Today the Ateneo College Glee Club (ACGC) of which I am a member (visit us at www.ateneogleeclub.org) had its first major Christmas concert of the year at Glorietta 1's activity center. I think it went splendidly--despite our last performance of Pobreng Alindahaw with choreo being decades ago and despite the lackluster audience reception--and before long we were taking our bows and descending by the side of the stage. Because of my position at the end of the semi-circle, I was one of the first to get off the stage, and to my utter surprise right there waiting was a strange Chinese-looking man who looked about oh, a hundred years old (okay fine, maybe 30 something).
The first thing he did was to shake my hand and kiss me on the cheek (getting freaked out here--like, do I know you??) and introduce himself as Richard. Okaaay, so what did he want? Well at first he was kinda just stuttering so I thought he was one of those people who couldn't speak properly (he was slouching too), or maybe he couldn't speak English very well... So I asked if he wanted the Glee Club to sing for him or something. He managed to get out that he "wanted to know more about the Glee Club", so I pulled Lester-- being EVP and all--forward to talk to him instead. Being in a state of bewilderment, I even asked Guita if she knew what our web address was, hoping that means of contact would be enough for "Richard" and he'd leave me alone. Well, no such luck. Because you know what? He wasn't paying the slightest attention to either Lester or Guita. In fact, he kept looking straight at me.
He started asking a series of questions, including some version of "where are you from?". See, that was really vague, and at first I (and the other acgc people around me) were saying Katipunan or Quezon City. For some reason, he kept asking if we were from Makati. Eventually I tried the "where was I from" variant and said San Juan...which, all things considered, might not have been such a smart thing to say, but at least I didn't say Greenhills. He also asked what my course was and I started to say Computer Technology but had the presence of mind to blurt out Communications Technology Management instead (even though it's doubtful he'd have any idea what it is). And then, he also asked for my number. I was completely "Oh my God...", and I don't know what possessed me to give it out. Maybe he asked for it earlier on in the conversation when his level of freakiness hadn't skyrocketed yet, maybe I was in such disbelief it was happening, or maybe it's just hard for me to purposefully give out misinformation about myself...I don't really know. I was still half hoping he'd wanted to hire us to sing for a party or something, but mostly I felt that he was verging on stalker.
And THEN... he asked for my autograph. My autograph! What the heck, did I just hear right?? He fumbled through his black wallet and took out a calling card. I asked if it was his and he said no, flipping it instead, handing me a pen, and repeating his request for an autograph. Okaaaaay, fine...I felt like he was going to scan my signature and use it to forge some documents or my identity or something. And then he asked, "Do you have a dedication for me?" Oh.my.God. Ano baaaa... But I went ahead and wrote the only thing I could think of: "thanks for watching!"
He suggested that we could be textmates (uh, not in this life), and gave me his number too. I said I'd just memorize it (as if I could or even would), but nooo, he told me to go get my phone so I could save it there. Now, I think it's called appeasement when you do or acquiesce to everything someone's suggesting just so that he might eventually leave you alone, and appeasement is something my personality just happens to be fraught with, so I just kept (hopefully charmingly) forcibly smiling whilst repeatedly saying, "okay".
And THEN, he very happily suggested that we take a picture. I'm like, with what camera?? And regrettably, he wasn't so daft as to not realize my phone was equipped with one, so FINE, not to be rude, I asked Issa to take a picture. She was giving me these weirded-out faces, and because I despreately tried to keep from guffawing out loud, I ended up trembling all over. Unfortunately he had his arm around my shoulders then so I'm sure he felt it, as evidenced by his asking afterwards if I was okay. And I said, but of COURSE I was! Why wouldn't I be? *GRIN*
And finally, finally! I was able to blurt out goodbye and a "nice meeting you" (that's me on polite autopilot), with which again he shook my hand and kissed me on the cheek (grimaced when he wasn't looking). And then I ran over to where Jeco was leaning on the railing, hugged him hello, and promptly wailed that that man was uber duper FREAKINESS! He agreed but said it was totally normal, that it happened before during their time, with Mira and Aira and everything. Apparently they had a signal, so if it ever got to the point of being uncomfortable, the girls just had to make that signal and some of the guys would transform into shining knights in armor and whisk them away inside. Well in my case there wasn't actually an "inside" to be whisked off to, but anyway.
I was in the midst of recounting what happened to Lari and Issa who were really curious about it, when suddenly Richard appeared again, holding a glass of pink juice and offering an identical one to me. He's STILL there?? Okay, thank you, can you please go away now. I accepted it and sort of went further into where the rest of the choir was still gathered because it gave me a physical and psychological feeling of security. Someone told me, maybe teasingly, not to drink the juice because it might have drugs or something, and while I don't actually think it did, you never know with the freaky people of the world...
I felt so unnerved the rest of the evening while eating and hanging around waiting for my ride home. Actually, I wanted to head home immediately and even joked to ma'am that I wanted to be moved further inside the semi-circle so next time I wouldn't be prone to such unwanted advances.. I remember when we were buying a camera in Singapore just a few weeks ago and out of nowhere this also oldish guy beside me suddenly asks if we're from the Philippines, how long and where we were staying, proceeds to offer his touring services, etc.etc. What am I, a freaky-people-magnet?? It's so unfair.
It was, on some obscure, not exactly significant level, somewhat vaguely flattering to have had that (horrendous) encounter earlier at Glorietta, but what I don't understand is why the only guys who're ever attracted to me are the absolutely completely wrong types. Hay, life! I might have to wait forever and a day for a half-decent guy to coming knocking at my door...
Trivia of the entry: Did you know, there is no such word as "freaky" in the dictionary? Well, not yet anyway...
