When we ‘know’
This week I shall dedicate to stories. 2 that surfaced whilst scribing last week’s article. Very much related to inner knowing.
The first one was in Prague, Czechoslovakia. I was visiting this beautiful city with my cousin. It was a short 3-day visit before we travelled to Krakow, Poland. On the second day, we decided to visit the Prague Castle across the river. A gorgeous building perched on top of the hill. We were there during winter and there were not too many tourists which suited us well. We had more time to savour the castle and its grounds. But it was also cold which meant the outdoor ‘savouring’ was limited.
We ventured out to the gardens after walking inside the castle. We noticed a few other visitors dispersed around the grounds. Because we were far apart (from other visitors), it felt peaceful and quiet. We were able to take it all in and step back in time to imagine what the castle would have been like ‘back then’.
Prague Castle on the hill. Picture courtesy of Pexel of Pixabay (I can’t find my photos)
This reminiscing was soon broken when 2 gentlemen in ‘uniform’ asked us for our passports. It brought me back to reality in an instant. I immediately knew something was off – inner knowing. The uniformed gentlemen told us they were police and needed to check our passports. In the nanosecond, after they asked for our passport, I could tell by a glance around that we were the only ones in the garden at that point! I turned to my cousin and whispered that they were not police (in Malay).
It was a ruse. I replied by saying that our passports were at the hotel and asked them why they needed our passports. Their next question confirmed that they were not police. One of them asked me for my credit card. Again, I asked why they needed my credit card. After another few seconds of wrangling, they realised they wouldn’t win with us and walked briskly back to their ‘police’ car which was a taxi! They were taxi drivers doubling up as thieves.
It could have gone wrong, but it didn’t. But here’s the thing. Whilst we were walking around the garden, I remember seeing the car pulling up. It was marked which made it look like a police car, but I didn’t pay much attention. And I remember seeing the guys get out of the car. But the gate was far from us, and I didn’t think of it further.
It was also late afternoon, and the light was beginning to drop, we planned to finish the garden and head back to our hotel across the river.
I knew, almost immediately, that the ‘policemen’ were fake. It was a perfect setting. Quiet garden, late afternoon, and ‘gullible’ visitors. Luckily, we were not gullible and that afternoon, they were not so brave. I could sense some urgency and nervousness in them which was another giveaway.
Luckily for us, they walked away got into their ‘taxi’, and drove off. My cousin and I took a moment to take in what had just happened and headed back to the hotel. We chatted about it during the walk to the hotel extrapolating every possible what-if and what-then.
As visitors to a foreign country, we are easy targets or prey for conmen and more. It’s always good to be aware and alert. Something that our brains help us with.
It never amazes me how much we ‘know’. My brain told me that something was amiss with the car that pulled up in front of the garden gates. At that point, only my cousin and I were in the garden making it an opportune moment for the ‘fake’ police.
I hadn’t realised that my Prague story would take up my entire article for this week. I shall have to save my second story for next week. One with greater ‘knowing’. It was at my house, someone broke in whilst I was in it and my brain told me that something was amiss, but I didn’t listen!
More next week.
Until then if you are travelling to a foreign land, please stay safe and be alert. If you live in a big city, this applies always!
As always, you can reach me at yoga@yoganesadurai.com