On a beautiful, sunny spring afternoon, it was appropriate for me to speak with Gabriel – who is just like a breath of fresh spring air after a long, cold winter. I am pleased to introduce him to you!
One of our younger caretakers, Gabriel met me at his condominium site in Inglewood, and immediately won a special place in my heart. Not only because he is cleaning a site I used to manage in a former life, but because of his seeming perfect fit with it. I always saw that condo as a place for the hip, young up-and-comers in Calgary who have the foresight to live near downtown but who are also calm enough to stay away from the bustle of the busy core, and Gabriel is as close to a perfect fit for the site as I could imagine!
Right away, Gabriel asked me if I had prepared any questions for him, and when I said no, he told me he had prepared – he had written down all the things about himself he didn’t want to forget! I laughed, and asked him what those could be.
Gabriel is from Montreal, which means he speaks French, along with Spanish. I let him know my family had come from the Eastern Townships and I feel a special kinship with anyone from “back East”, so of course we had to conduct the rest of our interview in French! I think that allowed him to really be himself, which made our talk relaxing and fun for both of us. He told me a little about his family, and that he moved (without telling any of his friends!) with his girlfriend to Calgary from Montreal after a quick two-week visit here in 2016. They both really loved the city, and appreciate that it is a bit closer to nature, not quite as established and institutionalized as a Historic City, as Montreal can be.
Moving onto the topic of what Gabriel loves to do, it comes as no surprise that this youthful, handsome fellow loves to dance! He and his girlfriend both do Salsa Dancing – as performers in events and at festivals, on a team and hopefully in competition in the near future. He has danced in Montreal, Toronto, here in Calgary and even in Edmonton! Part of the reason Calgary was such an attractive option for them to move to is that there are more Salsa Dancing opportunities for them here, which surprised me some – you don’t necessarily think of Calgary as a hotbed of Salsa culture! Apparently, we are, and Gabriel participated in the Calgary Salsa Congress event last month (April).
Gabriel very deliberately notes that he has his father to thank for his love of dance. He attributes his appreciation of music to his father, who insisted he be able to play a musical instrument (he plays guitar, bass and sings!). It was because his father valued music and culture so highly that he feels comfortable in his ability to not only dance, but to actually be able to choreograph moves to music. Having the understanding of how music is created allows him to interpret it through dance, a rare talent indeed, something that is in his blood, to be sure.
Gabriel dreams of eventually opening his own Dance Studio, and has an entrepreneurial spirit dwelling within, as he can also see himself owning his own car paint detailing shop, which bring us to the topic of cars, again a subject near to my heart! I can see Gabriel in a Lamborghini Aventador, which he claims might be one of his favourites, along with a Ferrari F12 Berlinetta (one of my own brother’s favourites, coincidentally, so it seals my high estimation of Gabriel’s good taste!). He’d love to be able to make exotic and sports cars gleam, and I see the corners of his eyes engage in an honest smile at the thought.
It’s easy to imagine him moving fluidly and easily as he cleans, moving in concert with the equipment and being light on his feet, probably because he has the attitude and comportment of a dancer. Luckily, Gabriel’s father not only taught him to appreciate music and dance, but also taught him everything he knows about cleaning, and a hard days work! Fortunate for PPC, as well, because I don’t think his site has ever looked so good.
I come away from my time with Gabriel sincerely hoping the future holds nothing but the best for him, and that the rest of his family (his mom and his brother) can join him, his girlfriend, and his father here in Calgary next month. I have no doubt at all that we’ll see great things from him!
If your condo needs cleaning, give PPC a call and we’ll introduce you to your very own Gabriel to clean your site.
