Everything Can Be Done Mañana in Colombia
Things were plodding along fine, Alba would disappear at regular intervals with her mother or sister, often both, to go and check out wedding dress designers, buy the ubiquitous wedding magazines and so on. I know that she had her heart set on something designed by Colombian celebrity designer Hernan Zajar, but, well, this plan has since dissipated.
In truth the real situation is that I have felt a little distant from the whole wedding shebang at present, there has been so much going on, so much to deal with at the hotel and too many deadlines that I have rather willingly left all the organisation to Alba. And, of course, since my family and friends are so far away I am not continually receiving people and talking about the event. I get the occasional email asking after everything and then I can get back to the job in hand. I have deliberately not signed into my Skype account.
Alba of course is neck deep in wedding plans. And, only the other day she raised the idea of changing the venue for the reception and dinner. I had thought that our first choice, Cartagena’s Julio Turbay Convention Centre was set in stone as we both had liked it. Let me just set the scene to banish any thoughts of the London Arena or the Commonwealth Institute.
Cartagena’s convention centre is situated equidistant between the beautiful section of the colonial old city and within a stone’s throw from the church we have booked, the Iglesia de la Tercera Orden. Guests could easily walk the 55 paces to the reception without getting lost, without being harangued by street vendors and without getting sun burn. Our reception and dinner and merry making would be on the terrace overlooking the Caribbean, the bay and the Ciudad Vieja, pretty special you’ll admit.
But, apparently, Alba’s sister has a friend (a local healer called Johnny) who has a friend who works in the hotel that we both liked as the venue and she in turn could possibly offer us a good rate. It would be far more intimate at this hotel.
It’s just that it sounds so convoluted and far-fetched and tenuous.
But, then, that is how things are done here.
Slim connections and workable yet unfeasible deals. Perhaps this is best put by Donald Rumsfield: “There are known knowns. These are things we know that we know. There are known unknowns. That is to say, there are things that we know we don’t know. But there are also unknown unknowns. There are things we don’t know we don’t know.”
Yes, it is all as clear as mud. And of course, it will all pan out fine.
All the while I am beginning to feel a little bit guilty for not having done really anything. I did stroll into a tailor’s shop the other day and ask after a suit, but they didn’t make the type I am looking for and that is as far as I have got.
But, I am not that lazy, there are other things to think about. I have the hard sell on getting my friends and their wives to bin their pre-arranged summer holidays and come to Colombia. For this reason we have set up a blog site, in addition to this fine example, with info on how to get to Colombia, why you should come, further points to travel to etc etc. I hope in coming days to draw up a map of danger areas identifying how far they lie from Cartagena, clothes advice for the wedding (tuxedos nor tailcoats are the norm) and of course information about hotels. You can see the site here http://mccolltorreswedding.wordpress.com/
Oh and we have the meeting with the person who is making the wedding bands this evening. I would be happy with a shorn off piece of copper piping.
But as they say here, mañana…..there’s no rush.
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