The train ride
People generally are very curious about foreigners but they always respect each other's personal space.I had never had my personal space invaded into on trains before and this maiden experience toughen me up.
Getting onto the train from Odessa bound for Chernitvsi , it was about 3pm in the afternoon.Drowsy and exhausted , i was busy typing my thoughts into my laptop and dozing off.
There was a man in his early 30ties sleeping in the bunk across from mine.A girl in her 20ties sleeping on the bunk on top of his.Nobody spoke and there was silence between us.Everyone else in the wagon was going about their own business.Knitting,talking to random strangers about their life and so on.I was just another tongue tied "Vietnamese" student to them.
Perhaps I slept too much.But i jolted up at 1am in the morning , I had felt a finger poking me at a not so appropriate area.But when i looked around, there was no hand or anyone in sight.I went back to sleep.A few moments later , it happened again.I jolted up .Что??? The wagon was pitch dark and everyone was sleeping.Except for that hand that disappeared.It wasn't funny to have random things touching you in the middle of the night on the train.
I flipped ,lying on my side , this time, the finger came from the back.I pushed it away quickly.Realizing that he was caught, the man leaned over and whispered ,"Are you sleeping? Oh i'm sorry.i didn't know that you were sleeping."A few minutes later,he leaned over again and said loudly," I wanted to warn you to sleep the other way, you will catch a cold if your head is next to the window".I told him that it is ok.I want to sleep with my head next to the window.A rotten cover up for him.But I think he passed out on his bed and went to sleep.I was not harressed anymore that night.
Thank goodness I knew enough russian to understand what he was saying or I would have totally freaked out.
A friendly sailor sleeping a few bunks away came by in the morning and started talking to me.He knew a little english and has even been to Singapore.So we started talking about Singapore and what i was doing in the Ukraine.The molestor joined in the conversation too.Sailor made it a point to speak to me only in English and the leacherous men didn't not understand anything that we spoke about.
They were all surprised to find out that I was travelling alone and heading to ...of all places....Chernitvsi.And even more surprised to find out that I had a friend there.( Is couchsurfing counted? :) ) Sailor gave me his contact and bade me farewell when the train arrived at his stop.It is a pity that I have lost his number and name after my bag (with my notebook ) was stolen in Malaysia after my trip.
The girl sleeping on the top bunk came down after then men left and we started talking.She studied german and english in her university and is working as a translator.And she is coming to Chernitvsi to visit her boyfriend,so she was hurriedly putting on makeup ,nice clothes and high heels.She smiled.For her boyfriend,she has to look pretty.
As we got off the train , I saw her boyfriend come up to her and they were wrapped in a sweet embrace.Before they left , she turned around smiled and waved at me.
I smiled back,with my heavy 17kg backpack on my back , I trotted out of the station to look for the bus to my host's place.It was drizzling.How I wish that I had boyfriends who will pick me up at the station of every city that I visit.But if i have to look pretty all the time for men and wear killer heels, perhaps it's just easier to carry that 17kg backpack on my back and just find my way around on my own!
People generally are very curious about foreigners but they always respect each other's personal space.I had never had my personal space invaded into on trains before and this maiden experience toughen me up.
Getting onto the train from Odessa bound for Chernitvsi , it was about 3pm in the afternoon.Drowsy and exhausted , i was busy typing my thoughts into my laptop and dozing off.
There was a man in his early 30ties sleeping in the bunk across from mine.A girl in her 20ties sleeping on the bunk on top of his.Nobody spoke and there was silence between us.Everyone else in the wagon was going about their own business.Knitting,talking to random strangers about their life and so on.I was just another tongue tied "Vietnamese" student to them.
Perhaps I slept too much.But i jolted up at 1am in the morning , I had felt a finger poking me at a not so appropriate area.But when i looked around, there was no hand or anyone in sight.I went back to sleep.A few moments later , it happened again.I jolted up .Что??? The wagon was pitch dark and everyone was sleeping.Except for that hand that disappeared.It wasn't funny to have random things touching you in the middle of the night on the train.
I flipped ,lying on my side , this time, the finger came from the back.I pushed it away quickly.Realizing that he was caught, the man leaned over and whispered ,"Are you sleeping? Oh i'm sorry.i didn't know that you were sleeping."A few minutes later,he leaned over again and said loudly," I wanted to warn you to sleep the other way, you will catch a cold if your head is next to the window".I told him that it is ok.I want to sleep with my head next to the window.A rotten cover up for him.But I think he passed out on his bed and went to sleep.I was not harressed anymore that night.
Thank goodness I knew enough russian to understand what he was saying or I would have totally freaked out.
A friendly sailor sleeping a few bunks away came by in the morning and started talking to me.He knew a little english and has even been to Singapore.So we started talking about Singapore and what i was doing in the Ukraine.The molestor joined in the conversation too.Sailor made it a point to speak to me only in English and the leacherous men didn't not understand anything that we spoke about.
They were all surprised to find out that I was travelling alone and heading to ...of all places....Chernitvsi.And even more surprised to find out that I had a friend there.( Is couchsurfing counted? :) ) Sailor gave me his contact and bade me farewell when the train arrived at his stop.It is a pity that I have lost his number and name after my bag (with my notebook ) was stolen in Malaysia after my trip.
The girl sleeping on the top bunk came down after then men left and we started talking.She studied german and english in her university and is working as a translator.And she is coming to Chernitvsi to visit her boyfriend,so she was hurriedly putting on makeup ,nice clothes and high heels.She smiled.For her boyfriend,she has to look pretty.
As we got off the train , I saw her boyfriend come up to her and they were wrapped in a sweet embrace.Before they left , she turned around smiled and waved at me.
I smiled back,with my heavy 17kg backpack on my back , I trotted out of the station to look for the bus to my host's place.It was drizzling.How I wish that I had boyfriends who will pick me up at the station of every city that I visit.But if i have to look pretty all the time for men and wear killer heels, perhaps it's just easier to carry that 17kg backpack on my back and just find my way around on my own!
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