baggage's Diaryland Diary

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Just so you don't get the wrong idea...

On the train last night, I met a girl who had just arrived from the "homeland" three months before (I surround the term "homeland" with quotes because I don't consider my birthplace as home. I still feel cultural and familial ties-but I've been here since I was 6. The US is very much my home).
She spoke perfect english and barely had a trace of an accent. It was amazing how much her story mirrored my family's-the whole immigrant coming to the US for a better life cliche.
It was a nice conversation until she mentioned a boyfriend. Now, that by itself wouldn't be enough to steer the conversation astray. But, the emphasis she placed on the word "boyfriend" made me feel way uncomfortable.
I wanted to reassure her that my interest was purely innocent. That I simply recognized the dialect while she was on her cell. That I wasn't trying to hook up in any way other than conversation.
But, I didn't. I just sat there trying unsuccessfully to get over the weirdness and enjoy the conversation like before.
Do all women assume that all males are trying to pick them up? Is the possibility of mere conversation even considered? Or, is the mention of a significant other merely proper protocol? A quick establishment of boundaries?
Funny. I just wanted to talk.

10:02 p.m. - 2005-05-01

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