7 October 2014

The people I met in Pokhara


I met many interesting people during my travels.

I met a Spanish guy, who by the way not at all looks like a Spaniard- his hippie long hair goes to all directions, unattended beard and clothes suggests he is a long time traveller and his image is finished with big glasses similar to those Russians used to wear 30 years ago. He travelled all over the world, and survived in beautiful beaches of Hawai only with his macrame. His pieces are brilliant; a true masterpieces with soul and a beating heart.
However when he sat next to me near the lake and tried to sell his stuff, he could not understand how I was able to sell my simple necklaces for twice more. Do not get me wrong, the pieces me and Tom make are pretty- easy to wear because the main focus is always on the stone. The secret actually lies in me - I am a businesswoman hence I know how to sell. And first of all, I know what people over here like and I can provide them exactly that. The tourists who are in Pokhara don't really care about the macrame- at least not the rich ones who are on holidays for few days, perhaps weeks only. They love stones, shiny stones. Colourful stones.

I met a guy from Israel. He was in a prison once. While he was in the Israeli army he was trained to be a sniper. And then they sent him to kill someone. He got sick of the idea and before completing the mission, fell into coma for four months. When he woke up they tried him and sentenced to imprisonment. On his travels he met a Polish girl. They've been sort of dating. But then, she was also sort of dating this other Polish guy with whom she's got an open relationship. They are not jealous of each other, and they don't have any expectations. She came to Pokhara with the Polish, while waiting for the Israeli. Then both of the guys ditched her. And became good friends.  I was perhaps a bit jealous about her- for the obvious reasons- she was so free, could fuck around without any prejudice or guilt and yet, she lacked something. She wanted the attention of guys too much,. She didn't get it, because she was not interesting for them anymore; she already gave them everything. The Polish guy fancies me, so I guess the girl sort of felt left out. This time, I was the one who is unavailable.

I met an Italian guy who is around fifty. He travels a lot. Always used to. We make fun of him because in every other sentence he uses the word Italy, Italian, “back in Italy...” with the typical cute accent. Italian accent, of course. This guy has a daughter who he sees sporadically. Once he met the most gorgeous woman, dancing by the fire somewhere in Europe. Their eyes met and the fire in their hearts lit up when Eros finished his quick job. After a year of travelling together, they parted for some time- so he could go see his daughter, and she could visit her father. However, the Italian  never heard from her again. He continued his journey to Latin America without her. Few years after she contacted him. They met. She was a complete wreckage- fat, old, worn out.. She said she just came out of the prison. Years ago, after meeting her father the police caught her with drugs in her backpack. Her own father put them there. He wanted her to stop wandering around the world so much. Perhaps it was more convenient for him to visit her in the jail.

I met a Chinese boy with broken glasses. He became a good friend of us and helped us a lot in the shop. He is the innocent, young, spoiled kind of a student who knows shit about life. But who is sincere in his heart and means good. I once asked him if he ever seen a dead body of a baby girl in the streets of China. My question comes from the one-child policy which used to be in effect for many years to avoid further increase of the population of the country. He haven't. But his sister was adopted due to this stupid law, he said casually. His uncle was once driving in a remote area when a woman on the road stopped him and gave him a newborn baby girl. The uncle went straight to my friend's mother and asked her to care for the child. So the family took her for their own. It is a secret among their friends and the girl, now 14 years old, does not yet know. I think this story, this one is a beautiful story.

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