Pick Up Strategy # 1

Life has a very interesting way of toying with my day. I felt that I am going to be a mess for today - having less sleep than usual, I dragged myself out of bed, took the shower half asleep and got dressed. On my way to my usual spot where I hail my FX, a guy riding a bicycle passes and whispers a fleeting, "Hi sexy". It didn't occur to me that it would de ja vu into a bigger act by the latter part of the day.

After my first work, I headed off to my second work (yes, I have two jobs) which is roughly 30 minutes away. I had to walk some streets, ride an fx and walk again to the office. While half-hurriedly avoiding puddles, walking on the bumpy skinned road, I noticed a guy wearing a white shirt riding a bike behind me. Suspecting he's an innocent passer by, I didn't pay him any heed.

I rode the jeepney and when I looked out, was surprised that I saw the guy riding his bicycle behind, looking straight at me. He seems to be riding towards my jeepney, and I had this strange feeling of discomfort. Apparently, jeepneys have faster engines than pedal bikes so I expected to lose the guy eventually and was thankful when he was out of sight after the jeepney swerved past several other cars.I thought I was safe.

When I got off though, I saw him closing in. I rushed towards the sidewalk, but of course trying to be a little discreet about it - I don't want to be vain for the wrong idea. He was slowing down to keep with my pace, and he suddenly turned towards a vacant slot as I hurried by. I heard him call out to me "Miss, Miss" I would've ignored it had I not heard him slightly shuffling at the back, like he was really trying to follow me. I turned the corner, which is a one way road and being a pedestrian, I can counter flow, but being a biker I hoped he couldn't, but he persisted. I made a split second glance and he continued, "Pwede bang magpakilala? (Can we get acquainted?)" I didn't stop walking, made a short hand gesture said "no" and then moved on. He says, "Ah, I see" and I felt him move away.

To be honest, having a guy chase a jeepney just to get to know you sounds both bizarre and weird but at the same time quite flattering. It felt like one of those provocative love movie scenes wherein the main male character chases the female protagonist - it just doesn't seem to exist in real life - or on a regular day to day sort of thing. I totally know that the whole chase scene would've been squeal-generating on screen, and that my cold hearted rejection would be a complete anti-climax! Being singled out does make me feel exquisitely special, but something I don't want to entertain further in that sort of situation.

I've often said that my friends are all very pretty and the only reason why I was a boyfriend is because I practically chased him off the very edge of a cliff, and his only options were me and the dangerous pile of sticky bones and rocks hundreds of feet down. Being the pretty and beautiful ones, my friends have received the compliments of many staring eyes, the interest of the guys and the like, while I would sit at a corner and appear, quite frustratingly, amused at being wall-flowered. I was the smart one, and the smart ones aren't especially sought after. My boyfriend though gave me the best answer ever to this everlasting self-esteem bash - "Does it still matter now that you have me?".