Sin Tecnologia

 So on my way home from buying a microwaveable pizza Sunday afternoon, I stopped at this spot I spotted out weeks ago to smoke at and today I smoked at it. Ha. And somehow there way a tiny little spider that fell from my sunglasses that I had on. Like, hey bro - how’d you get on my sunglasses? Lol. Musta walked through a spider web and he was down with the vibe. But like, leave me alone little spider and well, all insects and arachnids, thanks. 

So since I got to smoke, that also means I got to go to Madrid this past weekend and with no cellphone because my phone was already broken but now it’s completely done-zo but that’s okay, I went anyway because I remember exactly the journey to the pot shop and I didn’t really need it. Mercedes thought I needed a phone though and tried to find one she once had and when Alfonso found it hidden at the bottom of some wooden drawer in their home office, the screen was smashed. Plus, I told her I didn’t need it and honestly really didn’t feel like waiting for it to charge and it wouldn’t work without WIFI anyway and most importantly, my music isn’t on it so pleaseeee let me just keep it moving. I made up my mind already that I thought it would be good for me to disconnect completely anyways. Mercedes told me I was really strong in my standings and gestured a fist into her other hand. Yes, exactly. The only reason why she was even able to do too much in this moment is because I was nice enough to ask her if she needed me to take any trash out on my way to the bus stop. In Spain, they have dumpsters instead of individual garbage bins but also they recycle so there’s a dumpster for paper and one for plastic and then one for “organic” waste. Some of them are even underground where you open up a silver door using a handle (think like a blue USPS mailbox on the road but bigger and silver..) and throw your trash into it and it goes underground like a fucking portapotty but for trash. Anyways, so I was going to walk by one so I asked if she had anything to go out and then she became way too concerned, which was sweet and all, but I’ve got this.

And so off I went to Madrid with no cellphone but instead a book and of course a pen. On the bus ride that I didn’t block out with my own choice of music, I heard Livin’ On A Prayer by Bon Jovi and that was really weird because I randomlyyyy started singing that the night before. If I had my phone, I would have missed that connection. So weird. The next song that played was a Spanish song.

So Torrelaguna is the first stop on the way to Madrid so not many people get on the bus at first. But for whatever reason, some kid decided to sit in the spot directly in front of me out of 9483250239 other open seats. Like come on bro. And for a moment I was annoyed but then later, I opened my water bottle that had a mango flavored Rockstar in it and I forgot that when I put energy drinks in it and open the straw part, the liquid bursts out because of the carbonation. And so I opened it, and it squirted on the kid in front of me. LMFAOOOOO!! No lies. And see, so now I’m watching this kid wipe off my energy drink from his neck. I’m done. I laughed to myself and thought “that’s what he gets for sitting right in front of me when he seriously didn’t have to.” It was totally an accident on my part but, ha.

I made it to Madrid. Whew. Then I confidently made it to the pot shop because I think I’m better at directions when I’m alone and need to be and also definitely when walking as opposed to driving. Mercedes is probably at home freaking out that I didn’t at least write down her number to take with me but she needn’t worry. She also asked how I knew where I was going and I didn’t mention weed but I mentioned Cuatro Caminos which I actually learned on this day is a super popular shopping area because after I left the pot shop, I walked toward McDonalds this time because there were those cool lights hanging up from lamp post to lamp post. These ones were square but tilted so they were kind of like square diamonds and I bet they light up at night. And so that’s how I chose to walk that way and good thing too because I found one of my favorite Japanese shops, Mini So, and was able to get both Sofia and Juan cute little things in here for their birthdays. Solid. 

So Saturday at the pot shop, when I first got inside, the girl was preparing some wax, which I’m thinking is likely for herself because she just got to work. But then she offered some to me and I used the word “claro” in a setting for the first time and the girl, wearing a skin tight, spandex dress, laughed because she knows I don’t speak much Spanish. So we went downstairs together, which I wasn’t brave enough to do by myself the first time that I came here a few weeks ago and probably still wouldn’t have ventured down the stairs today if she wasn’t bringing me there to take a dab.. There was a pool table and a foozeball table andddd an electronic dart board! Yes! I fuckin’ love darts. Oh right - also there was a table with some device hooked up to it where you can take dabs without having to use a torch lighter because the machine does all the work. I don’t really know, I don’t really dab because I like to smoke blunts and can’t travel with a bong but also I’ll smoke whatever so I got a couple of free dabs and bonded with the worker of the pot shop without really speaking all that much cause the both of us can’t speak the other’s native language. We laughed a bunch and then she went back upstairs to get me darts and I shot almost a bullseye on my first throw. And so this made me sentimental about darts and the electronic machine didn’t turn on and I wanted it to keep my score because I like to win so I continued to just smoke instead and reminisce about all of the amazing people I’ve met through playing darts. I wrote a note on a receipt to find a way to contact my old roommate from my first year in Korea, Justin. He is ten years older than I, the reason why I play darts in the first place, and he uses absolutely no social media but will maybe check his KakaoTalk once a year. So now I have to somehow find where in the country side of England he’s hiding out and find out how to contact him. You see, moving to Korea in 2014 easily changed my life from negative to positive and I spent most of my time my first year there with Justin, who not only was my roommate but also my co-worker. His British banter reminded me to not be so angry at the world. He had already lived in Korea for about 7 years at the time and ultimately stayed for 10. I was about 23-24 when I first met Justin and him and his best friend, David Nam (who is Korean), were creeping up to age 37 at this time. I somehow always find myself becoming the greatest of friends with people who happen to be much older than me.. in age though, not in life knowledge. Justin is British so obviously he likes to drink beer more than he should and his partner in crime who somehow speaks English with a British accent is a big fan of gin and tonics. So the three of us became best friends and hung out every single night and sometimes into mornings eating KBBQ at different spots and then ending up at this bar called The Doghouse where you could smoke inside, they had mango beer, and then of course there was the electronic dart machine that made me a beast at playing darts. I still can’t ever beat Justin but sometimes I come close so I know I’m that good. Hahaaaa. Shoutout to Yangsan.

So anyways, the couch where I was sitting had a wall directly across from it with some mirrors in the form of the THC molecule or element or whatever. And then there was a white piece of paper with the WIFI password but obviously I didn’t need that today. And it’s behind this wall that the table with the dab device is at. So next, the juicy but cutesy girl comes back downstairs but this time she is with two guys who must have just come into the shop. I love Saturdays here. One guy almost died taking a dab and I was dying at this guy who had no idea there was someone else down here listening. Then I wondered if the girl gets to take dabs all day and how many she actually does take. And then I smoked a pre-roll and thought about it’s crazy how things in life are connected and got caught up in my head for a while like I tend to do. But then I heard more and more people coming into the shop so I decided it was time for me to go and on my way out, the girl gave me 2 small yellow colored gummies for free, which later I concluded down to a business proposal - well in my head. LOL! To make gummies, you need to make tincture first. And you can tell these aren’t superrr professionals (not like I’m a professional but..) because in order to make THC tincture, you need to make it with alcohol and then you actually boil off the alcohol and if you don’t boil it down enough, you can taste the alcohol still. This is a skill I perfected through lots and lots of experimenting during Covid times. When I first started, my skull shaped chocolates definitely tasted like alcohol just like these gummies do. But after a few times, I got it right and am now definitely a THC tincture connoisseur (and also like to make infused coconut oil and THC margaritas…) so I intend to ask more questions about their products and offer my wisdomly advice using some simple, dimple charm and I just see nothing but opportunities for myhustlerself. 

Mannnnnnn, good thing I waited to get back to Torrelaguna to eat the gummies because they were definitely dank. Next time I go, I’m going prepared with my questions that I will have already translated into Spanish. You’ll never know the answer to a question if you don’t ask it. Life can be surpirsing sometimes, but only if you’re brave enough. ;)

And so this morning (it’s now Monday), I asked Mercedes if her academy is still registered because if it is, I can likely get a visa this way and won’t need to leave in November. Mercedes said the process is difficult but I told her my life is pretty difficult so I’m good at this stuff and she told me to talk to Aunt Cris. I told her it’s probably just a little long of a process and it’s probably not all that difficult if you’re willing to take the steps and if she wants me to stay, which I know she does, then this is the best bet. Me and Aunt Cris will somehow figure it out together, no worries Mercedes. But also this town has a lot of abandoned buildings and when I was smoking in my new spot yesterday, I thought about what it would take to purchase one…high hopes, if you will.

I’m reading some book about time by Mitch Albom and not knowing the time yesterday somehow felt so relevant. And so freeing. Life is wild, stay awake!