvious, but now it's so glaringly present that I can't ignore it anymore.
Strangers (presumably above the age of 40) love to approach me.
Perhaps love isn't the correct term.
But the chances of me being approached by someone and then continue to have a conversation is pretty... well it happens more often than you'd think. Maybe once a month (probably less though hahaha I'm exaggerating)? It's strange.

Incident #1
I was squealing at the cute ducklings that were hiding under their mother. A woman passed by me. She walked pretty far but then she walked back and started to talk to me about ducks. I didn't even look at her or attempt to make conversation before that. She walked back to me on her own will.

Incident #2
I was sitting alone, studying in my favourite corner. I don't really like studying at the library.
I like to head to this building, where there's these large windows and then there's seating next to the windows. I'm drawn to this place ever since my first year. I eat here, I wait for my classes here... now I study here. There's not even a proper table. I just...I just like it here - I mean, there.
So anyway, I'm studying, of course I'm fully focused but then one of the classes were having a break and I accidentally looked up. My eyes met a man's (not in a creepy way, guys. Not everything is creepy.) but I glanced back down to continue reading.
The guy came up to me and struck up a conversation.
He's old by the way... I think he's 40 years old. He can't speak English very fluently but he can understand and read...but really slowly. Then he went on to tell me he was attending a seminar on marine life (I think that's what he said) and that he just came two days ago from China.
Great.
Then he wondered why my English was so good if I'm not local (which is a question I often. I bet other fluent Bruneians get it too.). I told him that we grew up speaking both languages. It's not my native language but I still grew up using it that it's more natural to have it in my vocabulary than not.
He then told me why native Chinese have poor english speaking skills despite being very educated.
They don't speak it. At all.
I also remembered that Chinese really restrict their media. Everything is under scrutiny and goes under evaluation before being screened. They try to keep their media sourced locally as much as they can...which would explain the lack of exposure to the language as well.

Incident #3
So this one, I approached her.
While I was studying at this playground (I was so stressed, I tried to look for new locations to study), many people were heading to this tree and eating the fruit of it. I happened to not know what they were eating, even when I went up close. So the very next day, an elderly woman went to the tree and started plucking things.
I very bravely asked her what was she eating.
She was eating mulberries.
Then she plucked one for me, and we got a conversation going. She even brought me back to her workplace nearby, Toowong Rowing Club - just literally next to the playground - and showed me around. She even showed me pictures of events that happened there as well as stories about...her alcohol tolerance :'D I tried to look like I understood her when she was talking about drinking cos she threw in so many brand names LOL and assumed I knew which one made people drunk the fastest. But whatever. It was a really good talk. And she even admitted that she was a bitch and started backstabbing people hahaha honestly, she was one funny Australian. She looked really old but acted really young.

Incident #4
On a road trip to Toowoomba, I went up this street to find a parking...which led to a f*cking dead end!!!!! Then I had to awkwardly reverse right back to leave cos the street was so small, I couldn't even turn.
Then this elderly man came and smiled. I rolled down my window because it was obvious he wanted to talk to me. He asked me what I was doing and I kindly replied that, "I'm just reversing out. I need to find a parking."
He nods in understanding and left.
Then he came around to my window again and offered his parking!!!!!!!!!!!!
BY THE WAY, that's an act of kindness that was completely unnecessary and one of the reasons why I love Brisbane. I keep falling for the kindness that people portray here.

Incident #5
I was on a river cruise, wuuhuuuu. I wanted to take a picture of the houses by the river so I left my table and just started taking pictures.
Then a lady beside me started telling me about how amazing the houses are and how glad she was that some of the houses stayed true to the Queenslander style.
And she introduced me to her mother and we started talking about...well, anything.

Then you also have my neighbour - she's 80/90+ years old Australian who speaks indonesian because she lived in Indonesia when she was still married.
Yeah guys. What are the chances that I live next to a Malay speaking Australian?
Honestly, who am I kidding.
The first Australian friend I made spoke Indonesian too LOL what are the chances right?

Any input though, why do you think I'm getting approached by people? Do I look that friendly? I swear I don't look at these people faces - they come to me. But what's good is it has given me tons of opportunities to talk to strangers and deal with them. It's pretty amazing cos I've built up my confidence significantly with these encounters.