I was so incredibly lazy today and I don't regret a second of it because after all, that was my whole plan for
the day—just take it easy and chill. I slept in and slept in long enough that
my “breakfast” was the Marriott lunch buffet. I could handle eating that buffet
as my first meal everyday. It's to bad today is my last full day in this swanky
little place. I could get use to this lifestyle.
I bought a wireless keyboard to use with my iPad since who knows when I will get another working computer. I was attempting to use it for my blog last night and it wasn’t typing or would type a few letters and then randomly stick on one, freeze or insert an entirely different letter then the one I had pushed—so after breaklunch I ran back over to the mall. Remember the Londoner from yesterday? Well I am heading up the elevator and he comes up behind me and says hello again. It was kind of startling—almost like he had a habit of waiting for girls by the escalator. So he was a little more intent on staying with me (probably since I bailed on him last night) and I didn’t feel very comfortable still but we were in a place with a lot of people and his translation was helping to speed the process of figuring out the keyboard think along so whatever. After that was figured out (luckily it was the specific program I was using it in that was the problem, not the keyboard itself so I was happy about that) and he really really wanted to go get coffee. I told him numerous times that I didn’t drink coffee and that I needed to run more errands and then go back to my hotel but he still wouldn’t leave. I was annoyed but thought whatever, as long as I stay in public places with lots of people he can’t do anything. I also decided that I wasn’t going to change my plans for him so I told him I was going to an Indian wedding dress store I wanted to explore. I did have the thought that he would be out as soon as I announced that I wanted wanted to go look at sarees, kuratas and other formal gowns decked out to the Nth degree, but he still wanted to come along so whatever.
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I held nothing back. I didn’t rush it, I took lots of pictures, etc. and to be honest we did make some pretty good conversations about some random things but I was still feeling a little uneasy. After the bridal store, he insisted that we get coffee several more times, to which I firmly said no and started to walk away. He then insisted that he drive me to my hotel which of course I also said a very firm no too as well. The weirdest thing happened though, he followed me outside the mall (I made sure we were around a bunch of people still) when a group of three younger Asian girls also came out and went to approach him. He shot them the weirdest “don’t act like you know me” look, almost angry and authoritative like so they huddled in a group a little bit away but they kept looking at me, almost sizing me up it seemed. I got an even nastier feeling when all that happened too. I have no way of knowing but if I didn’t know better I would say I was in jeopardy of being kidnapped for a prostitution/slavery ring. Unfortunately, that happens way to often here—and they target foreigners if they can because they can earn more money off them. The way everything was going down seemed to be so fine tuned, like he was scouting out by the elevators, being really insistent that I let him buy me a drink and that I get in his car with him, and it really was like he was the leader of the three young Asian girls. Obviously, I am extremely grateful for only having speculations and not knowing for sure but everything combined with my gut feelings and promptings (I don’t what else to call them) tells me that whatever his motive, it wasn’t anything good. Ashley: 1, Lurking Londoner: 0. I may look like I am 16 years old but I can hold my own if I need too—and today, with this situation, I for sure needed to.
I bought a wireless keyboard to use with my iPad since who knows when I will get another working computer. I was attempting to use it for my blog last night and it wasn’t typing or would type a few letters and then randomly stick on one, freeze or insert an entirely different letter then the one I had pushed—so after breaklunch I ran back over to the mall. Remember the Londoner from yesterday? Well I am heading up the elevator and he comes up behind me and says hello again. It was kind of startling—almost like he had a habit of waiting for girls by the escalator. So he was a little more intent on staying with me (probably since I bailed on him last night) and I didn’t feel very comfortable still but we were in a place with a lot of people and his translation was helping to speed the process of figuring out the keyboard think along so whatever. After that was figured out (luckily it was the specific program I was using it in that was the problem, not the keyboard itself so I was happy about that) and he really really wanted to go get coffee. I told him numerous times that I didn’t drink coffee and that I needed to run more errands and then go back to my hotel but he still wouldn’t leave. I was annoyed but thought whatever, as long as I stay in public places with lots of people he can’t do anything. I also decided that I wasn’t going to change my plans for him so I told him I was going to an Indian wedding dress store I wanted to explore. I did have the thought that he would be out as soon as I announced that I wanted wanted to go look at sarees, kuratas and other formal gowns decked out to the Nth degree, but he still wanted to come along so whatever.
I held nothing back. I didn’t rush it, I took lots of pictures, etc. and to be honest we did make some pretty good conversations about some random things but I was still feeling a little uneasy. After the bridal store, he insisted that we get coffee several more times, to which I firmly said no and started to walk away. He then insisted that he drive me to my hotel which of course I also said a very firm no too as well. The weirdest thing happened though, he followed me outside the mall (I made sure we were around a bunch of people still) when a group of three younger Asian girls also came out and went to approach him. He shot them the weirdest “don’t act like you know me” look, almost angry and authoritative like so they huddled in a group a little bit away but they kept looking at me, almost sizing me up it seemed. I got an even nastier feeling when all that happened too. I have no way of knowing but if I didn’t know better I would say I was in jeopardy of being kidnapped for a prostitution/slavery ring. Unfortunately, that happens way to often here—and they target foreigners if they can because they can earn more money off them. The way everything was going down seemed to be so fine tuned, like he was scouting out by the elevators, being really insistent that I let him buy me a drink and that I get in his car with him, and it really was like he was the leader of the three young Asian girls. Obviously, I am extremely grateful for only having speculations and not knowing for sure but everything combined with my gut feelings and promptings (I don’t what else to call them) tells me that whatever his motive, it wasn’t anything good. Ashley: 1, Lurking Londoner: 0. I may look like I am 16 years old but I can hold my own if I need too—and today, with this situation, I for sure needed to.
Despite that eery experience, the rest of the day was
awesome! I had made an appointment at the spa, which was INCREDIBLE, ate some
yummy food later on and spent the rest of the night relaxing in my comfy bed, reading, writing and
painting my nails. It was nice and low key, and very lovely.
