Monday, April 28, 2008

How I met my honey


CanadaIt's hard to believe it, but it was in 1987 (21 years ago). I was 20, and I was living just outside Buenos Aires. I had joined a choir conducted by Roberto Luvini, that was based in Vicente López (a nearby city). We would rehearse on Wednesday and Sunday nights, from 8:30 to 10:30 PM (well, we're Argentines, we're night people).

One day, my friend Juan Pablo came with a girl whom he introduced. Her name was Gabriela; he had met her aunt while he was working (he used to sell insurance policies then). There was a piano in the living room, so JP asked about it. Gaby's aunt said that it belonged to her niece, and that Gaby was not only an accomplished piano teacher, but also a fine singer, so Juan Pablo invited her to join our choir.

Gaby is the first from the left, I'm the one holding his belly (we were already married when this picture was taken)

Gabriela was a little shy, but she had a great voice, so Roberto welcomed her and asked her to join the soprano section. I took some interest in her, because I could see she was a kind and sensitive person. We became friends almost instantly, and I was one of the few who noticed that she wasn't feeling too welcomed by the rest of the 'girls'. I remember that we had a group session in which we addressed this 'clique' problem. Gaby cried, the other girls cried, it was a big mess. But I remember I spoke in her defence that day.

The months passed, and we got closer. Still, I soon started dating another girl in the choir. Well, Gaby was my friend...

My brother came back from the USA to get married in September of 1988, and me and my choir sang in the wedding. In what would become an incredible coincidence, Gaby was the one chosen to sing Gounod's Ave Maria that day. She sang at my brother's wedding exactly two years before we started dating! It's so odd to watch her singing in the wedding video...

As I said, it wasn't after two years later that we started dating (I wrote about it already). Since we were such good friends, there was no need to get to know each other in depth. It's like we knew we were made for each other, and we got married within a year and a half. It's been 16 years last Thursday.

Like in almost every case, I got to meet my honey by pure coincidence (and a nosey aunt). I thank God every day for that.



Argentina
Es difícil de creer, pero fue en 1987 (hace 21 años). Yo tenía 20, y vivía en las afueras de Buenos Aires. Había entrado en un coro que era conducido por Roberto Luvini, y estaba basado en Vicente López (una ciudad cercana). Ensayábamos los miércoles y domingos de 8:30 a 10:30 PM (hey, somos argentinos, vivimos de noche).

Un día, mi amigo Juan Pablo trajo una chica a la que nos presentó. Su nombre era Gabriela; el había conocido a su tía mientras trabajaba (el vendía pólizas de seguros entonces). Había un piano en la casa, por lo que JP preguntó. La tía de Gaby le contó que pertenecía a su sobrina, que no sólo era una muy buena profesora de piano sino que también una gran cantante, por lo que Juan Pablo la invitó a unirse al coro.

Our first 'official' picture together (Necochea, October 1990)

Gabriela era un poquito tímida, pero tenía una hermosa voz, por lo que Roberto la invitó a unirse a la sección de sopranos. A mí me cayó bien de entrada, porque pude ver lo atenta y sensible que era. Nos hicimos amigos casi inmediatamente, y yo fue uno de los pocos que notó que ella no se sentía muy bien acogida por el resto de las 'chicas'. Recuerdo que tuvimos una especie de sesión grupal, en la que discutimos este problema de que las chicas fueran un grupo tan cerrado. Gaby lloró, las chicas lloraron, fue un desastre. Yo recuerdo que hablé en su defensa ese día.

Los meses pasaron y cada vez éramos mejores amigos. Sin embargo, yo comencé a salir con otra chica del coro. Bueno, Gaby era mi amiga...

Mi hermano volvió de USA para casarse en Septiembre de 1988, y yo canté en la ceremonia religiosa junto con mi coro. En lo que se constituiría en una coincidencia increíble, Gaby fue la elegida para cantar el "Ave Maria" de Gounod ese día. Cantó en la boda de mi hermano exactamente dos años antes de que nosotros comenzáramos a salir juntos! Es tan extraño verla cantar en el video del casamiento...

Como dije, no fue sino hasta que pasaron dos años que comenzamos a noviar (ya escribí sobre el tema). Como éramos tan buen amigos, hubo poca necesidad de conocernos más a fondo. Sabíamos que estábamos hechos el uno para el otro, así que nos casamos apenas un año y medio después. De esto ya ha hecho 16 años el jueves pasado.

Como en la mayoría de los casos, conocí a mi amor por pura coincidencia (y una tía metida). Se lo agradezco a Dios cada día.

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24 comments:

  1. What a lovely story! Thank you so much for sharing.

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  2. Aww, what a cute couple! You both look exactly the same :)

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  3. Great love story ... I like your pictures too!
    16 years goes by quickly doesn't it?

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  4. I can almost hear the music now! I love how music brings people together.

    Thanks for stopping by to read my story.

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  5. Hola! And well met. So how did an Argentine wind up in Canada? If I may ask?

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  6. the planet of janetApr 29, 2008, 8:32:00 AM

    oh, that is sweet!

    music is a wonderful "uniter" :-)

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  7. What a lovely story! Wonderful when you meet through shared interests.

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  8. What a sweet story. Sometimes friends make the best mates! :-D I know I can certainly count T as a friend---even though we were definitely everything else to each other first!

    Thanks for the visit!

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  9. Brought together with music. Beautiful!

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  10. Sweet story! Did you sing at your own wedding?

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  11. Jenny - Thanks
    Biddie - You sure we still look the same? :-)
    Karen Meg - It seems like yesterday sometimes, and like forever others. But it's always good.
    Nancy - There's definitely a lot of music at home! :-)
    Lceel - No problems with your question. You might want to read my "Coming to Canada" story. I explain it all there.
    Fianna - It's great. And we still have many.
    Allison - Our friendship is still there, but you're right, we're everything else first.
    Kathryn - Thanks, I also thing it's a beautiful thing.
    Bren - Actually, no, we didn't. But we picked all the music and had our own choir performing for us. It was great.

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  12. That is such a sweet story!!

    Thanks for coming by my blog!

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  13. yea another love story centered around music!

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  14. Thank God for coincidences and nosy aunts. Truly. Thanks for sharing your story... :)

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  15. What a beautiful story! I love that you were friends first. It gives me hope in humankind.

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  16. Great story, I never got around to check yesterday like I wanted to, but I hope mine will last 21 years!

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  17. Jean at Penny LaneMay 2, 2008, 12:15:00 PM

    Very nice story.
    I wish you both many more happy years together.
    I wish your entire family a happy and blessed life with good health and plenty of laughter.

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  18. What a lovely story. Wish you both the best. I am still waiting for my honey :)

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  19. What a lovely story. Wish you both the best. I am still waiting for my honey :)

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  20. What a lovely story. Wish you both the best. I am still waiting for my honey :)

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  21. What a lovely story. Wish you both the best. I am still waiting for my honey :)

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  22. What a lovely story. Wish you both the best. I am still waiting for my honey :)

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  23. What a lovely story. Wish you both the best. I am still waiting for my honey :)

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  24. What a lovely story. Wish you both the best. I am still waiting for my honey :)

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