Finally! A place where I'm cool

I was headed towards lunch at the old market in the central business district.

"Nice tie!," smiled an attractive young woman in a head-scarf.

You could have knocked me down with a feather.  If I had to make a list of strangers from whom I am likely to get an appreciative compliment, an orthodox young Muslim woman would be near bottom.

But it turned out that she wanted to sell me a credit card.  

"I'm not from Singapore," I parried.

"Where are you from?," she asked. I told her.

"No wonder your tie is so cool," she replied.