Fan Goh's Jeesh, and Racist Instincts

Went to DCC after CLG practice today to pick up a bit of gel coat to patch up Martlet with.  I should have known, there is no such thing as a free lunch.  I got "recruited" into their club, and rather forcibly at that T_T  Simon was relentless, and practically grabbed my wallet and shot down all my excuses.  Fan Gor said something about "don't coerce her," but I thought Simon was still rather blatant about the coercion.  So much for my apolitical peasantism.  Now I belong to a jeesh.  Oh well, happy birthday to me.

Afterwards, I took the Bus 94 to Fred's.  I was minding my own business when a gentleman of African descent started talking to me.  At first, I thought he was a typical foreigner -- friendly and ready to talk to strangers in transit.  

But when it became apparent that he was hitting on me, I got very alarmed.  I started analyzing everything he said, I just didn't trust him.  Why?  Was it because he's so blunt about asking me out when I've only just met him (and not in a club), or was it because he is ... black?

Racism is such an unthinkable crime in Canada, it's easy to slip into denial.  And of course it's not just skin color, I told myself.  Maybe it was his size, maybe something about him reminded me of the men in Indonesia (and how is this statement not racist anyway??), I don't know what it is, but I instinctively felt frightened, alarmed, intimidated.  And I can't honestly say he said anything threatening. 

Gave him my e-mail addy anyway.  The moralizing part of me says I should consciously override my racist thoughts and give it a chance.  The self-protectionist part of me says listen to my instinct and don't come to Sai Kung by bus again.