Web of Connection
3 June 2005 (Friday) – Buenos Aires, Argentina
I learnt that yesterday, it was 27ºC. That is like the temperature in Singapore but gosh, here in Buenos Aires… in winter?? It is mad! In fact, it was the highest winter temperature in over 90 years. And I was here to sweat it out.
But today, it was freezing cold, ok, freezing for me. And unfortunately for me as well, it was raining pretty much the whole day.
I went for a walk around the Belgrano region but as the weather was really shitty, I was wet and cold and somewhat miserable. But well, Belgrano is a rather nice barrio with good shopping along Av. Cabildo. There is also a miniscule Chinatown area to the left of Belgrano Train Station if you walk along Juramento from Av. Cabildo. So, if I had arranged to meet Analia here, I would really need my pañuelo. I found the tiny restaurant that I had frequented last time. Good to know it is still there.
I had taken a subte (underground train) there and I just have to write a little note about the people who sell things in the trains. They can be selling ANYTHING. In the 2 rides I took to and from Belgrano, I observed them selling notebooks with a pen each, packets of rubber-bands for tying hair, religious cards and pocket-sized ‘Guia T’s to get around Buenos Aires.
First, they put each of the item on the lap of the passengers within 1 or 2 carriages. The passengers get to finger the item and ponder over whether they now suddenly need this. Then, the seller would go back to the passengers and gather up the items. If the passenger wishes to buy, he or she would hand over the pesos. If the passenger is getting off at the next station, he or she would leave the item on the seat. Wow, this would never happen in my country, I suspect people would just leave WITH the item without paying.
Anyway, I was observing the faces of the passengers closely and it was rather amusing for me to see some of them do a ‘Oh well, why not?’ expression, you know, with the vague raised eye-brow and minute shrug, and dig into their pockets for change.
As Pablo was at home in the afternoon, in order to be inside a nice, warm apartment to defrost, I made my way to his apartment. There, we went through some of his photos of West Africa and he related some of the ‘horror’ stories of his trip to West Africa. ‘Horror’ at that time, but now, they are just amazing memories, incredible survival stories and wonderful encounters with the locals. But gosh, really really really tough travelling. I think there is NO WAY I could be able to survive travelling in West Africa.
But at least, listening to his stories assuaged my adventurous spirit for this upcoming trip. Well, this upcoming trip still seemed rather distant as until now, I still have not decided when I would be leaving Buenos Aires. All these new friends that I had just met, Dario, Analia, Rafael, Claudia, Anabel, etc… were asking to do something together another time before I leave. Gosh, I just don’t know when I am leaving. I mean, everyday had been great this past week and everyone had been AMAZING to me. I don’t feel like leaving Buenos Aires AT ALL! Everyday, I seem to have something to do and places to check out. But until I leave Buenos Aires, it is as if the trip has not really started. Buenos Aires is really like my second home now.
Well, tonight, I had an appointment with Rodrigo, the brother of my Argentine friend in Singapore, at 7pm. He had come to visit his sister in Singapore about 2 months ago, so we already know each other. No need for pañuelos. We had arranged to meet at Lavalle and Bouchard. To wait for Argentines, you should give them a leeway of at least 30 mins or, if you are feeling generous, 45 mins – 1 hour, before seriously considering the possibility that either one of you have made a horrible mistake about the date, time, location or even country.
There I was, 15 mins earlier than the pre-arranged time, standing at the street corner in the dark in a rather quiet part of the city, freezing my butt off and on the receiving end of a yucky wolf whistle. I started doubting myself by 7:10pm but nonono, I needed to wait at least until 8pm, I figured, before giving up. But, gosh, it was c-o-l-d.
Rodrigo finally and casually arrived at 7:25pm with his colleague, Sergio. Oh hey, he wasn’t so late, and it was really great to see him again!
As Sergio and I chatted, he asked if I went to any bar last night. Bar? Well, last night, I met up with a new friend named Anabel whom I had contacted through VirtualTourist and indeed, we had gone to a bar after a bad art exhibition.
Sergio stopped short. You are not going to believe this! Anabel is one of his good friends!! He whipped out his cellular phone and dialed her number right away to confirm.
My goodness!!!!! What a coincidence!!? I cannot believe it, I absolutely cannot believe it! This past trip had been one coincidence after another. Anabel had joined VT because of me. Then, I contacted her because I saw that she was going to make a similar trip. Now, I met up with Rodrigo, the brother of my friend in Singapore. He brought along his colleague. And HE is a good friend of Anabel!? What the…?
Even with Pablo, he did not read his email for 2 months and certainly did not know I was here in Buenos Aires. Yet, he collected the presents from Rodrigo after a 2 months’ wait on the exact day that I called Rodrigo to tell him I had arrived. So, as a result, Rodrigo informed him about my arrival and a very shocked Pablo got in touch with me.
What is going on??? It is beyond coincidence. It felt rather spooky. I now know like, what, 10 people, in Buenos Aires and 2 of them I met from different connections are good friends. I cannot believe this is simply a coincidence. This is like some mysterious web of pre-arranged connections, some grand plan (hahaa) laid out for one thing to happen so that another can happen.
Tags: 01) Imagining Argentina, Buenos Aires
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