a few evenings ago, i went on a walk round santo domingo. i have regularly done this for a number of years.
i put my "walking kit" on and, as usual made sure, i was carrying no valuables of any kind.
....yeeeeaaaarrrssss ago, it would normally have been a pleasure to take a quick time out to talk to someone on the way you had never ever met.
these days, you can't help be a bit paranoid whenever someone approaches you, especially when it's just starting to get dark.
anyway....walking about....loads of dominicans also walking about, mostly coming out of work, when this bloke with a hand-bag approaches me.
i could see him cutting through others and making a bee-line towards me, and with about 5 metres between us, he says; "excuse me sir. one question."
apart from thinking "wtf!", i kept my mouth shut and kept walking my line.......only to hear delirious screams of "unpolite! unpolite!"
i resisted the temptation of turning around and saying "it's IMpolite" or anything similar. Also realised that all eyes were on me.
i have done reputations for foreigners absolutely no good whatsoever.....you probably know that most dominican people think we are all "cold" and back in our own countries we would probably leave a dying person in a street (which in my case is absolutely not true), but i cannot possibly think what he could have wanted to ask me that wouldn't have been a bit dodgy.
directions? i am 90% sure the bloke was dominican, he could have asked anyone.
english grammar? how did he know i spoke english?
timeshare? - do they still do that?
hare krishna? he had hair and was by himself.
invite back to his place? i am not gay, and don't look even the slightest camp (although that doesn't really mean anything, does it?)
it is most likely he had a harmless question, but these days it is just not worth taking the risk to find out.......... though i don't want to stop the walks just yet.
as i said, it was a few days ago, but it is still grating.
what would you have done?
stopped? or carried on your way?
i put my "walking kit" on and, as usual made sure, i was carrying no valuables of any kind.
....yeeeeaaaarrrssss ago, it would normally have been a pleasure to take a quick time out to talk to someone on the way you had never ever met.
these days, you can't help be a bit paranoid whenever someone approaches you, especially when it's just starting to get dark.
anyway....walking about....loads of dominicans also walking about, mostly coming out of work, when this bloke with a hand-bag approaches me.
i could see him cutting through others and making a bee-line towards me, and with about 5 metres between us, he says; "excuse me sir. one question."
apart from thinking "wtf!", i kept my mouth shut and kept walking my line.......only to hear delirious screams of "unpolite! unpolite!"
i resisted the temptation of turning around and saying "it's IMpolite" or anything similar. Also realised that all eyes were on me.
i have done reputations for foreigners absolutely no good whatsoever.....you probably know that most dominican people think we are all "cold" and back in our own countries we would probably leave a dying person in a street (which in my case is absolutely not true), but i cannot possibly think what he could have wanted to ask me that wouldn't have been a bit dodgy.
directions? i am 90% sure the bloke was dominican, he could have asked anyone.
english grammar? how did he know i spoke english?
timeshare? - do they still do that?
hare krishna? he had hair and was by himself.
invite back to his place? i am not gay, and don't look even the slightest camp (although that doesn't really mean anything, does it?)
it is most likely he had a harmless question, but these days it is just not worth taking the risk to find out.......... though i don't want to stop the walks just yet.
as i said, it was a few days ago, but it is still grating.
what would you have done?
stopped? or carried on your way?
