The Falun Gong have infiltrated Athens. They are everywhere. The obvious ones are Chinese but they have also recruited some white faced anglo types to trick white faced anglo types like me.
They are capitalizing on the fact that EVERYONE is handing something out to read in Athens. Maps, Olympic information, club information, etc. I accidentally accepted something from one of the Chinese last week that was a colorful brochure and a flyer. I promptly threw it away. But the Falun Gong are smart. They have people stationed at the garbage cans too and they periodically go through the trash taking their one million flyers back out and rehanding them out. So, by the time they get to someone like me, they've been in the trash hundreds of times. So at least I learned to avoid anyone of Asian descent handing material out.
But when the pale white girl with a smile handed me something, I thought it might be an invitation to a free classical music concert. Turns out, she was a member. She probably accepted a flyer herself several years ago while on holiday and the rest was history.
While I was waiting for the Metro last night, I spotted a group of Chinese, one of whom was carrying a metal folding chair. As soon as they got to the bottom of the stairs, she unfolds the chair and sits there at the edge, waiting for the train. Sister, they've got benches here. You don't have to bring a chair with you to the train. What's more, they do make lighter chairs if you really feel the need to carry a chair with you. So, I watched them closely and noticed they were looking at people. Then I saw the flyers. Of course, the Falun Gong. I went to the opposite end of the train when it arrived, but the only 4 seats available were right beside me. 3 of them were engaged in conversation but the 4th seemed intent on casually slipping me the damn flyer. The woman did not speak much english so you know what I had to do. I had to share my true feelings with her. She handed me the flyer and I put my hand up. She persisted. Finally I said, "I don't really object to whatever it is you're doing, I"m just sick of you handing me this shit over and over when I told you once I don't want it." She still had a smile on her face and said "sank you, sank you". I let her keep the flyer.
Original text from: http://olympicadventure.blogspot.com/2004/08/ding-dong-falun-gong.html
(Blogspot.com, August 16, 2004)
