55. When I Played 2v2 with Kobe
- Dylan Smith
- Dec 25, 2022
- 2 min read
Day 55
Location 14: Barcelona
Dec. 25, 2022
Every year growing up I'd hope for a white Christmas. And every year, it wouldn't snow on December 25th. Today, funnily enough, in Barcelona, I got a special treat:
It was warm and sunny and didn't snow. I felt right at home!
The nice weather served as a perfect excuse for me to continue my side mission of playing basketball in every city. I played 2v2 alongside a Filipino kid against some Spanish locals. I asked my teammate his name and the answer took me by surprise: "Kobe". After a few seconds of trying to convey with a blank stare that this was a startling name in the context of pickup basketball, we played and won three straight games. Even now, Kobe's greatness persists, I guess. RIP.
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl is a perfect movie. It has action, adventure, comedy, great quotes, and the opportunity for librarian-seducing Halloween costumes.
So when I explored Barcelona and happened upon a pirate ship, I had no choice but to immediately open Spotify and play He's a Pirate from the film's soundtrack. The fact that it was Christmas was serendipitous because, for me, it was a religious experience. God bless Bootstrap Bill.
While looking out at the divine ship, a woman asks me for the time. Which is odd, but I figure ok, she doesn't use a smart phone. Or hers is dead. Either way, after some polite exchanges, she gets the message that I'm not in the mood to chat. A few seconds later, though, she does something very strange right in front of me. She. Pulls. Out. Her. Phone. And she's using it. It's not dead, it works, and it most certainly has the current time. So now, you and I have the pleasure of examining the psychology of this woman. Clearly, she used the "do you have the time?" (which on its own a weird way to phrase that question. Its sounds unnecessarily formal like an old-timey British toymaker) as a conversation starter. But, then it naturally follows to wonder why she'd use a conversation starter that's so conspicuous. Why not say "where are you from?" or just "it's such a pretty boat" to which I would, of course, pick up on her movie reference and respond in kind: "No, it's such a pretty ship." Oh, you thought we were done discussing the sacred Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl? You thought wrong.
