>Sometimes I get weird routing through Asia if a service determines I'm better suited for that. There is apparently also a cable from PER->Europe now, where we now get less latency to EU (it's now less than US, crazy).

strangely I found the same was true for reliable video streaming from NZ to UK

instead of Auckland > Sydney > California > New York > London, the optimal path undoubtedly proved to be Auckland > Sydney > Singapore > NoMansLand > London

traversing America introduces all sorts of problems, I'm guessing due to deep packet inspection rather than distance