It happened again to me yesterday.
My sis jokes about it here and there again, and although I find myself able to laugh about it now, there were seriously times when these occurrences were really reason for good concern.
You see, all my life, I've been quite the magnet for weird strangers.
Like when that abnormal fella stared and smiled at me in a daze at an intersection when I was just 10 years old. He proceeded to follow me through 2 stories of a department store, and even sprinting into an all-out chase through the streets of Causeway Bay when I realized what was going on and started to bolt.
I also remember that silly perfectionist of a hairstylist, who was just not quite happy with my "blowdry" and proceeded to follow me to the medical office where I headed next, with his brush and mirror in tow, to continue fixing my hair this way and that way. If that was not enough, even when I was called and stood up, he too stood and walked with me, combing and brushing away, until he was asked to stop it right there.
Ah, of course, there was the time when this homeless gentleman followed me to the door of my dorm in college and pulled a switchknife on me. He wasn't trying to harm me he said, but just wanted to show me his knife (????). Thank goodness for those strong male coeds who lived on my floor.
And what about the psychotic street person who hid beside my car after I'd parked and waited to "boo" me and take a swing at me?
These, if you can believe it, are just a very very small smattering of special "incidents" in my life.
Interestingly, I've always thought that I have lived a guarded and sheltered life. I don't necessarily hang out at any "high-risk" locales and it's not like I stay out till the wee hours of the night or am. Living in and roaming the streets of the big cities all my life, I learned early on what "defensive posture" is and am a master at avoiding eye contact when I want to. Somehow, these "unbalanced" strangers just find their way to me, naturally.
[OK, don't you go saying things such as "Like attracts like" - I'll seriously get mad! :) ]
Sometimes, I wonder, if these are truly life's random occurences, or whether there is something about me that says "P-R-E-Y" on my forehead? After all, I am short and petite....
But anyway I am most grateful and blessed that each of these trials of life have left me unscathed.
So, nowadays, it's as automatic as any reflex. When I see anyone suspicious approach me, I look or walk the other way. In the streets, I have been long trained not to converse anymore with strangers who approach me first. Sometimes, even when an innocent looking person stops me for the time, I'll instinctively take a step back, jaws will harden and body stiffening without my conscious commands.
Anyway, what brought back all these memories? Last Sunday, while I was browsing in the supermarket aisles, (haha, incidentally concentrating over the assortment of confectionary), this dude came out of nowhere and tapped on my back. Ooohhhh, you are so asking for it, I was thinking at that moment. I spun around and glared at this shorter male with flowy light brown hair who was already talking away at me. Honestly not the most clean-cut and approachable person, but this time, I don't know why I didn't run. Guess I was eager to answer his questions about movies and express my viewpoints.
My reward for not behaving like a cold, metropolitan jerk? Tickets to a preview screening of "Running with scissors" this week. (yes, based on that phenomenal (70 week-on-NY Times bestseller list) autobiographical novel by Augusten Burroughs about the mad, disfunctional and oft-dark and twisted stories of his upbringing).
Is there a moral to this story? I dunno.
Is there a point to this? Dunno either.
I have always wanted to get these thoughts out. And was plain thrilled at life's unexpected turn of events this one time. I do hope this marks the end of my nasty spell.
Oh, did I tell you who was starring in this movie?
Not too shabby....
Gwyneth Paltrow, Joseph Fiennes, Brian Cox, Alec Baldwin....
AND
Annette Bening! (she plays the psychotic/bipolar mother.)
Always gotta find my way back to the center of my universe, don't I?
Wonder if YJ has time for a movie date? haha
Trailer link for this movie:
http://www.cinema.com/film/9477/running-with-scissors/trailers.phtml
4 comments:
mishio, I cant get the picture of you being chased by a hairstylist with a brush and a mirror out of my head ~lol~ Some people might have wondered if you are a celebrity.
I've been stalked once in a mall and it can really be frightening. Lesson learned? I ditched the blouse I wore that day, too much cleavage, hahaha....
Hey Mishio
Like Marissa, I was trying to figure out why the hairstylist is following you around with a brush too, kekeke. Are you like she said a celebrity? Not likely cos you mentioned about having to meet clients too previous. Heee still trying to figure out what you do for a living. I had never had such experience so it's quite amazing that it happens to you repeatedly. My thought was, either you look vulnerable or you look cute. Hey when are you going to post your pic?? Curiosity is killing the cat...
yea... here's another cat being killed by curiosity... c'mon, mishio :p
Hahaha marissa -
yeah - better part with shirts like that around leery male mall rats. Although too bad I don't have the ability to show any such attributes even to the right guys!
Aiyo - joyce and bb:
I never imagined that you would think that when I wrote this. Too bad to disappoint you but no, no, no I am the most ordinary person on the face of this universe. Typical Hokkien wide faced and short asian gal. Believe me, if I thought I were a beauty, the picture would already be up, like daily! :)
It's just that my job is stuffy and conservative and the circle is very closed, so I don't wish to endanger my credibility by pasting me-self on the net. I should've mentioned that I was only 14 when the weird hair guy followed me around. (Too young and immature to tell him off!) Think of it this way: my face just would not let him achieve the perfection he was seeking - that, I think, was the real reason he felt that his job was "incomplete." And he was 90%loony , I'm sure.
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