Horrible, sociopathic Tourist assults innocent local lady, film at 11!

So I debated back and forth about writing this entry, since it seems to be like "gosh I wish I had your problems, beey-otch!" but, there is the idea that I would share what's it's *really* like over here...so...

I went on a ill fated expedition to Manila this weekend, to try to get my passport renewed (something I should have really done before I left before I left the US, but whatevs, I'm here now), and it was in the words of one author "a total shit show".

First I made the ill considered decision to bring the guy I've been seeing, who is about a helpful as a limp carrot trying to pick a lock. I won't go into major details here, but basically, it was like bringing a four year old with me. It was totally draining. It wasn't just the language barrier, this guy has no ambition and almost nothing going on upstairs- he was content to lay in bed for 15 hours watching cartoons and/ or working out at the gym.

As much as I try, I am not a man. I need more than a pretty face and a willing body and eternal devotion to make a relationship.
Anyway, that relationship is toast, I just have to pull the plug, which will be soon, I just need to recover from my "orday-tion" (a vacation that was really an ordeal).

SO this is what really ruined my vacation for me (besides the fact it rained the ENTIRE TIME I was there, the place was PACKED with people (where they came from I don't know.).

Here's the facts: the movie theatre in the Mall is on the fourth floor. To reach the forth floor you have to ride four escalators. Another *extremely* pertinent fact is that here in Asia THOUSANDS of people have bumped into me without any apology what so ever. So that's what you need to know.

So right before I got on the second floor escalator, there was an old bag who looked like trouble to me. I thought to myself "I'm going to have to shove this old bag ahead of me out of the way."

I'm not sure how this works, but it's gotten a LOT stronger since I've gotten older and I've been here but some people just SCREAM "trouble" with their body.

It's partially the way they dress (there's a taxi driver I see here that wears combat boots and a variety of hats who gives me the willies and I refuse to ride with, even if he's "next" in line. I've actually said "I won't go with him" to the "taxi porter", prompting this creepy driver to yell at me: "What's WRONG with you???!!" Uh, that. What you just did, asshole. That's what's "wrong" with me. I have strong self protective instincts.

It's partially the way they carry themselves, it's the look on their face, I swear it's in the way some people "smell". Some people are MASSIVE TROUBLE and you should REALLY stay away. Anyhow, you can see where this is going.

Foolishly, because there was a big, jostling crowd, I got on the escalator right behind her. Because I'm socially aware and I give a shit about not creating trouble in public. There must be a delirious, delightful freedom in being a lumpy old troll who has lost all sense of perspective and mores. Anyway, back to the story....

And sure enough THIS OLD BAG of TROUBLE gets off and immediately stops at the head of the escalator, completely blocking the exit, and moving so slow that snails and turtles are blowing by her. Here's my defense, such as it: She was a legitimate safety risk. Now I know she's probably got health issues. But hon, there's HUGE signs all over the mall for "priority" elevators and escalators just for "challenged" old bags like yourself. Avail yourself of them and GIVE THE REST OF US A BREAK.

Anyway, I put my hand on her back VERY LIGHTLY to signal her "hey, OLD BAG there's people behind you, you may have noticed, the mall is FUCKING PACKED".

She flipped out, screaming "You don't push people! Don't push." I ignored her, which was also a mistake because this fucking wingnut followed me screaming at me up two more escalators and came up behind me and pushed me hard enough to dislodge my balance and kept on screaming insults.

At this point it's a major scene. I told her "This is a misunderstanding. You're mistaken, and I think you should drop it." Over my DEAD BODY was I going to apologize. She managed to produce some OLD BAG 2 from somewhere who was also yelling. "Who do you think you are? You come to this country, you think you can do whatever you want."

At this point, I made a conscious decision to hang her. I put on my most innocent face and I appealed to the guard who had very reluctantly strolled over "I really don't know what she's talking about sir. This is all a big misunderstanding. I'm not sure why she's so upset." It significantly helped that these women were going apeshit and I was calm and collected. That's right, old bags. Go nuts. Ha. Ha. Ha. All the times I watched people respond to baiting like this I promised myself "I will NEVER take the bait when it comes to my turn." Working with children also helped. Also there is an unpleasantly sadistic side (very small side!!) of my personality that sort of relishes watching people go ass over teakettle crazy while I act like I have "no idea" why they're so upset. Heh. I put it to go use here.

It worked, he waved them off disgustedly (while they were still screaming insults. Classy.) and I shrugged.

But I was very shaken up. This is the bottom line: I see white men acting like complete buffoons and assholes here every day, but I never see them getting yelled at. It's me. Because I'm a woman, I'm expected to by "the Angel in the House" or I will be "punished" socially for trying to assert myself. A TRUE Filipina (or so the ideal goes) (and this is really my experience) would have let herself just get sucked into the guts of the escalator without even making a peep for fear of "insulting" the old bag. Well FUCK THAT.

For some reason, the older women here (over 35, basically) REALLY seem to hate my guts. The least I get is hard, hateful stares as I walk by. The worst is the aforementioned bullshit. I don't know if maybe once women get married and have their kids they "let go" and instead of getting fat (although they do that too, just FYI those of you that dream of dating a perfect little china doll) they drop the sweet little pootums act and become the diabala we all knew was inside.

At any rate, because I'm a white woman, I have to act like a perfect representative of not only my race but women as well- deferentially apologizing to old bags who lose their shit after being gently nudged out of the way for SAFETY REASONS. It wasn't for nothing that I was born in the US. Ugly American, here we come! Actually, that lies at the heart of why I'm so upset, which I'll address later: I have tried really hard to NOT be a grabby, gross, loud, horrible tourist type.

I've been stared at, bumped, yelled at, cut in line, laughed at, you name it. I have never ONCE responded to any of it. I am also not a tourist exploiting the "natural resource" of 18 year old women, I'm here to HELP local people get better at their job and therefore gain more chances to better their lives. I live here. I have the same, if not more, concern about the environment and public policies as that old bag who gets her jollies feeling self righteous over "horrible tourists".

You're in Manila, old bag. It's crowded, and it's full of white people. Some of them may do things that you don't like. So you have to do WHAT I DO EVERY DAY OF MY LIFE and shrug it off instead of embarrassing yourself with a gigantic, nutso scene.

Ugh.