how're you today?

How often do you ask people how they're doing?

I don't ask this question as a routine way to greet, but just because I want to know how someone's doing. But me being my usual oddball, I often find myself at a lost of words when people ask me the simplest questions:

Our cleaner showed up at 8 this morning, as she entered the study she went "How're you doing today?"
-Erm yesterday I jokingly challenged Nic to climb up a stone wall but unfortunately he accepted the challenge so I ended up banging my left knee against a protuding rock followed by landing hard on my left foot. I have been limping if you haven't noticed. Afterwards I practiced a bit too much and my left arm is now hurting like hell. This is Monday so I won't be able to get a taxi to go in for work today, which means I'll have to walk... I mean limp to work in this dreadful pollution. I'm not doing that well but there's nothing you can do about it."-
Despite all these I said "I'm tired, got up late this morning so I haven't taken Brinjal out yet, can you take her out soon?"
----
People that I barely know, and probably won't see again for the rest of my life, asks me "Where're you from?"
-If you mean where I was born then Seattle,
if you mean where I was before I came to China then Seattle,
if you mean where I'm staying now then China,
if you mean where I grew up then Taiwan and Singapore,
if you mean where my parents are from then it could be Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, or Thailand,
if you mean my ancestrial heritage then from 3 generations before we've been overseas Chinese,

if you mean the one place I identify myself with then I really haven't thought about it yet.-
"Erm, I've lived in a few places, Seattle, Taiwan, China... Singapore..."
----
"Can I have your number?"
-you can but I'm not sure I want you to have it because you're not really going to call. You're asking for it as a gesture. If you call I don't think I'll really enjoy the conversation.-
"I forget what my number is (which is really the case). Why don't you give me yours and I'll call when I'm free to hang out."