Okay… One final, pretty funny, story from Malaysia…
During the Chinese New Year, my team and I went to watch a traditional Chinese dance at a mall under the Petronas Twin Towers in the middle of the day. It was in an open area of the mall that had at least seven or eight storíes of balconies overlooking the area. There were maybe a couple hundred people watching.
My team and I went close to the front of the stage in the central area on the ground floor of this mall. The Chinese god of prosperity had just finished his act, and the dancers were setting up the stage for their performance. We were so excited to see the dance!
A couple minutes before it began, a man who did not speak English tapped me on the shoulder and signaled with his phone that he wanted to take a photo… with me. To this day, I’m still not sure why. Nevertheless, I agreed and smiled for the photo.
His friend, who took the photo, quickly traded places with him to get a photo with me as well. Then, their “third friend?“ got in line to take a photo with me.
And… I kid you not… within seconds, 20-30 men crowded around me in a line of sorts, fighting to take photos with me.
Now, a couple of them dragged a few of my teammates into their photos as well… but for some reason, I was their point of interest.
Do I look like someone famous they know? Did they just want photos with someone from the Western world, and I was just the person to say yes? Did they think I was particularly beautiful for some reason? Did they think I was somehow part of the performance?
I have absolutely no idea. But what an experience!
I definitely was a little uncomfortable, and made the photos stop the moment the dancers took the stage, but it is honestly such a funny memory to look back on.
And… the best part?
This has happened a few more times since then: in a bar in Malaysia, at Siam Niramit in Thailand, at Angkor Wat in Cambodia, while kayaking in Halong Bay in Vietnam… I still have no idea why I am targeted for photo sessions… but honestly, it truly is pretty fun. And I really don’t mind it. At the end of the day, it is a pretty great (though strange) way to meet people.
What a crazy awesome world we live in.
