people are sick

on thursday i took the train to go meet my parents at the newark airport, we were going to go to my grandmother's house together.

before that all happened i was standing in penn station trying to figure out how the hell to find my terminal for the train since it pops up about 2 seconds before the train leaves. i felt a tap on my shoulder and standing in front of me was a little asian guy with a really desperate look on his face. he asked me why i didn't respond to him for the last 2 minutes, i said i was listening to music and didn't hear him, and he said he thought i was a banana.

so we start speaking mandarin, i was really happy to practice a little bit since the only people who really ever speak it to me are Novi and Isaac, neither one being chinese... well Isaac goes out with enough Chinese girls I guess he could in fact be part of the exclusive club. Anyways, so after making fun of me for not being able to speak Taiwanese, he gets into his story about how his friend told him to get on this bus and go visit in Boston and how he is returning to Malaysia soon. And he at first said he needed $10 and I thought, what the hell, it's Thanksgiving. I only have a $20 so I ask him if he has change and he obviously had a couple bucks because he flashed them in my face when he first came up to me. The entire time, I'm thinking, "make sure he doesn't steal your wallet, be prepared to run after him and tackle him, watch his eyes, make sure he doesn't steal your bag or ipod." So I fish out some money and he starts hopping up and down with an even more pitiful look. what the crap.

He points to a circled dollar amount $28. ticket to boston. I think I rounded up about $26 for him and he was very happy and wanted to get my address to mail me the money back and my phone number to take me out to dinner because he works at a restaurant. I just wanted to get on my train so I jotted down some info and we parted ways. Thinking back about it, about 5 minutes afterwards, why the hell did I give him my contact information.... The guy obviously wasn't going to pay me back or take me out to dinner, for an entire minute, i was thinking about free dinner and being a part of some shady underground asian mafia that I gave him money and my info. stupid.

I talked to my mom about it when I met my family at the Avis car rental place. 10 years ago, I was 10, same station, same short Chinese guy, my mom and dad gave him $30. Apparently he is well known and bounces between Penn Station and grand central. It was Thanksgiving, I actually felt bad for the guy. I really can't understand how someone can have 0 moral regard and go around with this story, pegging Chinese people for money on some fake sob story. He seemed so nice... how does he sleep at night, that was about a few days worth of good eating for me, I hope he needed that money. If I ever see him again I am going to get my money back, shake him upside down for his lunch money and put him in a trashcan highschool style. I'm such a sucker for down and out people. and they know it.