“Are you spontaneous?”

If someone asks you if you are spontaneous, what do you say?  Let me rephrase that question: what do you say if you are a young female, traveling alone in Cambodia, and the person asking you is an attractive German man who you happen to be sharing a room with at a hostel?

Remember that tall blonde man I met in Cambodia? Well, here is the rest of the story.  You are old enough to hear it.

When I first arrived at the hostel he asked me for a hostel recommendation in Phnom Penh.  When I went downstairs to go swimming, he was sitting at the bar on his computer.  From where I was it looked like he was flirting with the bartender.  But, I didn’t think much of it, because what farang man doesn't flirt with the bartender?

I swam my laps, and went upstairs to take a shower.  When I finished showering and went into the main room, he was putting his computer in his bag.  I walked out on the balcony to hang up my towel.  I came back inside and the tall man asked me, “are you spontaneous?”  What was I to say?!

I stuttered and said, “well, yes.  I think so.  Maybe.  I don’t know.”

Oh, good job, Meaghan.  You sound like a bumbling idiot.  


I couldn't have sounded too idiotic because he asked me if I would go to the market with him.  Once again, I hesitated.  In my pause he said, “it will only be for one hour.  I have to buy one t-shirt, that’s all.”  I agreed.  And as I grabbed my purse I said, “before we go, what’s your name?”  

His response: “you tell me.  It’s spelled J-E-N-S.”

Uh oh, he is testing me.  I sounded like an idiot before, and now he wants to know how painful this hour will be with the dumb blonde American.

“Jens” (like yens) I said.

“Wow.  Most people would say Jens (with a J sound) or James.  I’m impressed.”

Score!

“Well, my name is Meaghan.  It’s nice to meet you.”

The two of us went to the market in a tuk tuk Jens bargained the price of.  He told the driver we would only be gone for an hour, and he assured me of the same thing again.  As we drove the mile to the market in the tuk tuk, I couldn’t stop laughing.  We were bouncing around in the back of an already unstable tuk tuk on roads that were littered with gaping holes.  I used to make fun of my mother for laughing on waterslides, but I laugh in tuk tuks, so we are even, and it is becoming clearer everyday that I am becoming my mother.

We arrived at the market just after the sun had set, and most of the stalls were closed for the night.  Luckily we found a t- shirt stall, and Jens started shopping.  Of course, the women working the stall weren’t going to pass up a potential sale, so they began harassing me as well.  They were showing me purple dresses with frills, sequins and flowers.  Of course, I’m rude and sarcastic, so I responded appropriately.  As they would hold up the dresses and say how beautiful I looked I would make a comment like “oh, yeah, I always wear rainbow sequins.”  Or, “gosh, a skirt completely covered with ruffles?  How did you know?!”  I only realized how obnoxious I was being when Jens started laughing at me.  This boy thinks I’m funny?

Score!

I helped him pick out a shirt, and even though the sequined dresses were tempting, I resisted, and we left the market.  As we walked out Jens turned to me and said, “I still have time left in the hour... what do you want to do now?”  

We walked down the street and saw a couple from the hostel.  They were eating dinner and asked if we wanted to join them for ice cream when they were finished.  Jens and I were both non committal and continued walking.  When we were no longer within earshot he turned to me and said, “do you want to get ice cream?”  I considered it for half a second and then said, “I would much rather go to get a beer.” “Oh, good” he said.  “Me too.”

Score!  

So we were off to a second floor bar overlooking the walking street.  Over the next hour and a half we each nursed two beers and talked effortlessly, until we realized that our poor tuk tuk driver was waiting for us.  Whoops.  When we got back to the hostel Jens convinced me to have another beer before going to bed.  I was leaving the next morning at 4:30 am for the sunrise tour, and he would be leaving for Phnom Penh at around 8:00, so we both called it an early night.  He friended me on facebook, and we both went to sleep in our designated bunk beds.

The next day, during my Angkor Wat tour, I couldn’t stop thinking about him.  The night before had been pretty great.  He was pretty fantastic.  But, I was going to get over it, because it was silly.

I checked my iPod that afternoon when I returned to the hostel, and there was a message from him!  I was ecstatic!  At the end he wrote “Maybe I forgot to tell you but it was a really delightful spending the 'hour' with you.”


Score!


Over the next week, the messages were nearly continuous.  I became an obsessive facebook checker.  Guilty.  I guess it paid off, however, because Cambodia wasn’t the last time I saw him.  Instead of following his original plan to northern Vietnam, he came to Koh Phi Phi.  Yup, Jens met Heather and Ann!  And later, he came to Khon Kaen for a week.  Yes, he spent an entire week in my sleepy little city.  We went to the Loi Krathong festival on the lake, the Walking Street market, ate lots of delicious food and even took a quick trip to the hospital.  But, don't worry, it wasn't anything a little Cipro couldn't fix.

And now, he is back at home in Germany, starting a new job.  And I am still traveling in New Zealand, before moving back to New York on the 12th.  Whatever happens, will happen.  But, it has been fun so far!