Help?
So. I need advice.
I live in an apartment building right next to a swanky club called "La Reunion" or something like that. Although I'm not sure why anyone would name a leisure club "The Meeting." But anyway. On and off there's a bellhop/greeter/whatever who stands at the front door doing God knows what since I've never seen him do any real work except be FRICKING CREEPY. My host sister has warned me about him, not anything major except for "He's weird." Okay, fine, I thought, he's weird, but I can just ignore him, and after all he is at work there, so he's supposed to be on good behavior and all of that. Plus I feel kind of bad for him because he's obviously not all there upstairs. I'm not sure what to think, though, because he's apparently well enough to hold down a job at a swanky club.
So. The other day I'm walking to class in the morning, I see him on duty, say to myself "Shit," and keep on walking because I have to walk past him to get to school. I try not even to make eye contact but he basically comes rushing down the stairs, takes my hand to shake it, and goes to kiss my cheek. That's fine - I was a little bit hesitant but cheek-kissing here is pretty standard when saying hello or goodbye. He asks me how I am, asks if I'm going to study, yadda yadda, then says "Whattimeareyoucomingbackwecangoforcoffee." Just like that - like I have no choice in the matter or anything. Not even like it's a question. I tell him I don't know, but that I have to go, still trying to be friendly. But then, for the goodbye kiss on the cheek, it's not like the normal just-touching-cheeks or slight peck, it's a full-on smacker right on my cheek. I was SO grossed out. I tried really hard to wait until I was out of vision to wipe off my cheek. SO invasive.
Oh but wait.
Tonight I'm walking home from class, about 7:30, being extra alert because it's dark and a girl in our group got mugged just a few blocks from her house about a week ago. I get close to the club, see that he's working, say "Shit" rather loudly, but I'm not overly worried because he's apparently chatting and smoking cigarettes with some men outside. There's a couple walking in front of me, so I walk fast so I can be right behind them and hopefully slip under the radar. I think I'm successful until I get under the awning of the front of my apartment building turn my head to get my keys out of my pocket, and he's RIGHT THERE. He'd left his "post," his buddies, and followed me down the street without saying anything. I'm sure I jumped. Then he says something along the lines of "Hi girl," ("Niña" in Spanish, which basically means "little girl" but is a common way of addressing even young women when the person speaking is around her age. Still creepy in this circumstance.) "How are you?" Something else I don't remember because I was thinking Oh my God he followed me down the street without saying anything from behind me and he's supposed to be working and now he knows for sure that I live here and oh God what if he just wears the uniform and pretends to work there to lure unsuspecting gringas into feeling bad for him and talking to him and then he shoves them into his car or onto his bicycle or whatever and oh what are they going to tell my parents... etc. etc. So I say "I really have to go," smile, and try to back up, but he leans in for the kiss on the cheek and my stomach basically implodes and I really just want to run away but I let him kiss my cheek and then I turn and go inside and he leaves.
Am I overreacting? I walked into my room and almost started bawling because I felt SO uncomfortable. It's not like he did anything to me, but I feel obligated to be courteous to him, and I do NOT want him to think that he can get away with anything. I don't even want him to be my friend. I know that's a horrid thing to say, but I don't! What do I do then? Not talk to him? I've already tried that. I think I'll ask Paola (host sis). She's a fencer, and she's pretty tough. Any other advice??
I live in an apartment building right next to a swanky club called "La Reunion" or something like that. Although I'm not sure why anyone would name a leisure club "The Meeting." But anyway. On and off there's a bellhop/greeter/whatever who stands at the front door doing God knows what since I've never seen him do any real work except be FRICKING CREEPY. My host sister has warned me about him, not anything major except for "He's weird." Okay, fine, I thought, he's weird, but I can just ignore him, and after all he is at work there, so he's supposed to be on good behavior and all of that. Plus I feel kind of bad for him because he's obviously not all there upstairs. I'm not sure what to think, though, because he's apparently well enough to hold down a job at a swanky club.
So. The other day I'm walking to class in the morning, I see him on duty, say to myself "Shit," and keep on walking because I have to walk past him to get to school. I try not even to make eye contact but he basically comes rushing down the stairs, takes my hand to shake it, and goes to kiss my cheek. That's fine - I was a little bit hesitant but cheek-kissing here is pretty standard when saying hello or goodbye. He asks me how I am, asks if I'm going to study, yadda yadda, then says "Whattimeareyoucomingbackwecangoforcoffee." Just like that - like I have no choice in the matter or anything. Not even like it's a question. I tell him I don't know, but that I have to go, still trying to be friendly. But then, for the goodbye kiss on the cheek, it's not like the normal just-touching-cheeks or slight peck, it's a full-on smacker right on my cheek. I was SO grossed out. I tried really hard to wait until I was out of vision to wipe off my cheek. SO invasive.
Oh but wait.
Tonight I'm walking home from class, about 7:30, being extra alert because it's dark and a girl in our group got mugged just a few blocks from her house about a week ago. I get close to the club, see that he's working, say "Shit" rather loudly, but I'm not overly worried because he's apparently chatting and smoking cigarettes with some men outside. There's a couple walking in front of me, so I walk fast so I can be right behind them and hopefully slip under the radar. I think I'm successful until I get under the awning of the front of my apartment building turn my head to get my keys out of my pocket, and he's RIGHT THERE. He'd left his "post," his buddies, and followed me down the street without saying anything. I'm sure I jumped. Then he says something along the lines of "Hi girl," ("Niña" in Spanish, which basically means "little girl" but is a common way of addressing even young women when the person speaking is around her age. Still creepy in this circumstance.) "How are you?" Something else I don't remember because I was thinking Oh my God he followed me down the street without saying anything from behind me and he's supposed to be working and now he knows for sure that I live here and oh God what if he just wears the uniform and pretends to work there to lure unsuspecting gringas into feeling bad for him and talking to him and then he shoves them into his car or onto his bicycle or whatever and oh what are they going to tell my parents... etc. etc. So I say "I really have to go," smile, and try to back up, but he leans in for the kiss on the cheek and my stomach basically implodes and I really just want to run away but I let him kiss my cheek and then I turn and go inside and he leaves.
Am I overreacting? I walked into my room and almost started bawling because I felt SO uncomfortable. It's not like he did anything to me, but I feel obligated to be courteous to him, and I do NOT want him to think that he can get away with anything. I don't even want him to be my friend. I know that's a horrid thing to say, but I don't! What do I do then? Not talk to him? I've already tried that. I think I'll ask Paola (host sis). She's a fencer, and she's pretty tough. Any other advice??