Im moving somewhere where there is more of an international community in my neighboorhood. I'll be surrounded by hispanics, and there is a largely Japanese shopping plaza very close to my apartment. I plan on being around the neighboorhood quite a bit for shopping, and the like.. and im wondering when is it apporpriate to speak to other people in their languages? Would I be out of bounds if i walked into the Japanese market and asked the clerk in Nihongo how much an irtem is, or if they have any more in the back, etc? I know it's a great practical application of what i've learned, but i have seen people assume that someone doesnt speak english because of their ethnicity. It happends to some close friends of mine all the time, they are congratulated on their english even though they are ABC kids. Also getting in good with the locals wouldn't be soo bad when looking for that unnofficial discount they sometimes give to familiar customers.
Soo.. Im asking .. when is it appropriate to bust out the [insert language here]?