this time really should be spent studying japanese
sometimes i'd encounter (pretty random and interesting strangers at bus stops...) and those encounters can really brighten the day for me.
but then there are also the not so cool ones...
two days ago i was on my way to wamu, and heard a guy yelling out "hey, miss, you speak mandarin mah?" in chinese. i turned around, saw a man wearing a light grey/blue suit and he had the look of desperation in his eyes. a sense of familarity suddenly came over me, and then i remembered. this exact man had approached me near shattuck bart more than two years ago.
back then he was wearing a slightly darker suit and played the role of the business man who was w/o money for a plane ticket. forgot his exact words, but he had a plausible story and also played the role pretty well that my eyes and ears believed him. he also tried to evoke sympathy in me by speaking to me in chinese and in chinese only. he looked like an unlucky taiwanese business man and he talked liked one. but there are minor things that didn't feel right, and i decided to go with those instincts.
this time, after i realized who he was, i just smiled at him and chuckled, then shook my head and walked away. must say tho, i'm a bit surprised that he actually lasted this long.
i believe in our brains' power to thin-slice, even more so now than ever. maybe it's more applicable for sensitive and experienced ppl than for others, but still, signals are being picked up all the time, and it's best not to ignore them. lies can usually be detected and true intentions identified, unless...i find myself desperately wanting to believe the speaker, then oh boy it's a whole 'nother matter, hehe.
but then there are also the not so cool ones...
two days ago i was on my way to wamu, and heard a guy yelling out "hey, miss, you speak mandarin mah?" in chinese. i turned around, saw a man wearing a light grey/blue suit and he had the look of desperation in his eyes. a sense of familarity suddenly came over me, and then i remembered. this exact man had approached me near shattuck bart more than two years ago.
back then he was wearing a slightly darker suit and played the role of the business man who was w/o money for a plane ticket. forgot his exact words, but he had a plausible story and also played the role pretty well that my eyes and ears believed him. he also tried to evoke sympathy in me by speaking to me in chinese and in chinese only. he looked like an unlucky taiwanese business man and he talked liked one. but there are minor things that didn't feel right, and i decided to go with those instincts.
this time, after i realized who he was, i just smiled at him and chuckled, then shook my head and walked away. must say tho, i'm a bit surprised that he actually lasted this long.
i believe in our brains' power to thin-slice, even more so now than ever. maybe it's more applicable for sensitive and experienced ppl than for others, but still, signals are being picked up all the time, and it's best not to ignore them. lies can usually be detected and true intentions identified, unless...i find myself desperately wanting to believe the speaker, then oh boy it's a whole 'nother matter, hehe.