So, such nice weather we are having,eh?

‘Wise men speak because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something’
But where does SMALL TALK fit in?!?’
I would definitely fit into the fool category I think. Four separate, sticky situations:

1. Meeting new people travelling, one consistently has the same conversations. I wish we could have t-shirts like we had in university fresher’s weeks stating where we are from/what we are doing/ how long we are staying for, consequently we wouldn’t be required to have these, at times, mundane conversations. In fact, I can say this small talk rather well in Spanish now as I have said it over 767 times - approximately. I should probably stop there while I am ahead in my game.

2. It is always awkward when you see old acquaintances, ‘we MUST do coffee’, even though we are both aware that this won’t happen. A face saver, the I don’t know what to say phrase, at the end of the small talk conversation. Then awkwardly when we see each other again, the same thing surpasses, ’must get round to that drink’. Maybe a head nod is best and moving on and over.

3. The Argentines are friendly, almost unnaturally so at times. They make conversation with you in queues, at the bank, waiting for the bus, in cafes, even at the blimming traffic lights. Recently after an Argentine Lady was (small)talking to me in a café’s queue, we said our goodbyes. However then her food was delayed, alas she stayed by me. So what do we do now? We have said our goodbyes, conversation has been exhausted, and this is simply all rather bizarre now.

4. I am really not very up to date with recent bands. Again I sound like a pensioner, anyway recently when sharing an IPod with a new ‘friend’ (well, apparently we only have 5 actual friends in our life so after knowing him an hour, I best not jump the bullet there), he started acting surprised I hadn’t heard of these bands. Subsequently, I had to lie to restore my music cool connaisance image , this gets complicated though. If the conversation proceeds, I have to know whether the artist is dead or alive, what my favourite song is, and if I am particularly unlucky where the artist is from also may enter the conversation. I grab the iPod, and switch it to my all time ‘fave’ song on the album. Which I haven’t actually, exactly, heard before.