Characters & Locations
Part 1
California Argentina
(The First Time Though The Simulation)1991 - 1995
Just turning 20 years old Lloyd fell in love with a guy from Argentina who was visiting the United States for the first time. He was a friend of Lloyd's classmate in a college film production class in Los Angeles.
They spent 3 months together in Los Angeles. After the guy from Argentina departed, Loid started listening to Spanish Language course audio cassettes everyday to learn basic communication skills. Within 6 months Lloyd saved up enough money for a plane ticket.
Without fear or any concrete plan for what would happen next, Loid was on a plane flying from Los Angeles to Argentina in South America. It was his first time outside the USA and his first time on a big intercontinental airplane.
"... Let Your Mind Go and Your Body Will Follow."
🌎
The guy from Argentina was an actor and teacher of high school drama with a million friends and everyone loved him. He also acted in small theatrical productions and was always surrounded by crazy actors and artists. He hated being on stage but somehow he was always the center of attention. With him every weekend in Argentina there was something to do. Some party... or dinner... or rehearsal... or event... or something... always something as Lloyd followed his boyfriend and tried to figure out how to understand everyone and be understood. The beginning was difficult because of the language and culture differences. His boyfriend's crazy Argentine friends became Lloyd's friends and that made Lloyd feel less crazy.
Upon arriving in Argentina one thing became immediately clear... no one... absolutely NO ONE could pronounce, read or write the name "LLOYD". In Argentina Spanish two L's sound like JA and a Y sounds like JA. JAOJAD looked and sounded like complete nonsense to everyone. So in an effort to be better understood "Lloyd" became the phonetic and easy to read/write/pronounce version "Loid". And that version stayed with him the rest of his life.
The South American experience ended after almost 3 years because of his boyfriend's dramatic deportation at the Los Angeles International airport.
California
Early 90s
Loid in Front of Graffiti on a Wall
near San Francisco, Summer 1991
Leandro & Loid on the Left with Loid's oldest Friend and other College Friends
Pasadena 1992Argentina
Early 90s
Aerolineas Argentinas. Loid's First International Flight.
Ezeiza International Airport, Buenos Aires
Old car on a street
Buenos Aires
Colectivo (Bus in Argentina)
Buenos Aires
First Night in Buenos Aires
Carlos Gardel Impersonator Singing Tango on the Street
Buenos Aires
Random Characters on a Street
Buenos Aires
Child Hanging out of a Window
Buenos Aires
Tango Dancers at a Street Market
Buenos Aires
A Cat Among the Tombs in La Recoleta Cemetery
Buenos Aires
A Tomb in La Recoleta Cemetery
Buenos Aires
Path of Tombs in La Recoleta Cemetery
Buenos Aires
The Tomb of Evita in La Recoleta Cemetery
Buenos Aires
Child on a Colorful Balcony
La Boca, Buenos Aires
Woman on a Bench
La Boca, Buenos Aires
Child on a Colorful Balcony
La Boca, Buenos Aires
Loid on "Caminito" in La Boca
Buenos Aires
Tango on the Streets
Buenos Aires
To the Center of the City
Buenos Aires
Loid's Reflection on a Street Corner
Buenos Aires
Rosario, Argentina. Loid's boyfriend's city
(4 hour drive west of Buenos Aires)
Sinking Ship
Rosario
The Spanish Steps
Rosario
Abandoned Train Station
Rosario
A Black Cat on an abandoned Train Track
Rosario
Loid's boyfriend on an abandoned Train
Rosario
Abandoned Train Station
Rosario
Friends posing near another abandoned Train Station
Rosario
Friend posing in an Abandoned Train Station
Rosario
The final scene in Loid's boyfriend's play "El Gato Negro" (The Black Cat)
Rosario
Cast and Crew of Loid's boyfriend's play "El Gato Negro" (The Black Cat)
Rosario
A Cobblestone Street at night
Rosario
Mis Amigos Son Unos Atorrantes (My Friends Are Whores)
Rosario
Loid's Boyfriend's Friend Saying Goodbye
Rosario
Loid's Boyfriend's Friends Saying Goodbye
Rosario
Loid in an Abandoned and Decaying Structure with Graffiti.
Mi Amor Te Amare Por Siempre (My Love I will Love You Forever)
Rosario
Flag of Argentina
The Deportation
of Loid’s Argentine boyfriend at the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) destroyed their plans for a future together.
After 6 months in Argentina they made a plan. Loid returned to Los Angeles by himself to get their apartment ready. Loid went to the airport the day he was to arrive in Los Angeles thinking this would be the start the rest of their lives together. Loid's boyfriend never made it though the international arrivals gate. Instead Loid found out hours later that his boyfriend had been immediately deported back to Argentina. They didn't even have a chance to see each other or say anything at the airport. In shock and panic Loid arrived back at his apartment to find a message on his answering machine... the immigration police had allowed him one phone call. Loid's boyfriend had been deported and barred from entering the USA for 20 years for possessing a fake Social Security card he was hoping to use to get a job in Los Angeles. It was a different time in the early 90s. Back then the idea of living as an illegal alien in the United States was not as scary as it would become years later after 9/11. At that time in the early 90s there was never any hope of citizenship by getting married. Gay marriage wouldn't be recognized by ether country for decades.
Within a couple months Loid saved up enough money to travel back to Argentina. He was hoping they could make new plans together but too much had changed between them. The deportation negatively effected both of them and caused too much stress on their relationship. His boyfriend had become bitter with anger after all the dreams for a better life in the United States had been shattered.
6 months later Loid was on a plane flying back to Los Angeles heartbroken, defeated and alone.
When they first met, Loid's boyfriend gave him a CD of the highlights of the musical Miss Saigon. After the drama of LAX, the song "I Still Believe" became their mantra of hope against all odds. It took years after leaving Argentina before Loid stopped believing.
CHRONOLOGY
