"Sorry I'm so blunt, doctor, but I can'!" "believe it!" " Since my divorce, I haven'!" "stopped..." " It happens." "When I was younger," "I couldn't get any girls." "It was impossible." "Women ignored me completely." "I was scared of them and vice versa." "I was sort of the invisible man." "I didn't exist." "Now everything comes so effortlessly, like an anthropology study." "Honestly," "I'm scared shitless." "Of STDs, of getting involved with some crazy chick, and of many other things." "What I fear the most is having another kid." "That's why I want to get it done." "I've thought about it." "You've told me it's a simple procedure." "I want to get a vasectomy." "You may meet a woman and change your mind." "It happens." "Think about it." "I'm so tired of going all in whenever I'm with a woman." "It's like poker." "I play a bit." "As a sport, I play online." "It's under control." "It's not an addiction..." "ALL IN" "I said it was your birthday cause the aquarium had a special offer." "You must seize your opportunities." "Know what a special offer is?" "It's something that's all set up, you can'!" "choose." "This special offer didn't include fish." "I promise I'll get them for you." "I'll go to the aquarium, put them in a plastic bag, and we'll put them in the tank together." "I'll ask German to take care of it." "So you should be happy." "We got the big fish tank." "Why don'!" "you believe what I'm telling you?" "Because I can't." "Don't lie about my birthday ever again!" "I see, we'll only have fake fishes." "Will you close the door, Sarita?" " Good morning, sir." " How are you?" " Good morning, rabbi." " Hi." "Let's go, Otto!" "I'll race you to the candy bowl!" "Hey, guys." "How's the value?" "Off to a firm start, now it's up five points." "A check from Plaza Chaco." " The discount for 30 days?" " For whom?" " Gallardo." " 1.5 points." " He got a divorce?" " Yes." "Ask about his wife's alimony." "The Jewish charity called." "Tell them 400, but I can'!" "make the dinner." " Sonia." "How are you?" " Sir." "Thanks." "Home sweet home." "What's up, German?" "Kids, we're doing origami today." "Sarita, help me." "Can you do the clown fish?" "How did you learn origami?" "An Asian girlfriend taught me lots of stuff." "Sonia, bring us tea and cookies." " An easy one." " Nothing's easy." "I have Barber's lOUs." "He wants US Dollars." " Barber Junior?" " No, Senior." "Okay." "Pay him then." "There you go." "Look, Dad." "German made the clown fish." "Good." "You're not even looking." "No reproaching, Sara." "Your mother had that nasty habit too." " It looks like a giraffe." " Good." "It's a clown fish without the..." "Hi, Patricia." "How are you?" "They're not coming with me today?" "But I've already got the groceries." "I have to bring them over now?" "No, we're about to start cooking." "What?" "I didn't take them to my office." "I told you I won't do that again." "Hold on." "The food's burning." " A boat." " A boat?" " Can a Jew be a musician?" " Yes, he can." "Ever heard of the band Kiss?" "I've got a structured deposit." "It's a convertible paying 12%, provided Greece doesn't default." "What?" "No." "German will bring them over." "Bye." "Talk to you later." "A Balerga says he knew your father." "How much for a conversion from Euros to US Dollars?" "I don'!" "know him." "Charge him extra." " Your old man had many friends." " Don't I know it?" "Dad, the money the gentleman had, whose is it?" "It's nobody's." " May I take it?" " No, "nobody" could get upset." "Bye." " See you, man." " See you." "Come." "I want to go back to Buenos Aires." "Yes?" "To visit your mom?" "No, my dad asked me to do something for him." " Are you coming with me?" " When?" " Tomorrow." " Tomorrow?" "Tomorrow is going to be tough." "I already made lots of plans..." " It's too soon for me." " I know." "It's tomorrow." "I have a lot of things to do." "The wake, the funeral, all that stuff." "Don't worry." "Nobody else will die on me." "I don'!" "know anybody else here, so unless you die..." "Well, I think if I can get everything done..." "Cut the French, will you?" "My father just died." "Stop it!" " Let me get my stuff sorted out." " Okay." " Let me get my stuff..." " Okay, do that!" " Sir, can you stop here, please?" " Relax." " Go ahead." " You're upset, it's normal." "Gloria." "Hi." " Where's my mom?" " She's at the radio." "She dedicated the show to you, wonderful opening words." "She's not coming, is she?" "Come, Gloria." "No, madam." "I'm no porter." "Tell her, Mr. Funes." "Funes?" "Are you using my mom's name?" "You got married." "No, he's an intern working with your mother." "He's new and got things mixed up." "# Literary Geographies..." "# In this minor work, the author tries to seduce us # with his misery, but it's not enough." "His ever-present presence on the covers of the literary supplements gives this maneuver away." "Octavio DE La Cruz..." "You're not a writer, but rather a man who writes." "That is, if writing is a trade." "# Literary Geographies..." "# A tour through Susan Funes' library." " Mom!" " Hello!" "A photo, a photo." "Where's Alganaraz, honey?" "I don'!" "know." "I picked up Gloria." "Alejandro was on to it." " Who's Alejandro, honey?" " The other intern." "So, we have the writers we deserve." "You're in!" "Your guest didn't come?" "Again, Susan?" "I haven'!" "prepared anything." "Play some more music." "# Her voice is in the air..." "All right," "Borges used to say, "Through the years," ""I've noticed both beauty and happiness occur quite often." ""Not a day goes by without us being, at least for an instant, in heaven."" "Sorry for being self-referential." "My daughter is back." "She's beauty in its purest form." "Hi, Mom." "Now, something more earthly." "You asked for him, you're interested." "He's on the air at all times." "He's like a member of our family." "How are you, Rafael Rabanaque?" "Very well, Susan." "Thanks for inviting me again." "It's a pleasure to be here with you." "# As we were saying..." " Are you staying?" " Yes, I think I'll stay for a while." "I have things to do." "Guys, go run over there." "I'll stay for a while." "I don'!" "know how long." "What do you have to do?" "I have to empty the house." " The one on Mendoza Street?" " Yes." " Your mom kept it after the divorce?" " Apparently not." " She mentioned it once..." " Stop it." "I was ten years old when they divided their assets!" "I don'!" "know who kept what." "Let's talk about fucking." "There's not much to tell." "I'm still with Ludovic." " The one with the goatee?" " Yes." " I've pooped myself." " Do you want an award?" " Did you wash your hands?" " He never does, just like his father." "Is he coming?" "If not, we'll find you someone." "He's coming." "I don'!" "know what'll happen, 'cause I'm not very..." " Shit!" "You'll cut yourself!" " It's okay." "Don't touch it!" "What were you saying?" "He'd talk to me in French, he knew about wines and took me to nice places." "The stuff you pay attention to when you're with a bad fuck." "A small one?" "No, that wouldn't matter." "If you push hard..." "Before you left, you were dating this guy you were crazy about." " What was his name?" " Who?" "I can'!" "remember his name, but he used to love going to motels." " Uriel Cohan." " Yes, him." "He was areal man." "A bit basic, though." "We got off the bed, we didn't know what to say." "Uriel Cohan." "It should be here." "A friend recommended it..." "I've never been to a motel before." "Believe it or not..." "I do believe you." "Same here." " Really?" " Really." "Can I get the triple, Lake Tower, pole room?" "This is the standard room." "It comes with towel origami." "This is sort of the brain of the room." "It controls the temperature." "This is for the food service." "You open this door." "The other door's shut, nobody sees you." "Orange juice, croissants, coffee." "These are the amenities." "You have to pay extra, but the one that's in the offer is very good." "We have shampoo, conditioner." "I love the deodorant." "I'll keep it." "There's something else I love, this sound." "It may seem weird, but listen." "Guys, you overslept." "Let's go." "Sarita." "Get up." "Get dressed." "We're..." "Everybody wake up." "Come on." "Get up." " Again, Dad?" " Again what?" "Here." "No, this one's yours." "We always oversleep when we're with you." " My teacher'll get mad." " We'll think of something." "We'll tell your teacher we were helping a puppy that'd been run over by a bipolar cabbie." "What's bipolar?" " We'll tell her we've been robbed." " We've been robbed, Dad?" " What's up?" " I'm counting." " Any trouble?" " The usual stuff." " How are you?" " Hi." "What happened?" "The currency fell?" "No, just Facebook." "They went bankrupt?" "You mustn't invest on the Internet." "No, I'm going crazy." "Every girl you ever met is here." "I'm going out with a classmate from kindergarten tomorrow." "A little redhead..." "Don't use Facebook." "It destroys families I never liked it." "So, is she there?" "Yes, she is." "Wanna see her?" " You have her there?" " Yes." "Where is she?" " Here, on Facebook." " I mean, for real." "People don'!" "live on Facebook." "Some actually do." " Does she have kids?" " No." " Facebook tells you that?" " No, I assumed it." "See?" "No pictures of her with kids." "Maybe they want to protect them." "Or to hook up." "You can'!" "tell 'cause you never had an account." "It's a waste of time." "I never really got it." "I've made up my mind." "I want to have the surgery, but I'm scared." "Not of the procedure." "What are you scared of then?" "Of losing my sexual potency." "This procedure won't make you lose potency." "Actually, some studies claim it increases your power." "You live more freely." "I still have doubts that are less academic." "Let's see if I can help." " Does it still come out?" " Yes, it does." "It does." " It has the same consistency?" " I don'!" "know." "I never checked." " What if I want to change it back?" " In most cases, it's reversible." "I can explain it to you." "This is the duct." "This is the prostate." "I don'!" "need so many specifics." "If you had to get it done, who would you choose to do it?" "There are various experts." "Doctor Souza's office is on Montevideo Street." "He's a master and my friend." "And someone far away from here?" "Far away from here." "I have a friend from school." "He's moved to Rosario." "He's great too." "I have this sort of work thing in Rosario this weekend." "Would it be too weird to mix both things?" "It's already mixed up." "Does it hurt?" "Does the procedure hurt?" "Emerson used to say:" ""Though we travel the world to find the beauty," ""we must carry it with us or we don'!" "find it."" "Enough, Mom, relax in the salon." "No one went to college here." "Enjoy yourself." " I don'!" "want to be frivolous." " I'm not saying that." "You are as frivolous as everybody else." "It's okay to come to the salon." " Like this color?" " Always need to talk smart?" " No, it's too different." " We'll mix it up." " Yes, do that." " With hazelnut." " When's your boyfriend coming?" " On Saturday." "Why?" " On Saturday?" " Why are you asking?" "I've been invited to present my book in Rosario." "I wanted to go with you." "It was a plan!" "Grabbing some lunch on the road, buying some grapefruits." "I can'!" "ask him to go to Rosario after a 12-hour flight." "It's good for a couple to be apart." "It gives them room to breathe." " Okay." " Okay what?" "I'll ask him to come." "He can hire a car and come over." " Any ideas, Miguel?" " That color is perfect." " Much better." "It's not hazelnut." " Yes, plus some highlights." "Having to tell the whole story again hurts." "We separated two days after the wedding." "It was a non-consummated marriage." "I filed for divorce, but as you know, the divorce decree will be implemented retroactively." "Technically speaking, I'm divorced, unless the law is different in Rosario." "If you give preference to couples..." "How does it work?" "I can still use the Honeymoon Special Offer, right?" "Do you want to have kids with your boyfriend?" "Don't go there again, Mom." "Time goes by and your ovules aren't as good." "Having kids makes you feel complete." "You talk like it was a sticker album." "What does it complete?" "Your ego?" "I'm fine, thanks." "Or maybe I'm not." "But having a kid won't make me feel better." "Let alone if it's a girl." "Do you feel complete?" "Maybe there's no chemistry with this boy." "He's not worth it if that's the case." "Either there is chemistry or there isn't." "Please, Mom." "Take Rafael, for example." "Once every two days." "And if the weekly average drops for some reason, he knows he has to make up for it over the weekend." "Your dad and I didn't have those problems." "Why are you telling me this?" "Too bad I have to present my book today!" "We could go for a walk instead." "Yes." "Can you cancel it?" " Yes, I can." " Really?" " Yes." " Yes?" "I'm just outside Rosario." "Yes." "I want to buy some grapefruits." "Where are those stalls?" "A man in my situation must face two types of women: the young ones." "I'm not talking underage." "Nothing illegal." "Just younger women." "It is nice." "Their skin, their clothes, the new trends, new words." "But the moment before is kind of sad." "They talk about their father, their father's wife." "They don'!" "like them." "Lots of assembled families." "Then, they'll want kids and the whole package:" "house, car, weekend plans, but I already have kids." "I can'!" "fit any more in." "My heart is like Tupperware." "There's no more room in it." "But that's not the only option." "Women who already have kids and have been married." "But I don't have much affection for somebody ease's kids." "I like kids." "My kids." "And they may want more kids." "There we go again." "Forget about older women." "Growing old together is easy." "It's like the horizon moving away from you on the road." "I'm sorry I'm talking too much." "I don'!" "feel good." "When I don'!" "feel good, I need to talk." "Dr. Weiss told me I could trust you and I tell him everything..." "What is it?" "Why are you still upset?" "You don'!" "get it." "I travel for ten hours." "I get to the airport." "A car is waiting for me, and when I think I'll be in your house within 15 minutes, no." "Your mother's intern makes me travel three more hours." "And on top of that, he makes sexual advances to me through the rear view mirror during the whole trip." "And you get me into this casino to listen to this stuff." "I love it." "It's the music I listened to when I was a kid." "Thanks." "Would you like anything else, ma'am?" "No, sir, I've already told you!" "Why are you so mean to that poor waiter?" "That's being mean?" "Aren't you a bit too sensitive, Ludovic?" "Did you come here to argue?" "I don'!" "want you to tell me how to treat people." "Enough!" "I came but that doesn't mean I'm staying." "Are you threatening me?" "Go away!" "Go back right now!" "I don't care." "I'm used to being alone." "I've always felt lonely." "Nothing will change for me." "You can go ahead and leave." "We're wasting our time here." "That's fine." "Again, Gloria, again?" " You'll ruin your makeup." " What?" " You'll ruin your makeup." " I don'!" "care about my makeup!" "Are you always worried about getting dirty?" "Is that why you don'!" "fuck me?" "Are you scared of feeling all sticky?" " Why are you saying that?" " Just go away!" "Hi!" "Hi!" " How are you?" " What's up?" " Hey!" "What's up?" " How are you?" " It's been ages." " Yeah, a thousand years!" "This is amazing!" "You always show up out of the blue." "You've changed." "Well, not that much." "But you do look different." "You look..." "Whatever." "Whatever?" "No, no, this is a bad time." "Was it the bearded guy who just left?" "Did you see him?" "I couldn't help it." "That goatee doesn't go unnoticed." "How do you kiss a guy like that?" " Why are you here, Uriel?" " I'm working." " At the casino?" " I promote shows." "I have a small company." "Last year, we brought Elton John and "Stomp," the guys who bang on cans." "That's great." "I always thought that after school, you'd follow..." "Your dad had this business..." "What was it?" "Yes." "Was it a travel agency?" "A finance company?" "The company provided services, right?" "I helped my old man for a while, but then I quit." "If I'd stayed there, I would've ended up living his life instead of mine." "Thank you, Rosario." "Don't say a word about this," "I'm organizing the comeback of The Trova Rosarina." "No way!" "For real?" "Baglietto and Garre already signed." "Goldin's in too." "Abonizio is the hard nut to crack." "He's been here in Rosario for 20 years." "The comeback of The Trova." "I can'!" "believe it." "I've lived abroad, but I never stopped listening to them." "And I would've never thought..." "Do you have any plans just now?" " Right now?" " Yes." "No plans at all." "I never pictured you with a bearded guy." "When I let my stubble grow, you complained." "I was much younger." "My tastes have changed." "Or maybe I just had bad taste." "You loved going to motels, having breakfast in rooms without windows, drinking lattes and eating croissants that tasted like cardboard." "You loved keeping the shampoo samples and the tissues." "I liked that and I kept them." "Some were funny, remember the one with painted ducks on the walls?" "We'd go there quite often." "Like you were taking me to..." "Whatever." "The truth is I never paid much attention to the decorations." "I only had eyes for you." "Where else could I take you?" "Some place outdoors." "A park." "Some place with windows." " I never went back to a motel." " Me neither." " Really?" " Never ever?" "You should've told me motels were the issue!" "No, it didn't matter at the time." " So?" " It began to matter afterward." " Why didn't you tell me then?" " Because it was too late." " I have kids." " What?" "Yeah, but I'm legally divorced now." "I pay their allowance." "Everything's in order." "Do they take after you?" "Yes, Sara takes after me and sometimes after her mom." "I don'!" "recognize her when she resembles her mother." "But Otto takes after me." "How do you get along with them?" "How do I get along with them?" "They're my kids." "I adore them." "We have fun together." "I need them." "It must get messy at times." "Lots of things to agree on." "Things you must let go of, right?" "Let go of what?" "I don'!" "get it." "Time for yourself." "Projects." "I never thought of it like that." "Is that why you don'!" "have kids?" "It's quite the opposite to me." "Not having kids is giving up everything, 'cause they're the only thing that matters, the only unchangeable thing." "Hey, I have to go buy some gifts for the kids." "Do you want me to come with you?" " Would you like to?" " Yes." " But should we mix things up?" " What?" "I'm done." "They like these." " I'll take them as is." " Look at these." "Yes, but they're for adults." "Kids like swords, balls, fluorescent stuff, dinosaurs." "I don'!" "have kids." "No, that's not why I said it." " It's okay." " I know, I know." " Games that..." " I wanted to tell you... but you're not listening." "I don'!" "have kids because I don'!" "want any." " You don't?" " No." "But I used to design toys like these when I lived abroad." "Green toys." "They don'!" "pollute." "That's cool..." "It wasn't just about the motels." "Why did you leave without a word?" "Don't you remember how you were?" "You were so inconsistent." " I couldn't anything you said." " Like what?" "Nothing, or everything." "Are you saying I was a liar?" "That was it?" " Let me put it differently." " I don'!" "know." "Sometimes you lie to be loved." "I really wanted to be with you." "I didn't know how to treat you 'cause I was just a kid." "We were both kids, Gloria." "But I was crazy about you." "I swear." "I don'!" "know if it showed but, you have to give the truth some time." "But I'm not reproaching you for anything." " Yeah, well..." " I wanted a boyfriend." "I wanted a boyfriend to take me out for walks, to cuddle with me like this at the movies." "I'd ask, "What time is it?" and he'd tell me." " Are you kidding me?" " No." "A guy who'd just stand with me at the bus stop." "We never did this in front of others." " Stand at the bus stop in the cold." " But you never..." "Or go to a party with friends, and talk to my boyfriend." " You should've told me!" " We never went bowling." " Bowling?" " Yes, bowling!" "Sure, you never called me." "Something to tell my friends." "How was I supposed to know?" "Whatever, it's been a long time." "We've changed." "Yes, you seem better to me." "More complete, bigger." "Bigger, like in grown-up." "But more, more..." "Whenever I hugged you, I'd feel you grow smaller in my embrace." "Now I feel that if I hugged you, you'd stay in my arms." "Do you get it?" "That's what I meant." " Do it." " What?" " Do it." " May I?" " Yes." " Okay." " Let's go." " Okay." " Good evening." " Hello." "I'm thirsty." "Let's go have a drink in your room." "My mom is in mine." "Susan." "How is she doing?" "Do you remember my mom's name?" "This doesn't count as a motel." "It has a window, right?" "No, this is a proper hotel." " Come in." " Yes, excuse me." "Is this for me?" "Or you did get married again?" "No, it was here in the room." "I couldn't let is pass by." "Didn't you want a drink, something?" "I'll get you one." "I'll be right back." "Whiskey?" "Sure." " On the rocks?" " Yes." " One ice cube?" " Okay." " Or maybe two?" " Okay." "These elephants were included in the offer?" "Yes, they were." "One of them is wearing a bandanna." "Or is blindfolded." "Yes, like the elephant..." " The wicked elephant." " Yes, the mean elephant." "I'm going to the bathroom." " Wait for me." " Okay." "I'll be right back." " Hello." " Dr. Weiss." "How are you?" "Uriel." "What's up?" " Any problems with the procedure?" " No." "It's the 24-hour sexual abstinence thing." "It is absolutely necessary for me to stick to it?" "It is." "Your urethra could collapse." "It's really painful." "Actually, you shouldn't even have an erection." "You have to protect the duct." "You might change your mind later on." "Raul, I won't change my mind." "Why don'!" "you tell the other person?" " Just do me one last favor, okay?" " Yes, whatever you want." "Will you give me a call?" "Write this number down." "You turned on the shower in there?" "This hotel is crazy." "Lots of taps." " I washed my hands in the shower." " All men are the same." "Why do you wash your hands so much?" "Who can it be this late?" "That's weird." "Hold on." "Hello?" "#" "It's called bluffing." "#" "Fontana, what's up?" "#" "Don't hang up, listen." "#" "Now?" "Abonizio changed his mind." "You want to do it now." "I'll be there soon." "Yes, yes." "I saw it." "Great show." "No, forget about it." "Money won't be a problem." "I'll see you soon, Fontana." "Bye." "Hang on..." "It was Abonizio's friend." "He says he's doing better." "He didn't want to sign, but now he does." " Right, great." " He has to sign right now." " Listen to me." " I'm off." "Gloria, I can't..." " I get it." " No, let me..." "You don'!" "have to explain." " Give me your number." " No, no..." "Please, Gloria, I don'!" "want you to think that..." "I'm not thinking anything!" "Call me when you're in Buenos Aires and stop by the radio, okay?" " Bye, professor." " Bye." "A lovely kid." "He's read so much." "Are you leaving?" "Weren't you expecting that boy from overseas?" "He's not a boy, Mom." "He has a goatee." "That was a boy you were trying to corrupt." " Where's your boyfriend?" " Gone." " Where to?" " We had a flight." "He left." "No chemistry." "See?" "Sometimes chemistry is not enough." "But it's fun!" "The poker tournament!" "A very noble activity." " Your father was a great poker player." " I remember he taught me to play." "Remember when he'd bring that piece of felt to bed?" "We knew it was special." " I don'!" "remember." " It was great, no?" "Guess who was an awesome poker player?" "Hemingway." "Over the top, but yet wonderful." " Bye, Mom." " Bye, Honey." "I'm in." "I pass." "I'll see." "Only one?" "# We'll finish the third round after a 15-minute break." "A whiskey, please." "Thanks." " What's that written on your cap?" " Mazal." "Is that an Israeli betting site?" "No, it's a kosher supermarket that's close to my synagogue." " Are you a rabbi?" " Yes." "Why?" "I just thought rabbis wore yarmulkes or those larger hats." "Whatever covers our head is fine." "It reminds us that He is above, and the rest of us are below." " And the sponsor?" " In between." " Isn't gambling forbidden?" " The Torah doesn't forbid it." "What you can'!" "do is gamble believing in chance." "Why not?" "Because your luck is your hands." " Excuse me." " Sure." "Go ahead." "Hello?" "Yes." "Okay." "God bless..." "Yes, Yes..." "Challah or dessert, which do you want?" "Challah?" "Challah it is." "Bye-bye." "I'm sorry." " Do you believe in chance?" " If you win the lottery." "And do you believe in luck?" "Know the Hebrew word for "luck"?" "No." "Mazal." ""M" for "Machon" or "place"," ""Z" dor "Zman" or "time"... and "L" for "Limud" or "study."" "Study is...?" "Studying is the most important." "Knowing what to do with this." "Do you know?" "I don'!" "think so." "Thanks." " Otto, those are not toys." " Cards can'!" "be used to play?" "No, those are poker cards." "My poker cards." "And poker is not a game." " What is it then?" " A sport." "A social sport." " Will you comb my hair?" " You comb mine." "I'm too tired." " How were the Koreans?" " Which Koreans?" " They had to bring the money." " That went well." "They brought the money, deal closed." "They brought it by plane?" "No, money is wired electronically now." "Otto, close the poker chips." "Put it back were it belongs." "Do as I say." "Where's the guitar I gave you?" "Why don'!" "you play it?" "Mom got him a bigger one." "Let me see it." "So, the guitar tutor's ugly, right?" "He has red hair all around here." "All around his mouth." "He has a sort of goatee?" " Yes." " Yes." "Play what you've learned." "You're sad." "Here's something for your sadness." "So, how did it go, Uriel?" "So-so." "On the one hand, it was fine." "I came home, saw the kids, sorted out some household issues." "I felt this sudden urge to find out how it worked." "So I chose two or three healthy partners and..." "All of them at the same time?" "No." "One at a time." "So, what was that didn't work out?" "What was the problem?" "I was with several girls, but only thought about one in particular." "Do you remember that girl I told you about?" "Yes, I do." "That girl who went away, who dumped you." " You worked like a clockwork together." " That girl, Gloria." "She came back, but went away again." " She went away?" "Again?" " Yes." "This time it's different." "I know why she left." "Now, that's a big step forward." "Do you think so?" "The key to success is not about knowing what you're doing right, but what you're doing wrong." "That rule applies to all disciplines." "Including poker?" "Poker is a sort of small behavior-analysis lab." "Real-life situations are recreated in the game." "And you have to choose." "I'm playing really well." "I've qualified for the finals in Rosario." "I didn't know you were playing so well." "Go ahead and show me what's in there." ""Full spermogram." "Physical exam:" "whitish color." "Opalescent aspect" "No." "The count?" "Yes. "Spermatozoid count." ""Negligible."" " Mobility?" " "Mobility." "Null."" "The kid is good at playing the guitar." "Yes, I think he's good." "He's still a bit green, though." " But I'm a bit concerned." " What about?" "His tutor." "Guitar tutors in general." "Lots of perverts around." "Weird people." "They work night shifts and give lessons to kids during the day." "Patricia knows his tutor." "They call him "Redhead."" "Redhead?" "Redheads are areal concern." "Not just that..." "Hey, what are you doing?" "Don't touch my brother's hair!" "Your brother?" "I thought you were a girl." "I'll check him out on Facebook." ".Dad!" ".Dad!" " What happened?" " Come." "What happened?" "That boy in the pirate costume pulled Otto's hair and said he's a girl." "Why?" "Who's the boy?" "That one." "The pirate." "The pirate?" "Let's go talk to his mom." " Should I go with you?" " No, I'll manage." "You should ignore him." "Will you punch him?" "No!" "We'll talk to her and everything will be fine." "Hey, excuse me." "Your son just pulled my son's hair." "Maybe he has anger issues, or gender differentiation problems." "He called him a girl and pulled his hair." "We've met before." " You look familiar but..." " You're the motel guy?" " Uriel." "I'm Uriel." " Cohen!" " Cohan." "Uriel Cohan." " Yes." "Cohan, right." "I'm Mariana, Gloria's friend." "Gloria's friend?" " Gloria told you about me?" " Yes, she did." "There she comes." "Dad." "Dad." "Dad!" " Tell her, Dad." " What should he tell me, honey?" "That your son punched mine." " But that's only normal." " No, it's not." " Yes, it's normal." " Hi." " Hi." " How are you?" " What are you doing here?" "I'm here to protect him." "They've pulled his hair and called him a girl." "He's Otto." "Hi, Otto." " Remember I told you...?" " Yes, I remember." "Who is she, Dad?" "A friend who Daddy cares about very much." "Dad, let's go to the water balls." "I know, Patricia." "They're supposed to be with me today." "But I'm asking you for a favor." "I have a dinner meeting with some Japanese guys who want to invest in my company." "I'm not far away." "I'm in the car." "No, don'!" "get dressed." "It's okay." "Aren't we staying with you?" "No." "Your mom misses you." " Redhead!" "Redhead!" " Careful, don'!" "get out yet!" "Sarita, wake up." "We're here." " Hi, Redhead!" " What's up?" " You're Uriel, right?" " Yes..." " Have you two met?" " He's my guitar tutor." " Patricia is having a shower." " Nice to meet you." "Let me get Sarita." "Sarita, wake up." "Don't worry." "I'll get her." " Bye, Dad." " Bye." " Bye, Sarita." " Bye." "See you later." "Tell Sarita..." " What's up, Otto?" " Nothing much." " Did you practice?" " The Green Day song." " That's a tough one." " I can play it." "Can you play it?" "That's a tough one." "Well done." "Rosario was a misunderstanding." "You don'!" "have to explain yourself." " I'd rather you didn't." " I did want to be with you." " Okay." " Of course I did." " Okay." " Why wouldn't I?" " Okay." " Hold on." "I had some, let's say, technical difficulties, a situation..." "How can I put it?" "Look." "Imagine this is my prostate." "This is my urethra, right?" "It may sound weird, but it's really cool." "I found it on the Internet." "I'd had surgery that day." "They cut here." "It's called vasectomy." "That's why I couldn't have..." " Is this for me?" " Yes." " I want you to understand." " Why didn't you tell me?" "You left without warning many years ago." "Does it hurt?" " Everything hurts." " But why?" " Why does everything hurt?" " Why did you get a vasectomy?" "Because you can change it back." "And it's permanent." "There are other precautions." "You didn't need to go this far." "You don'!" "get it." "Let me try to explain." "The only possibility..." " You're eating the urethra." " Sorry." "I wanted to avoid the only possibility of doing it all over again." "I don'!" "want to have to choose all the time." "Choose a name, a school, their friends." "I'm sick of choosing." "I don't want to choose anything." "They're in that limbo, that undisturbed nothingness and we bring them to this chaos." " That can'!" "be changed back, right?" " Right." "Once they're here, you can'!" "just say," ""I've made a mistake." "I'll send them back."" "You can'!" "do that." "That's what I don'!" "want." "You've changed your mind, you said not having kids was giving up on everything." "No." " You've changed your tune." " No, I haven't." " You have." " I still feel the same." "Yes." "Listen to me." "You did it for love." " It was an act of faithfulness." " Faithfulness?" "Yes." "To Patricia?" "No!" "You're crazy." " Patricia is over." " I'm not talking about her." " You're wrong." " Listen to me." "I'm not talking about your ex-wife." "You did it for love to your kids." "You're being faithful to your kids." "I love it." "Hold on." "My mom is at home." "Where could we go?" " You know what?" " We could go somewhere else." "I'd like to do things right this time." " Don't get me wrong." " No, I get it." "I really like you." "I'm really into you, but..." " It's the surgery?" " No, I'm fine." "I've got the all clear." "Do you want to check it out?" " I'll show you." " No, no." "You said you wanted a boyfriend?" "Someone to take you to the movies, out to dinner, to help you choose gifts." "Someone who'll call you, who'll buy you candies." "Stuff normal couples do, but we never did." " Are you serious?" " Yes, I am!" "I have the feeling that if we take a plunge right now, the story will repeat itself and you'll leave again." "No, seriously!" "I'm not going anywhere!" "I'm staying." "Do you want to be my girlfriend?" " Are you serious?" " Yes." "# Hi!" "Honey, baby, love, darling." "Really?" "# But we just talked." "Yes, me too." "No." "I don'!" "have an office." "At bars." "I work at a bar." "I like it." "Sometimes I go to a different one." "No way!" "The Trova are back!" " Why didn't you tell me?" " 'Cause I like surprises." "How did you do?" " Did you win?" " Yes." " How much?" " Three grand." "Exactly Patricia's allowance." "Why are you in disguise when you play poker?" "Can'!" "you just wear a sweater and a shirt?" " I try to disguise myself." " Yes, I can tell." "Before, I always knew what you were up to." "Hey, what are you up to?" "I'm in a bit of trouble." " Women?" " Not women." "Gloria." " Have you seen her?" " More than that." "We're a couple." " That's fast." " But nothing's happened yet." "I don'!" "get it." "Are you couple in trouble or doing great?" "I don'!" "get it." "Are you playing poker with me?" "I'll sum it up for you." "Rosario, reunion, walk." "We had a few laughs, but we didn't have sex because of what I told you." "After that, she left." "She got angry." "Another reunion, dinner, making out." "So I said to myself, "I won't blow this." ""I'll play the full-fledged boyfriend to a tee."" "Walks, boat rides, phone calls, chocolates..." ""How are you, honey?"" ""Yes, I'm listening." "Of course I am, honey."" "We haven'!" "had sex yet." "A little bit old-school." " We tease and touch each other." " Spare me the details." " What's the problem then?" " I lied." "I lied big time." "Guess what I told her?" "That I was a show promoter." "A music promoter." "Just tell her you own an finance company." "What's wrong with that?" "It didn't seem glamorous enough at the time." "Who says showbiz is better than owning a finance company?" "Don't we have a good time?" "You punch in whenever you want, we have lunch together, you bring the kids to work, you play poker, nobody bugs us." "Remember when your dad lived?" "Yes, money has a bad reputation." "But we haven'!" "ripped anybody off." "Charging an extra point for the dollar is a service." "You have to bring Gloria to the office." "She'll love it." " That's not it." "It gets worse." " What?" "I told her I was organizing the comeback of The Trova." "My luck is so bad we drove by a billboard." "A problem is when the stock market drops 7% in one day!" "Why the cap?" " I want to give poker a shot." " Not those." "Take purple ones." " So, the highest one is the ""?" " Yes, sometimes it is." "Okay." " Guess who's separated?" " Who?" " Maria Angeles Acevedo." " No way." " Who's Maria Angeles?" " She stuck the compass in your neck." "She was a bitch." "She's separated?" "She kept an apartment, a car and a time deposit." " And the maintenance fees?" " He has to pay for that too?" "Those fees are high." "It happened to Ginger Brown." "They got divorced." "She didn't sort out those fees." "They kept going up, and on top of that, she hooked up with a gym trainer." "Poor thing." "She ended up supporting him." "She had to sell the apartment." "Poor thing!" "And what are you up to, Gloria?" " Are you still with the goatee guy?" " No, we broke up." "Then we could introduce her to Claudio?" "Architect, divorced, no kids." "No, thanks, I'm fine." "And I'm in a relationship." " Really!" " Who is he?" "Uriel Cohan." " No way." " The motel guy?" " The king of motels?" " Is he still that good?" "I don'!" "know yet." " How come?" " 'Cause we're dating." " We haven'!" "slept together yet." " Wow!" "Then you're not dating." "You're married!" "But Why?" "Because that's what we want to do." "Date for a while." "It's great." "It sounds silly, but it's great." "We go to the movies." "He phones me." "He buys me chocolates, flowers." "He's dying to see me." "I can tell." "We make out a lot!" " I like that." " See?" " You must be a bit horny, though." " Well, yes." "What a nice surprise!" "I'll come down." " No, no." "I'll come up." " Come up?" "Excuse me." "That's nice." " Where are the kids?" " At their mother's." "What are you having?" " Wine, want some?" " Yes, please." "You ride motorbikes, you ski, you do lots of stuff." "I got curious after my divorce." "I tried different things, but I didn't pursue anything." " Thanks." " So there's the helmet and stuff." "Your kids are lovely." " So they take after their father?" " Yes, of course they do." "How come?" "Now that I've met them, I've learned a few things." " About me?" " About you and me." "Cool." " There's no fish in here." " The fish are on their way." "We've been dating for a while but nothing's happened yet." "Is that a reproach?" "It's my first reproach as a girlfriend." "Here's the thing." "You already went away once, and for me..." "I'm afraid you might use me and go away again." " Don't be silly." " Well, maybe a little." " I won't use you." " Okay." " Your father had a toy shop, right?" " Yes." " How is he doing?" " My father?" "He passed away." "I'll tell you about that later." "# I love you, Daddy." "Are you there?" " Is it reversible?" " What is?" "Your surgery." "Technically yes, everything's reversible." "How are you, doctor?" "I have something urgent to discuss with you." "I thought you'd come for a prostate examination." "You told me that wouldn't be necessary until I turned 45." "Yes, but considering your old man's history." "I'll wait for a less invasive procedure, like a saliva test." "It's something else." "What is it now?" "I'm in love and I lied for love." "I don'!" "know how to get out of it." "There's always a way out." "Bluffing isn't the only way to win at poker." "Sometimes, you really do have the best cards in your hands." "Which cards do you have?" "I have nothing." "I need to get to The Trova." "What's The Trova?" "The Trova Rosarina, the band." "Rosario, 1980." "# Day and night, the machine is forced." "And the singer..." "I need to contact someone from The Trova... to pass as someone in the production." "I don'!" "need to be on stage." " But at least..." " Fine." "Does The Trova have any Jews?" "Garfinkel." "One of its founders." "He walked away, but he'll be at the comeback." "He's their manager now." "The best way to get to a person is through their rabbi." "There's this huge international rabbi network." "You enter with one rabbi and go out with the next." "Since ancient times, way before the internet." "If you get to the rabbi, you get to the person." "Do you know any rabbis?" "I know one rabbi, but we're not on good terms right now." "He doesn't like an activity I pursue every now and then." "What are you doing to upset the rabbi?" "Poker" "But once in a blue moon." "But the Torah considers poker to be irrelevant." "How do you know?" " From a rabbi I met in Rosario." " So you do know a rabbi." "And he lets you play poker!" "What's his name?" " Rabbi Abraham Barylka." " That's one open-minded rabbi." "I'm not carrying anything." "Let's go." "Thanks, see you soon." "What was that for?" " For our safety." " For our safety from what?" " Nice place." "So many lights!" " Yes, see." "Hello." "#Sha-sha-shalom." " One, two." " Cool!" " They're playing." "#" "Shalom." "Hello." " Otto." " Dad, they're musicians!" " Do you write songs?" " No, they've already been written." " But you're a band?" " A community." "The Rabbi-in Stones" " Cool name!" "#" "Shalom." " How many you are?" " Four." "Guitar, bass, drums, vocals." "# Shalom" "This is a surprise." "I never would've guessed." "It's religious music?" "Is there any other kind of music?" "I wouldn't know." "Upstairs is more quiet." "We can talk there." "Keep an eye on the boy, please?" " He'll stay with me, okay?" " Thanks." "Otto." " He'll have fun." "He's into this..." " Into music?" " No, Judaism, actually." "#" "Baruch Hashem!" "Could you have a word with Garfinkel's rabbi maybe during The Trova's show?" "I don'!" "need to go on stage." "But maybe mention me, or make me a pass like someone on the production staff." "It's about this girl I mentioned." "Love and all that stuff." "You told me you were friends with Garfinkel's rabbi, right?" "Rabbi Schmuel?" "We went to the yeshiva together." "See that picture?" "We're the two bearded guys." "He got us to be the opening act at The Trova's show." "That's so cool." "You'll be on stage with The Trova?" "Sure." "Piece of cake." "You can do me that favor." "Tell me, Rabbi..." "Do you ever lie?" "The Hebrew word for lie is "Sheqer."" "Three letters." "..shin...!" ".." "Qof...!" ".." "Resh..." "A whole word standing on one leg." "But "Emet," which means "truth"..." "You can teach me the whole alphabet another time." "My car is poorly parked and I may lose my license." "I should get going." "Okay." "Let's make a toast!" "Shouldn't we wait for Mom?" " Bye-bye, baby." " Why are you wearing that?" " It's a tracksuit." " Where are you going?" "I go out every Monday." "I've done it all my life." " I won't explain myself." " But you look so untidy." "That's weird." "Where is she going?" "I don'!" "know." "Does she do pilates, yoga, karate, taekwondo?" "I don'!" "know." "But she doesn't sweat." "You never asked her where she goes?" "Don't even try to figure it out." "The mystery will reveal itself when the time is right." " Cheers." "#" "Kabbalah." "# The Trova Return" "What should we watch?" "Action and Adventures, Horror, Adults, Family?" "Family." "Hold on, Sara." "Ask who it is." "Who is it?" "Dad, it's Gloria." "Should I open?" " My dad's feeling a bit ill." " Really?" "Yes, it's something he ate." " Hi." " Hi." "What's up?" " What's up?" " Remember Otto and Sara?" " Yes." "Hi, Otto." " Hi." "Guys, do you remember Gloria?" "Yes." "How are you?" "Come, Otto." "I want to show you something." "Come on, Otto." "Come here!" "How are you?" "I didn't know your kids were here." "How are you?" "Here's a book, Dad." "You're sick, so I'll read you a story." "It's about a guy alone on an island..." "Come on, Gloria." "Let's have tea and talk." "Maybe Gloria doesn't want to talk." " I do want to have tea and talk." " See?" "She does want to." " Your room is that way?" " Yes." ""My father came from Bremen" ""and first settled...in Halle."" " More tea?" " It's delicious!" "What flavor is it?" " Apple." " It's great." " Apple and cinnamon." " I'd like some milk, please." "Thank you." " I'll pour myself some too." " Sugar?" "One lump?" "No, that's fine." "Thanks." " You're my dad's girlfriend." " Yes." "Cool." "I thought he'd never find a girlfriend." "How come?" " Because my dad is special." " Yes, he's special to me too." "I don't like it when he doesn't keep his promises." "Have you seen the fish tank back there?" "It has sand, bubbles, but no fish." "He promised he'd buy at least one, but he didn't." " Do you have kids?" " No." "What do you do for fun then?" "I don'!" "have much fun." "You guys have fun with your dad, don'!" "you?" "Yes, he's teaching me to play poker." " Really?" " Yes." "My dad taught me to play poker when I was your age." "Don't you love your dad's job promoting shows?" "He could work at an office, no?" "But..." "My dad doesn't promote shows." "He owns a travel agency, which is actually a finance company." "But I think he was considering changing jobs, 'cause he's into art and music." "Don't you keep any secrets?" "Me?" "Well, I sing." "Nobody knows that." "Will you sing to me until I fall asleep?" " Hey, what's up?" " I'm fine, and you?" "Not too well." "I never told Gloria the truth." "The clock is ticking." "The Trova's show is around the corner and..." "I don'!" "know what to do." "I'm at a loss." "I'm blocked." "I don'!" "know what to say to her." "Read this." ""Sheqer" and "Emet" in Hebrew are "falsehood" and "truth." "..Aleph!" ".. "Mam!" .." "I-av..." ""Aleph" is the first letter of the alphabet." ""Mem" is the middle letter." ""Tav" is the last letter." "All in three are in one word, "truth."" "The whole journey of life." "The rabbi explained that to me." "Who explained it to you?" "Deborah did." " Who?" " My girlfriend." "You didn't tell me you had a girlfriend." "You never told Gloria about your job." "You're ashamed of it and of me." "I did the same." "Where did you meet your girlfriend?" "#" "Come on, goatee!" "#" "We met in kindergarten." "She looks great now, a bit chubbier, but grateful." "German, do you think" "Gloria will understand if I tell her the truth?" "I think she will." "I'll tell her the truth next time I see her." ""Gloria, I must confess two things."" "I'll tell her everything when I see her." "Then right now." "Yes, next time I see her, I'll tell her everything." "Precisely." "Right now." "Hi!" " Hi." " Hi, how are you?" "Uriel, it's for you." " Hi." " Hey." "There's TV sets everywhere." "We have a closed circuit system." "No, is that you?" "Yes, when I was 13." "With your dad." "Yes, and my parents and my grandparents." "That's amazing!" " Here's The Trova." " Yes, I've seen it." "It's not a good picture, but I've grown fond of it." "What is this?" "Cool!" "Does it count money?" "It shuffles and counts cards." " Do you count cards at work?" " In my spare time." "I'm curious." "How did you get here?" " Sarita told me." " She did." " What's your job really all about?" " Financial intermediation." " What?" " Financial intermediation." "Is it a crime?" "No, we have a reserve bank authorization." "But money has a bad reputation." "No, not telling the truth has a bad reputation." " Are you mad at me?" " No." "I'm not mad at you," "But I need to know that at least something you say is true." "I was about to tell you." "When?" "The show is in two days." "Right now." "I was talking to German." "We were talking when she walked in?" "I was going to tell you about the company, The Trova..." "There's the finance company, but I'm thinking about The Trova." " Silly me!" " The Trova thing is true." " That's okay." " I have the tickets." "I'm off." "Bye, German!" "See you!" " See you." "Good luck." " Hold on." " Bye." " I will explain." "I have this friend, a rabbi..." "May I grab a cookie?" " I love these cookies." " He's in this religious music group called The Rabbi-ing Stones." "They'll be The Trova's opening act." "Those things count money?" " Careful with the bills." " I could count money all day long." "And his friend from Rosario is a rabbi too and he knows Garfinkel, the manager of The Trova." "He got me the tickets." " And the VIP passes." " I can'!" "believe it!" "Yes." "Everything is true!" "It's all for sure!" "Everything's true!" "# Another book to re-read... # it's by Margaret Mead, renowned American anthropologist." "# She reaches a surprising conclusion:" "# She claims several psychological traits # our society ascribes to female and male behavior do not constitute the product of a biological determinism, but derive from a specific cultural structure." "Now, before we move on, let's hear some music, please." "# Literary Geographies, a tour around Susan Funes' library." " Mom, will you come with me?" " Where to?" "To Dad's house." "This was mine." "Why did you separate from Dad?" "Well, I've wondered that many times." "I don'!" "know yet." "I don'!" "know..." "I met your father when I was very young," "I was in my senior year at high school." "He was fascinating." "He was a few years older than me." "He was experienced and strong." "Then I went to college and pursued my career." "But he lagged behind." "What do you mean by "he lagged behind"?" "He didn't pursue his studies." "He just settled for the family business." "That toy store you went to on Pasteur Street." "The man who had dazzled me faded away." "So, I left him." "Well, we separated." "He left, and you left with him." "I think he couldn't bear staying with me because he was so fragile." "And you hated him for being fragile, right?" "I'd never thought of it that way, but I guess I did." "I used to think you had to do something important in your life." "But your dad just had a toy shop." "Sometimes I miss him." "I don'!" "understand why he left each of us one key." "Maybe so we would talk about him, like we're doing right now." "Men love it when people talk about them." "Keep them together or you'll lose them." " Do you need help, Rafael?" " No, the intern will do the rest." "Do you need help?" "I never asked your name." " Felipe." " Do you need help, Felipe?" " What's your internship about?" " Ask your mother." "But what is it about?" "Languages, literature, books..." "Life." "It's Monday." "We didn't set a place for you." "It's Monday." "I won't eat here and neither will she." "Try this on." "Where are we going?" " I want to show you a secret." " Are you in a sect?" "A sect of women in tracksuits." " What do you do?" " What we love." "Can I take your picture?" "Give me a second." "You had a good day, finished in second place." " Who finished first?" " That mysterious man." "He's unpredictable and scary." "Look at me, smile." "Good, give me a smile." "Excellent." "German, listen." "I have to get back to my table." "Do me a favor..." "Take the kids to the show." "I'll be there right away." "I'll make it on time." "But you take them." "#Hello." "# Testing, hello..." "He won't come." "No." "50,000." "I'm in." "Call." "Ema, bring the boy." "He has to come with me." " Can he pray before the show?" " Sure." "Let's go." "Pass." "All in" "Call." "I'll call." "Let's go." "Well-played." "Good luck." " Hey!" " Hello." " How are you?" " Fine." "I didn't know you were coming." " Is Uriel here?" " No, not yet." " But is he coming?" " He's coming, just a bit late..." " But he's coming." " Good." "Will you take me to the ladies' room?" "Okay, sure." " It's that way." " I'll wait here." "Okay." "How do you manage with your Dad?" " He waits outside?" " Yes." "Abonizio won't make it." "God only knows why." " Where is he?" " Who knows?" "I haven'!" "seen him in 30 years." " What should we do?" " Let's play anyway." "We could play in trios, like in Mar Del Plata, remember?" "We sang duets, the musician strike." "You can sing his lines." "Okay." "Let's wait a little longer, or else, we'll do it." " Your car broke down?" " Yes." "I'm going to Buenos Aires." "Can I give you a ride?" " Sure." "Let's go." " Get in." "Otto!" "Dad, you came!" "Look." "We're so thrilled to be here tonight after so many years..." "See each other face-to-face." "Thank Uriel Cohan." "Thank you all very much." "We also want to thank Uriel, Uriel Cohan." "Who is a part of all this." "So thank you, and see you soon." "Bye!" "The secret of special offers is everything's already set up." " You don'!" "need to choose." " I like that." "Rosario's nice." " We should go back." " Yes, it's beautiful." " I got a special offer today." " What about?" "A romantic trip." "A romantic trip?" "What's it about?" "Two nights, three days." "Spa, casino, bowling." " I like bowling." " Brazilian breakfast, buffet dinner." " Good." " Everything's included." "Will they ask us if we're in love?" "What do we say?" " We'll just introduce ourselves." " And they'll believe us?" " Sure." " Then, let's go!"