Learning from New Friends

The unifying theme of our first week of travel has been learning from the people around us. Everyday has brought an adventure because there are other humans involved - joyous, upset, and the wonderful spectrum between!

Setting: Busy marketplace on Calle de Carmen in Cuidad de Mexico. We only had a day there and took a ton of suggestions from this Conde Nast post. There are colorful assortments of mass-produced goods stacked two people high. At nine in the morning, people are just starting to move through the streets with purpose.

¿Que vendes?

Mural stumbled upon at a public library in Mexico City.

An older Mexican woman, in orange shorts and a pink graphic t-shirt, re-fries tamales from the day before. She makes a perfectly logical picture in riotous colors of the market. We engage her in Spanish and listen to her stories from a life in Mexico City while she preps the tamales Andrew ordered. Excitedly tripping over my Spanish attempt to recount our discovery of a Diego Rivera mural, she tells us there are a number of other locations around the city. She pivots from Diego to lovingly describe the Frida Kahlo museum; her description telling us about the strength of Mexican women who do what needs to get done.

Handing Andrew his food, she exclaims ‘Disfruta! Disfruta! Disfruta! Vidas son cortas; busca la belleza!’ Enjoy! Enjoy! Enjoy! Life is short; look for the beauty.

Mas Comida: Andrew le gusta la comida de Mexico.

We have wandered past oodles of taco vendor on the streets, but one stall is full of people - a family sits helping a child eat, workers walk up take three tacos and continue on and older men sit over cups of soup. Andrew wants tacos and this stall is where we are going. The front of their table is taken up by a pile of skulls with some flesh still attached. Andrew tries to ask for tacos and does a great job hitting the person standing next to him in the face while gesticulating, but a poor job ordering! He eventually communicates that he wants lengua and cabeza (tongue and head cheese). The vendor’s school age son is helping him, and he gives us cups of the soup - cow head broth, which leads to our question.

This, but with some meat and ten more.

¿Cuántos cabezas usas cada día? How many heads do you use each day? The taco vendor responds, about thirty. When we finish selling the tacos from those we are done for the day. He was very firm; you need to plan your work and not let it plan you.

Setting: Bright well lit hostel Portal del Sur in Buenos Aires. It is a classic Argentinean edifice with a central courtyard boasting wrought iron railings for the inner balconies, and draped plants around the the center opening onto balconies to provide undisrupted sunshine through all the floors!

Good Footy Mate!

The central courtyard of Portal del Sur.

A mid-twenty year old guy with a high and tight haircut, expertly done by one of his travel mates, wandered into the common area with a deck of uno and a two-liter bottle of 40 peso vodka ($2.4 US). He did not introduce himself, rather he poured everyone a cup of very strong and rather terrible vodka and soda passed it around to anyone who would imbibe and started dealing uno cards while explaining which rules we would and would not be using. His friend sat next to him and moderated the outrageous stories from their travels through Nicaragua, Colombia, and Uruguay. Eventually, we got their names, because I asked if  “Frankie” was one of them or an imaginary friend (as they gestured to an empty chair each time they spoke about him). This elicited a lot of laughter and jokes. They each introduced themselves and wrapped up our competitive uno game with their advice to play for the best game, or good footy, and compliment others on their good footies.

Setting: A lightly furnished heavily populated rooftop asado (barbeque) in Buenos Aires. With clusters of people talking in an assortment of languages with a stunning view of the city lights.

¿Por qué eres tan generoso?

Our second night in Buenos Aires, we were in dorms at a new hostel. I was having an argument with my door about opening (maybe abusing it a tad - kicking it) and met one of my roommates, Luis. He stopped me, took the old fashioned key out of my hand and told me in Spanish to flip it over. I started chatting with him in broken Spanish and with the patience of a seventy two year old who has grandchildren he listened. Fifteen minutes later he was pulling necklaces out of his bag, explaining that he was an artist and gifting me with a necklace. On the roof, three hours later he has shared his work (seen here), his mate (Argentine drink) and his experiences. I have learned about his life in rural Mendoza, his grown daughter’s career in theater, and his generous spirit motivated by his philosophy. At one in the morning, surrounded by millennials, Luis was asked why he was so generous. He explained that life is only full when you have shared what you have. When you have a little you share a little. When you have a lot you share more. He wanted to make sure that we understood that giving allows you to love where you are in life, because you always have enough to give.

You can see his artwork here: https://www.facebook.com/LuisMCueros/

Setting: Free tango in a large bandstand Plaza Dorrego. People whirling by in stiletto dancing shoes and music pouring through the growing group of around twenty people.

¿Sabes bailar el tango?

I can't dance, and these women fly in three inch heels!

We met a young graphic designer from England and a recent graduate from a high school in the Netherlands and brought them out to dance with us. There is free tango all around Buenos Aires if you want it! It was a blast to trip over ourselves and learn, but we wanted to dance. So, I approached a man in Spanish and asked him “Sabes tango - Do you know tango?” Looking at me like I was slightly crazy, he responded with a drawn out “Siii” and a gesture around the bandstand to the group of people assembled specifically to dance the tango. Emboldened by his sass I asked him to show the two men in our group how to lead. He smiled and helped us out. After his brief but essential tutorial we went off to one side to practice. An older Argentinian woman came up to us and told us we were doing it wrong. In rapid fire Spanish she told us we needed to feel the music and listen to the tempo; we needed to use smaller steps and most importantly stop laughing, which of course made us laugh. She then proceeded to hit one of us and grab the hand of another to show us how it is done! A good friend says she sounds like a Russian ballet coach. All I know is Argentinians take the Tango very seriously! Walking home I felt an overwhelming joy at having tried something new in front of strangers and the firm resolution to try again. If able, one should take the risk.

Setting: Artsy restaurant in San Telmo with fascinating paintings and music covers on every inch of available space. The Ferria, or open air market, is happening outside and we have found quiet seats away from the sun and dust in this nearly empty building.

Andrew caught us chatting and loving every minute!

¿Eres una rockstar?

Parched from a sunny three mile walk in 31 C (89 F) weather Andrew and I sit for a while journaling with drinks. In anticipation of the long walk back, I get up to use the bathroom. Coming back to our table, a roughly sixty year old woman stops me and looks me up and down. In my head, I am thinking ‘I am about to get lectured on appropriate dress’ as I was wearing a black tank top with a bit of midriff showing below my pendant necklace. She smiles broadly at me and asks if I am a rockstar. I laugh and say no! We joke about my poor Spanish; she and her companion compliment me for trying. The conversation is exuberant and fills the whole space with laughter and a feeling of mischief. The women are drinking half liter beers and communicate that the bar never closes at this particular establishment. They invite us back to join them for drinks later as they will need to be carried out with wheelbarrows! Our loving exchange emphasizes that language barrier are no excuse for not making new friends. Make mistakes and laugh about them!