Photo Mobbed

Walking around my neck of the woods here it isn't uncommon for people to:

1. stare at me.

2. stop, wave, and say "hello! hello! hello!" many times.

3. photo mob.

What is photo mobbing?

Let me tell you a story...

The other day I went on a bike ride and a walk and was crossing a bridge. People were very unusually friendly at this moment; it was bizarre. Every 3rd person or so would stop, wave, and say "Hello! Hello! Hello!" I had gotten pretty used to my "celebrity status" and my "15-seconds-of-fame-per-person" agenda, until it all went crazily unexpected.

On the bridge was a group of probably twenty 18-(ish)-year-old kids who started pointing at me and mumbling excitedly in Chinese. It was apparent immediately I wasn't in any danger but these kids became obsessed! I felt like a museum artifact and just kept waving and waving and saying "hello" over and over again and smiling. They were overly-excited.

So they all surrounded me and got ready for a picture...of which I had absolutely no choice in the matter. Thus, I was photo mobbed. I had no idea what was going on. I was huddled, jumped on (at one point I was giving someone a piggy-back and still to this moment have no clue which person it was), my scruffy face was caressed, etc..

I felt like Bieber.

It was actually really funny and they were very nice...even if they all wreaked of alcohol and cigarettes. Barf.

After they all got done with their pictures I said, using body language of course, "wait, wait, my camera!"

Documenting experiences like this is a must.

The photo mobbers:

...one of these things doesn't fit.

And there were even more people than this who just didn't make it in this picture.

Afterwards, walking away and off the bridge, I had the sudden urge to check all my pockets and my backpack. What if it was a scam?!

Wallet?

check.

Keys?

check.

Watch on wrist?

check.

iPad?

check.

Phew!

Glad I'm not Bieber.