[I hesitate as I am thinking about this post; this could increase the stress level!]
Have you heard of the "Six degrees of Kevin Bacon"? How about the small world concept? That's where the original Six degrees of separation are from. It says that only takes six connections (people that know each other) to get from any person in the planet to you.
I ran into a friend that I haven't seen in several years and we start talking about mutual friends, he knows the guy of the "Maguma taishu" story so I ask about him and when he tells me where he is working I start saying: "Oh, fulano and zutano (*) work there too", and then think to myself, why I have never contacted him, trough them? I should not, but I am still amazed that even with the 6 billion plus people IT REALLY IS A SMALL WORLD.
Case in point #1
A coworker in a Dutch company I worked for was telling me this story about when he lived in Brazil; he stayed there for a couple of years and lived in a condo with his wife. Eventually he discovers that there is another US couple living there, he goes to say hi and during conversation everybody discovers that they were born in the same small town in Wisconsin and my friend knows their families well. Of course is unusual, what are the odds?
Case in point #2
We visited Mexico City every summer (on our way to Veracruz) and every year we found at least one of my father students, where do you think? In the freaking subway!! (Called METRO in Mexico City). Every year, we would be going about our businesses and then somebody would call my dad and start a conversation. An old student. That even happened here in Tijuana several times (and my hometown is really tiny, I participated in a census in 1985 and there were only 5000 people living there).
The clincher.
I met my two best friends (hello there if you are reading!!) at college in Guadalajara, we really started being friends in our fourth semester, but we developed a really strong bond. One of the is from Sinaloa (no surprise there, we Sinaloans are everywhere!!!) and this story is related to him (**). In our last semester (8th) I went to visit him and got to meet his dad. His parents were separated and I have never met his father. He was from the north part of Sinaloa, so he starts asking me about my last name, I tell him and he starts asking about if I am related to some people there. I say "no, my father is from Veracruz, but my mother is from north of Sinaloa", so if he knows people with my mothers maiden name I could be related to them (but I am thinking that the name is very common and there is NO WAY he will find my relatives) (***). Here is the conversation:
Mr. S.: Where do your parents and grandparents live?
me: Where they have lived since they move because of the dam construction
Mr. S.: I know some people with your mother's name, but they live in this other town
me: What are their names? (because I DO HAVE relatives there)
Mr. S.: They are two brothers, that used to work at my father' store; one is named XX...
me (interrupting): and the other is named YY, but everybody call him YYón because he is very tall and his brother is also very tall.
Mr. S.: Yes, they are very tall.
me: Well, you have the names right but the wrong town. XX is my great-uncle and YY is my grandfather.
What are the odds???
I took the time to calculate them; if you know the right connections it only take each one of us to know 50 people to cover the entire population. Isn't it amazing? I know it has to be different people for each one, but, I have over 550 people in my current agenda; and this is without my ex-students, my parent's friends that I also know and a lot of people that I have no further contact with... to me it is really interesting.
See you around.
(*) Fulano, Zutano and Mengano is Mexican/Spanish for generic names, what-his-name or something like it. I like this better than what's-his-name. Maybe you can also use Masiosare.
(**)My other best friend is from Colima, I have an uncle living there; yes we are connected trough my aunt (she knows his mother).
(***) In Mexico and other Spanish speaking countries women do not change name when married; sometimes people would add the "de XXX" (like property, my wife actually goes ballistic when somebody calls her like that!!) but they keep lastnames.
Six
6 days ago
2 comments:
tee hee!
I think it might be connected to being connected to a teacher. This infuriates Maria! For years she has managed to go around, anonymously, in Tijuana, never meeting anyone. And then I arrived!
Since then, it has been impossible to go anywhere without bumping into a student/parent/someone who recognises me. Case in point: on Wednesday, we were in San Diego, in a Target, on Palomar. Out of nowhere, two children appeared, running, hugged me, ran off! We were in a different country!!!
We have thought, seriously, of getting badges (pins) made with: I spotted Mr. Kay on them. However, this would turn out to be very expensive, as we would hand out three, on average, a day. Oh, and your family would already own a set!
Maria will tell you that there is a huge downside to this. That huge downside is "mums". Where as before she could go around in jeans, trainers, and without her "face on". Now, she has to be in heels with full "war paint" on. You should ask her about the time she got hit with a supermarket trolley (repeatedly) by a mum, trying to force her out of the way, just to talk to me!
p.s. Not that I want to open any old wounds but...did you set up your wife's email account? 'Cos it seems to have your name involved in it :^)
...light the blue touch paper and retire...
Yes, that is what I also think. My parents together should have taught 60 different years (30 kids in each year), 1800 people. Plus parents and relatives and on and on.
I suffered the same fate, with different problems. But when I started to drive or go out I could not do anything wrong. My father will be informed immediately!! I hated that!!
And, according to my wife, there is a difference between using my last name (the English way) and being called "de J.A."
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