Now it's all starting to come into focus. The beautiful French buildings downtown disguise a city that's got too many problems to count. Even the customs officials told me today 'Why on earth would you stay here?' It's a theme I keep hearing when what I am hoping to hear is someone who isn't a tourist - who actually lives here and deals with the place - tell me it's all going to be OK. Maybe I just want my Mother. But everything is a lie and I hate lies.
The people kiss each other and appear to be so polite but it disguises a seething with jealousy mass of snakes in the grass who will rip you to shreds as soon as your back is turned. All that intellectual chit chat in the confiteria is what is commonly known as bitching or maybe just chisme - gossip. Yes there are some sweet people - like the women who work in the immobilaria - estate agency where I go to pay my rent - but they are nice because they are scared. Scared shitless of the nutters who will attack you for waking them up on a Saturday night even though they live on Plaza Serrano.
And then apparently, every antique in San Telmo is a fake. Despite those hilarious prices. The Delivery Boy's father used to make antiques that were authenticated and sold at auction by Christies. They make art deco pieces for the famous stores in San Telmo. They sell their furniture as antique. I have struggled with the concept of his relationship with the truth. On one hand if you are used by western World types coming here and paying you 500 pesos for a piece that they then charge $12,000 for in NY, it's understandable that you will feel resentful. But then talent will out and if you can make something special isn't it better for that talent to be recognised as yours rather than some dead guy who lived in the 1920s.
I mean if you have the caveman-like ability to go out into the campo and kill an animal then take its shin bone and carve handles that can fool an international art house, shouldn't you have some recognition. Or is it just fun fooling the people, some of the time?
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