FURIOUS!!!!

I just got assaulted in the street.

I am HOPPING MAD right now.

I was walking home from what was an otherwise pleasant night at cafe Taino with Sarah. There are approximately four blocks that I have to walk by myself, blocks that are usually deserted and otherwise unthreatening.

Tonight, around block number two, a guy on a bicycle rode past me and as he coasted past, he grabbed my left breast. "Son grandes," he said as he sailed past. "I know," I replied in Spanish, apalled. I was so stunned, but I continued walking toward my destination. He slowed down, and as I passed him, he grabbed me again in the same place. "Fucking stop, asshole!" I yelled at him, disgusted. Then, he rode past me and stopped right in front of me, grabbing my ass and left breast again as he passed. This time, I punched him swiftly in the jaw. This clearly upset him, and he heaved his bicycle at me, which I caught mid-air and shoved back at him, causing him to lose his balance. I quickly crossed the street, watching him as he rode away, concerned he would be waiting for me at the next corner, but he wasn't.

It already feels like a dream. I can't remember his face. I have probably danced with him before at the Balmaceda.

This retelling is not to alarm anyone. I have always said if I got assaulted, anywhere in the world, I would be so mad that no one would want to mess with me. Luckily, I am a good size larger than most Chilean men, with the added strength of my adrenaline.

This episode only serves to remind me that, to most, I am nothing more than an object here.