Physical metadata (or advertising language capabilities)

I don't disresemble the Swedes - my Danish ancestry (and a likely history of Viking raid-enabled intermarriage) at work. Consequently, it's not unreasonable for a Swede (e.g. a waitress, etc), on assessing my ability to speak their language when they first size me up, to err on the positive side.

In Sweden my actual language abilities do not match my advertised abilities, as expressed by my physical metadata.

This is not the case in Japan. There, my appearance (facial and otherwise) advertises a probable inability to speak Nihongo - which (except for an a freakish skill at asking where Ibiya Street is), is correct.

In Japan, my actual language abilities match my advertised abilities, as expressed by my physical metadata.