the unholy city of desire and lust Hi, my name is Basil and I am from Basel. Thats catchy, right? I love Basel. It makes things easier. Almost like Basil from Brazil. Why to love a city? It is definitely not from an architectural point of view. Basel, for instance, is nice of course. It has beautiful places. Just take the river. But than again you have the big companies and you ask yourself if Basel is not just another bitch getting along with everyone that pays the price. I love a city for it’s people, for it’s stories and for the imperfect odds that make one unique. It is the smelly parts where it feels the best. You know what I am talking about. But does Basel love me back? Statistically: No. Even Basil is just one of many there.
Minsk is different. In order to fish for some stories that can be related to the city I went on tinder. The dating app everybody is talking about. But no-one says to know. Bullshit. Tinder is packed with young women and men looking to find a quick hook-up or even true love. It’s 2016, baby and on tinder is like on a meat market. You look at it and then you decide hot or not, right or left. Apparently I am a huge hit on Belarusian tinder. I am the exotic, well educated, handsome, tall Swiss architect and urbanist and stuff. Did I mention I am a billionaire? Well here it is: I am insanely rich! At least in Belarusian Rubles. I am the personification of a woman’s desire in Minsk! TGI Basil! What in line please.
The anonymity of digital communication doesn’t make it simple to get to the core of a story. It’s mainly flirty and clumsy texts that are sent back and forth. But then I realized, this is the story. You will see the city with other eyes once you really see the lust and desire women feel around here. This is the story of what happened and what could have happened to me and many lucky girls in Minsk.