Perambulatory Perspectives

Yesterday, I walked home from a friend’s house. It took me about half an hour, and luckily for me the sun was just below the skyline and there was a slight breeze, so I was only moderately drenched in my own perspiration by the end.

As I strolled along, I entertained myself by running the following estimated tally :

52 - People who unabashedly stared at me as I passed.
12 – Complete Double-Takes.
3 – Double-Takes which involved completely turning around or swiveling the neck.
1 – Old man who nearly fell into an open manhole while staring at me.

This is understandable for a few reasons. First of all, staring is not rude in the same way as it would be at home. It’s more of an accepted form of curiosity and seems harmless enough (although any woman in a public place might disagree). Apparently Maxim magazine compiled a list of National Past Times a while back, and for Pakistan they actually listed "Staring." And it’s true, if people see something interesting they just stare at it.

And let’s face it. I’m interesting. I mean, I’m obviously a foreigner. And to be fair, I’m a pretty weird looking foreigner. I stand out in a crowd at home, let alone here. But at the same time, the stare time is increased because I have a beard and am dark featured enough to make people think that maybe, just maybe, I could be part Pakistani. And in general, people would expect someone like me to be driven around, not walking down the street alone with my zip-lock lunch container. So, in all, I’m sure I was the highlight of a bunch of folks’ day.

But that’s cool with me. I like to entertain. My ex-girlfriend was right afterall, I am a walking freak-show.