getting flashed in stockholm

stockholm is beautiful. i went for dinner in this park last night, and then spent the night listening to music with various people in my hostel, talking about kiwi´s sheep affection, what is wrong with america, ozzie hip hop, among other topics. this morning i set my alarm and woke up before it went off, psyched to get a nice hour long run. there is a huge park on this island not too far from my hostel, and i run along the water so i won´t get lost. about 20 minutes into it, i turn a corner and see a man...and he is wagging his penis at me. i immediately turn around and run as fast as i can. they want reaction, i am told, so i give him none. i see a woman walking and immediately tell her what i saw. she turns around as well.

so i get lost. it is a good thing because i see this amazing rose garden, and it smells like nothing i have ever smelled before. i want to write trevor a letter about the smells and am thinking about how i can describe such a beautiful smell. everything is beautiful: this park, the people, the flowers, the gardens. i avoid smaller and side trails, as i am totally creeped out now.

on my way back, about 2 kilometers from my hostel, i see him again. i scream, 'put your d-ck in your pants you pervert.´so maybe that was a bit much, but really, i dont think so. i am really freaked out, what bad luck, so i ran really fast (he went in the opposite direction) and told this woman. she told me some other woman had seen him do it too, and asked me if i wanted to call the cops. i said no. then i see him in the distance, making violent gestures with his arms towards me. yes. so she is on the phone with the cops and we start following him so we can give the cops directions. and he realizes what we are doing, so he turns around and starts walking really fast towards us. we turn around and i am starting to get really scared. he is screaming in swedish, but all i heard was "english" and "the united states"--so i am guessing he couldnt tell what i was. a later translation included "fucking bitches" "whore" etc. finally the cops come and he pretends he did nothing. i gave my statement, so did the woman, and he did too. i was shaking when i left, and ran so fast. i dont want to go running in sweden now, and really, the parks are lovely. as the first woman i ran into told me, "i come walking here every morning and have never seen anything like that." and he maybe gets off on this, but it seems like a control thing, like he wants to instill fear in women. and i have been flashed at before, yes, and while i was running, yes, but for some reason, this is the scariest time ever. and it is the only time i have ever called the cops before.

still, i am liking sweden.