Don't talk to strangers????

These things happen to me often...

My earliest recollection was when I was working with CASE. Two Hare Khrishna monks walked in when I was near the entrance of the office, and proceeded to talk to me about vegetarianism. A few of the staff milled around looking at the books and so on. One of the monks then walked over to me, took off the string of sandalwood beads he was wearing around his neck, and handed them to me. He taught me how to use the beads, chant and all, and invited me to visit their library any time I wished.


In 2003, I travelled to Kashmir and Ladakh on my own. On the plane there, the stewardesses would drop by to chat with me. I figured they were just concerned because they were asking me if someone was meeting me at the airport and who my travel agent was in India etc. I was especially touched when one gave me her contact number and said I should call her if the agent did not meet me.

What was interesting was that throughout the journey, children would either come up to play and chat with me, or adults would try to strike up a conversation.

From time to time, such things would happen to me... from Christians telling me about Christ and inviting me to Church to parents using me to scare their recalcitrant kids. Then there was the drunk guy who insisted that I was from China and kept asking me why I wouldn't admit it.


Last year, I hopped onto a coach to Trengganu for the Kapas-Marang Swim. During the 10-hr ride there, and on the return trip, the bus captains would check on me occasionally and we'd have a short chat.

It happened to me yesterday. I was at the clinic waiting to see Dr Goh, listening to my audiobook on my iPod Touch, when this woman walked in. She was all dressed in red and looked to be in her 50s. Suddenly I realised someone was waving hands infront of my face. I turned off my iPod Touch and turned. It was the woman in red. She told me that my hair looked really soft and proceeded to tell me her life story... abusive ex-husband, divorce, kids, alimony, adulterous boyfriend... etc...

This afternoon, I was at Taka looking for artificial flowers and somehow found myself in a conversation with the salesgirls about being overweight and exercise.

I wonder if there would be another encounter tomorrow... :D