El sortilegio uruguayo del tiempo

For: Laura Berdejo (text and photos)
Previous Image
Next Image

info heading

info content

I arrived in Uruguay a sunny day. He came to live in this country armed slogans and somewhat peculiar folk, with a slightly numbing background for someone who comes from the old continent, where it seems that everything is happening at the same time and the avant-garde and cultural breaks proliferate at high speed.

I had heard of cows, alfajores, mate, I was told that the little country was peaceful and quiet, if Montevideo good, that, It is no big deal but you have opposite Buenos Aires. There seemed to be good theater, a worthy cultural, "Europe is not", They had told me "but" has something, breathe ".... and it had been imbued with a mixture of numbness and expectation.

I had then told Uruguayan, those who know and those who are, because despite some insecurities their flag, or precisely why, They talk a lot about themselves ... and I had explained they were peaceful types, Uncompromising customs, low concern and a lot of parsimony, of little surprise and great generosity, a certain madness that sometimes emerges, sparkling, and returns to hide at high speed.

Some madness that sometimes emerges, sparkling, and returns to hide at high speed

At this point, when it was almost next to yawn, I felt, intermittent, a glimpse at the height of the temple. Something mysterious had begun to sprout already in my body when I landed in Carrasco, when I saw that light blue-white for the first time, when, after the first few days of jetlag and lethargy, I began to mingle with the new armed charrúa Western culture and wisdom.

I could not wield those weapons long. Soon I understood, bypassing the reason, that opened, unused, two options before my eyes: a) try to get to Uruguay and Uruguayans in my model structured, o b) get carried away with open pores and corolas the new face B.

The first did not help, just to slow, like a sweet dream, the explosion of the second possibility that opened the way to habits and inhabitants of an amazing multifunctional nature inspiring stories, delusions, Tuesday nights, beers, guitars and doors, Thursday nights, jazz, roasted and rum, and you crawl, If you stand still, the reserved rhythms of an old room.

Borges said: "Montevideo is encrypted" and, as with teachers, in a compact phrase condensed encyclopedia of lucidity.

Wonderland

Access to the civilization of the possibilities was going slowly and it was thanks to Uruguayans, in one lifetime, easily they exercised five lives or six. In Spain usually the life path dictated a series of studies and diplomas that are lining up - backed by more or less daring labor consistencies - A imaginable existence, neat, linear splendid possibilities open to a historical typecasting.

The crisis let some air circulate by these roads predrawn but, broadly, I know Europe is outlined with straight lines, flat disinclined, and a multitude of vectors and arrows.

Overall, I know Europe is outlined with straight lines, flat disinclined, and a multitude of vectors and arrows.

In Uruguay not. In Uruguay once I saw with admiration and bewilderment that people braid their lives adding another level dimensions, living several stocks that are as liquid mixing colors. The first to brandish, with dignified pride, usually mostly artistic and, usually, different from providing daily sustenance.

The first was Marcelo who, a winter morning, with wind gusts, horizontal rain and mud to the core of the feet, When I walked into the cafeteria ran to complain and ask for a capuccino I cry "a brave face" and let the broom to give me a hug and talk to him a while.

It was the first customer of the day, Montevideo entire slept under the gale. Just a few weeks ago that city living was windy and I, uncomfortable and patched. Marcelo told me, calmed my nerves naturally based and caffeine, who worked in the cafeteria to earn some money but, actually, He was actor, He had a clandestine hairdresser at home, decorated homes, made clothes and riding a copadas tents in Cabo Polonio. I marveled at his eloquence, his brown eyes and the way to sweep. I caught the clandestine hairdressing, good face to bad weather and, although I burned the tongue and hands, I knew those glory liters of coffee.

I marveled at his eloquence, his brown eyes and the way to sweep

I went to the bus full of life and desire to sing melodies and got to work brimming, wet and convinced to have found the ideal character in a novel. I was so happy to have found the secret amethyst, Not only do I cut my hair several times in her salon to the rhythm of cumbia bailonga and a few glasses of grappamiel, but I became fond of the cafe where every morning I burned her tongue with sips of coffee.

But, I had not even gone to the first theatrical performance of my friend when he had already met several Marcelli more: Laura was a dancer, mother, therapist, biodecodificadora, shiatsu teacher and actress. Marina worked at the quartermaster full time, He had a drawing workshop, painted, carved, personal development courses he organized and managed the designs of a tarot drawn by herself with that healed people around the coastline. Fran was a waiter, She is studying sociology, He played the electric guitar and, especially, He swept in rap competitions. White was a psychologist, seamstress, yoga teacher and essayist. Sebastian built clay ovens and was a cook, childhood educator, cartoonist, He knew the innermost secrets of several hallucinogenic mushrooms and had memorized the life of Bernini.

Abracadabra oriental

The list was endless combinations and ways of life - and this really a capital marked difference with the West - also. The display of certificates and diplomas could not come until the fourth month of friendship, never, and the range of possible stocks was so rich and varied that one naturalized that the development of Andean bracelets coexisted happily with the stroke counter.

In the months that followed, and to this day, I followed people who know first hand is a poet, singer, tracker coffee or writer, but then to make a living in a museum, a company of calefones or a patent office.

People first hand is a poet, singer, tracker coffee or writer, but then to make a living in a museum, a company of calefones or a patent office

Today, that two years after landing in Carrasco, I am convinced that the central difference and under Uruguayan: that the borders of their occupations are diffuse. That beyond the upper classes, whose members advance their plaster molds, and the poor hidden, they have no mental space to create, a huge expanse of grass is uncut scatters.

In the old continent it is rare to get out pattern, and the existence of "alternative options" is included in other structure. One can, in fact, be a hairdresser and take hallucinogenic mushrooms, but is likely to return home then ever and that their future prospects through to secure acceptance, a comfortable survival and madness released but believes that obeys, docile, a straitjacket accepted.

In Spain the pains are sung, the teatralizan, drunk or become ephemeral works of art, but almost always it falls apart when the alarm sounds Monday.

However, Uruguayan, it is painfully true, roams from one occupation to another, from one discipline to another, and occasionally you allowed to scream. I usually do unpredictably and quietly, It does as storms clean the air and remove fish stocks sea. Runs a gentle and deep cry that has nothing to do with that scream continued Mediterranean which is usually more strident, superficial.

Runs and integrates into their daily lives with something bare-chested and tied with anarchy and authenticity.

I think that, ultimately, those who are not from here were somewhat spellbound with those Uruguayans. Not so much for its ability to go running from one job to another or knowing knit, to make cakes, fix engines or dance, but because of its value to bring to the fore everything that smacks entails, disorder, chaos or emptiness that frightens both the Western world.

  • Share

Comments (3)

  • Carlos

    |

    Congratulations on this article. Precious. A delight to read you. Greetings

    Answer

  • thousand

    |

    Magnificent. I know this soft country but I q with these delicious notes well worth seeing. Acompañarias me to understand?5

    Answer

  • thousand

    |

    Magnificent. I know this soft country but I q with these delicious notes well worth seeing. Acompañarias me to understand?

    Answer

Write a comment