A Heartfelt Proposal

When one stands in an airport, train station or hotel, we tend to watch and look at the people
around us, but when they do it back, we feel offended and discomfort. This is particularly
noticeable in China, for anyone who is foreign is a novelty and something to be looked at. There
we see beautiful girls going around in microscopic mini skirts, but no one even takes a glance at
them, only the foreigners, but they in turn start at us whilst the smirk and even laugh at times
too.

So here I am in the hotel, feeling a little silly and vulnerable as I try to move myself in and out
of my corner corridor room.; again I am being watched, as there are security cameras
positioned along the hallways. I try to stick to a daily routine and have a regular time that I go
down to breakfast. I choose a position in the mostly empty dining room, that is as far away as
possible from prying eyes, with my chair facing the doorway as to see the coming and goings of
the other guests. The place is deep inside, close enough to the buffet, but far enough for privacy.

Making sure to take supplies for lunch or supper, I would wheel myself out to the lounge, where
I would exit out to the small balcony to get my daily dosage of sun (vitamin D). Then I would
sit a while inside too, chatting to the other guests or the couple that owned the small gift shop
that was stationed there.

In a hotel such as this, that has also apartment style rooms, there are those who come and
stay for a month or so and in turn become permanent fixtures, as I myself did, in the hotel
daily life. There was me, temporarily en cast in plaster and attached to a wheelchair, but there
were the others.

There was the elderly American woman, who would every morning, almost to the dot, come
down to the front desk and argue about a charge that had been added the previous day to her
bill. This argument would ensure heatedly until a placated guest would inevitably get her own
way and the offending figure removed, whether she had actually taken something that needed
to be paid for or not!

Then there was the English speaking gent, who's country of origin was impossible to decipher
as his language was so unclear, it was impossible to understand a word he said, but one would
sit there politely nodding till it reached the point of no return and I would beg my apologies and
wheel myself off to another position, out of sight.

Lastly there was the 'man'. To my surprise I seemed to still have been able to catch an eye and
for a number of mornings, was pursued by an ardent suitor. His years were more than mine
by twenty odd, but admittedly he looked still good for his age, with a full head of hair, sprightly
body and passionate drive! The first morning he sat down at my table and invited me to a free
breakfast coffee. His interest was apparent and intent as he proceeded to tell me how I looked
wonderful in his eyes, that he was on the search for a wife and continued in the same breath to
tell me of his property and assets!!

At first I just laughed and told him that I was unavailable but flattered, but his insistence
continued for the next few days, so reaching the point that I arranged to meet him and give him
my answer on the day that I knew I would no longer be staying at the hotel!! Oh well, maybe
I lost my chance of a large house in the outskirts of Jerusalem, a 'passionate' partner and the
opportunity to be wined and dined!! but somehow I don't think so, it was probably more a
case of a lucky escape, but I do wish him luck in his further propositions.