3 OUTSIDERS 5 FRIENDS

"Number 5 people are alert, insightful, and curious. They are able to concentrate and focus on developing complex ideas and skills. Independent, innovative, and inventive, they can also become preoccupied with their thoughts and imaginary constructs. They become detached, yet high-strung and intense. They typically have problems with eccentricity, nihilism, and isolation. At their Best: visionary pioneers, often ahead of their time, and able to see the world in an entirely new way."

This is the story of a young tourist in Berlin. A number 5, by the way.  

This 5 guy arrived to Germany a few days ago from the Canaries. The cold has been killing him these days back. "This is not even cold in Berlin," said his friend, a Swiss boy number 5 as well. "I don´t know man. I'm freezing here and I just brought my Spanish slippers and this thin sweater. I'm going to die here!"

Two days later, finally, they went for a walk. After two or three days of isolation from the outside world. That real world, which continues and moves. A street that seems to be a virtual set from the window and that seems made for us as part of us and not we part of it. As if those lives were only part of ours and just when they disappear from our view, they die. This number 5 realized once outside that the weather was much nicer in the real world than inside the (un)real room. It was true that the morning dawned beautiful and pleasant that day but, "how could be possible to be in short sleeves outside and for being inside you need a polar coat?" Then this number 5 had a topic of conversation for a while. So, these two 5 friends went to some free market where they would meet another 5 - A guy from Pune, India. The 5 Swiss guided, trying to orient himself with his Smartphone's GPS, and the 5 Canarian followed him, absorbed in his new application for iPhone - A software for filming images with cartoons filters.

Back home after a long morning, after a few 5 conversations, these three 5 friends went to an outdoors museum in some very-long-and-complicated-German Strasse. Very nice. A Swiss, a Canarian and an Indian. Three 5 friends enjoying, each in their own way, this cultural evening. The Canarian and the Swiss were making photos. "Tourists", one told the other one. The Canarian was shooting with his new application. Now the sky, now some building with a graffiti, now a dog who picks up a ball and returns it to his master, oh! A lady with glasses has crossed the shot - Spontaneous art. But after half an hour in the park-museum, this number 5 thought "Where the hell are we?" and he went to one of his friends. "Chris, this is very beautiful but, what is it?"

Jordi Boldú. Berlin, September 12, 2011.