heard em say

I feel like it’s good practice to explore the city solo, as long as you know where you’re headed. I usually study my city map and the metro map simultaneously to get a good understanding of where the metro will head towards and once above ground, which street/direction to head down. I’m extremely paranoid when travelling or exploring because I don’t want to stand out as a lost Asian tourist girl. thus, I’ve  developed some guidelines or tips to appease my survival instincts/paranoia (whatever you call it). if you think someone is following/eyeing you (possible in a city like Barcelona where there are tons of muggers/pickpockets albeit mostly found only in heavily touristy areas)…

1. change your look. they might see you riding the metro and spot you for your hat and large hoop earrings. so when you lose them in the crowd, give yourself a new look by tucking your earrings and hat into your purse.

2. hide your purse. to avoid the stress of someone stealing your purse, hide it. you can do this simply by strapping on your purse (over the shoulder and around your back) and underneath your long coat so no one can snatch it off your shoulder. you can even button up your coat to further conceal your purse. without a purse to grab, you’re no longer a target. also, don’t carry a purse with thin/weak straps because they can easily pull out a knife and slice off the straps.

3. lost? use your map. there’s no harm in this. study your map before venturing off into public areas and the metro. develop a good sense of direction by memorizing the street name you should walk towards, as well as the street name to look out for to alert you if you’re headed the wrong way. also, if you get a little confused while trying to find your way, duck into a small shop to look over your map again. don’t pull it out in the middle of a busy corner unless you know you’re actually in a high-end/safe neighborhood. since last summer in new york relying on the subway and the metro north train, I’ve definitely trained myself to read and study maps prior to exploring. it makes so much sense to save yourself time, energy, paranoia, and frustration.

4. blend in, physically. I’ve started to wear a blank stare/mug face on the metro nowadays. no lie, this is the kind of look I see on the metro staring at me all the time so I put it on to blend in. also, if there’s no need to dress to impress, don’t wear tons of makeup or a cute outfit (especially if it’s covered up by your coat  anyway given the chilly weather). au natural still looks good anyway. but the less you stand out, the less people will believe you’re a stranger to the city.

5. slow down. if you think someone is really creeping because he kept staring at you on the metro and got off the same stop as you, slow down and let him take the lead. likely, he will walk another direction or at least this way, you can try and figure out if he is slowing down his pace and still trying to look for you through the crowd. also, walk in between “safe people” like an elder couple or chatty old women carrying shopping bags as if you built a wall of innocent bystanders around you.

and above all, don’t let the paranoia ruin your day! be safe and aware of your belongings & surroundings (specifically sketchy personas or mismatched groups of people that might be working collectively). for the most part, not everyone out there in the real world or big city is evil, but it’s good to be prepared especially if you’re carrying around valuables such as your credit card or camera. 

overall, I had a wonderful day exploring by myself despite still being protective of myself and my belongings. after finishing class for the day, I hit up four different sites I need to study and sketch for my art and architecture class, spending about an hour at each spot (thanks Paolo for the tip). I felt like such a psuedo artist. at each site, I would study the building first and jot down some observations based on guide questions from my teacher. then I would spend some time sketching out the building, adding detail and what not. people would pass by, smoke a cigarette outside their office, and just glance at me as if I knew what I was doing spending so much time sketching. then I finished off each site by taking pictures so I can go back and add details or observations to my project later on should I choose to. yup, definitely felt like an artist working the streets and studying the city’s modernisme architecture. I also feel pretty accomplished taking different metro lines than I’m not at all used to and exploring different areas I’ve never ventured off to in Barca. after some time sketching, I ended the day by finding a small Filipino restaurant called Fil Manila, near La Rambla (one of the few in the city from what I managed to find online). I chatted a bit with the Filipino waitress (yesss for authentic Filipino cuisine cooked and served by Filipinos!) and got a great menu del dia. I’ll definitely come back to that place in the next couple months to treat myself and satisfy my own need to speak and eat Filipino. 

Photos of Fil Manila via Google Search - I do not take my camera out around La Rambla because it’s such a high traffic tourist zone.