Number 10* - because someone tried to rob me on the street today >.<
A preface first: if you look like a tourist here, people will approach you on the street and try to sell you things, like a tuk-tuk ride or cheap knockoff whatevers. Usually they're harmless and easy to brush off politely or just ignore. As I was walking back from the grocery store today I'd already run into two tuk-tuk drivers and brushed them off, so I wasn't thinking suspiciously. Big mistake. Just outside my apartment a guy approaches me and asks where I'm from. I tell him, and then he starts rambling on about it being a "lucky year" for me. I'm just about to excuse myself and walk away when his partner comes up behind me and basically frisks my back pockets for a wallet, then runs off.
From this encounter I learned: a) my reflexes really suck considering how many martial arts I've done, b) be more wary when strangers approach me - don't assume good faith, and c) I'm very, very smart to keep my wallet and all other valuables in pockets in my bag so deep it takes me two minutes to fish out what I want. Hence, nothing was stolen - just shook me up a bit.
I did however have a fun weekend, which I'll start posting installments of later today. Crossed four more things off the list - booyah.
*(Reasons 1-9, by the way, are heat, humidity, people incessantly trying to sell me things, looking obviously like a tourist, lack of fresh air, noise, lack of cheap bread, heat, and heat.)
About Me
- Casey
- I'm a junior engineering major at Dartmouth College, currently studying at the International School of Engineering at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, Thailand. Try saying that three times fast.
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God damn D:
ReplyDelete*tight hugs*
Learnings (b) and (c) make sense, but I got some doubts about (a). Like you said, you weren't thinking suspiciously and they weren't actually violent -- so you didn't start out primed, mentally, for defending yourself, and their lack of violence means that they avoided triggering defense reflexes even after directing shady activity at yo' fine self. All my martial arts experience, at least, has been in a setting where both my opponent and I are well aware of our intentions towards each other, not any situation comparable to what you had there.
In conclusion, jeez that sucks, happy that nothing got stolen and they ran off, and I'd bet your reflexes are just fine (I mean, there's a reason DnD includes a "surprise round" :p, even if the actual implementation of the round is unrealistic).
Also! Glad that the rest of the weekend was fun! :)
AWAITING FURTHER LIST-PWNING GOODNESS,
K
Agreed. You're not paranoid--at least, not paranoid enough. b) might have given you better a).
ReplyDeleteHeat and humidity? I've probably told you about 100+ heat (over 110 with humidity), and having to be outside for six hours straight for my field school but...I know what you're going through. Try not to let the weather ruin it, if at all possible.