Wednesday 17 January 2018

Reflections

It rains a lot here! I don't know if they have a rainy season, I didn't think they had any seasons, so near to the Equator!
My socialising is a total disaster! I went to the group I mentioned on Friday but I don't like the location, it is a garden with hard uncomfortable benches, if you sit at the end, you run the risk of being dumped on the ground if someone else gets up.
I then had my own meetup last night (Tuesday), I had 4 RSVPs but no one turned up. So I cancelled all meetups for that group. The organiser of the Friday Facebook group doesn't reply to me and I can't access their Facebook group. I can see the FB page but if I click on the link to www.facebook.com/groups/... I get redirected by FB to the pages that I administer. Not very helpful. I don't like Facebook, even less now if that is possible. My friend Adrian who I was chatting to on WhatsApp calls it a necessary evil. He said that people here use Facebook, not Meetup. But Meetup is so open and friendly and all I want to do is to be able to post the events on their Meetup page. I guess the organiser resents my interference!
Nini. Well, Nini has just blown what friendship we ever had totally out of the water with a strongly abusive rant on WhatsApp despite my gentle pleas for calm. She is crazy, burning inside with bitterness and anger. And I copped the lot. Oh well, it will save me some money. It started by her "warning" me that the owner of the property where I am staying might just be making money if he finds me a house. I replied that I had no problem with that, it is normal. I said the same would be the case for her - we even talked about it when we were walking around her neighbourhood looking at houses. This triggered a most amazing rant, about.. we are your family... you think we are doing it for money? Any attempt I made to say that, no this was not the case, met with more abuse. It was quite extraordinary. We haven't spoken since. I am assured that I am no longer welcome at their house (not even to watch the TV I just bought them) and I am most certainly not part of the family any more. I think I can bear that loss! I shared my Netflix login with them but I am loath to change the password and lock them out because that would be vindictive and would hurt the young girl more because she likes to watch Walt Disney movies.
Yesterday I went to see a lawyer, Vanesa, that Nini recommended. She runs a childrens' party franchise called Picardias (Nini has worked there in the past) but she is also a qualified lawyer. I avoided talking about Nini because this followed the WhatsApp conversation (haha, "conversation" !!) I think, following my failure socially and the bust up with Nini (no surprise there), I am getting cold feet about buying a place here. But I am still going ahead to try to get an ID here, Cedula Extranjero, which will then enable me to open a bank account. Vanesa quoted me a total price for the cedula, buying a house and also making tax declarations which was too much. I got her to break it down and I just accepted the price for the cedula. Firstly I have to get a long-term visa. I have a visa on entry of course, but that is for only 3 months. In fact, the visa in my passport does not show an expiry date.
Friends worry about the fact that I keep on going back to Nini but she is just the catalyst. My eyes are wide open, don't worry. What interest would a young girl in Colombia have for this English guy if it wasn't for the fact that I have given her money? But she provided the trigger to bring me here and I am very glad about that, in a sense I used her. I had a great time last year with the wider family despite the arguments but this time it is definitely over, I will look for new friends. I deleted the conversation in WhatsApp but I am still shocked at her language, what I remember of it. I wrote at one stage, "My phone is burning" !! But I forgive instantly, she obviously has some kind of problem inside, I guess about not having money... and I do. Other things she writes give the game away. Anyway, I am not that wealthy, I need to save money for when I need it, if the time comes. My young nurse in a white uniform in the style of Benny Hill pushing me around Celrà at high speed or wherever I may be be living at the time! I hope that I never slander Nini as a person, I just write what happened.
I am a little depressed (but what's new about that!) - maybe about the social scene - but much more relaxed than in Spain. I sometimes wonder if it is simply because I have no one living above me. The apartment is like a big spacious box planted on top of the apartment where the owner lives. The view is superb. By the way, the owners are very friendly and helpful and I like the district, there are frequent buses into the centre of Cuba and then there is a fast bus into the centre of Pereira. I still don't understand this apparent bug that I have, I am feeling better but I am a little weak and sleep a lot. Maybe coz I'm relaxed!!
I am certainly glad I came here, the troubles in Catalunya seem a long way away and I am in no hurry to go back. But, of course, I will do so as scheduled on 1st March. So for the time being, this is my home. Vanesa asked me if I felt lost but I didn't understand her at first. In fact, the meaning was the same as in English, like "little boy lost", not "lost phone"! I assured her that home is where I am. And I am very happy in the city of Pereira, Colombia!


1 comment:

  1. Sounds a really tough few days. And it's raining too. Hope the sun comes out soon, in both senses

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