My wish bracelet's anniversary

Today the weather in Yerevan was like in Rotterdam exactly one year ago. And one year ago this day I decided to escape from it to sunny Italy for a weekend. That were the best 3 days of my entire 10 week of staying in Europe (mostly in The Netherlands) for an internship.

On Saturday, Feb. 23, I was meeting my Italian friend Roby in the Piazza Duomo. If I had read the wikitravel page on Milan carefully, I would know how to avoid scam there, which i didn't do. When we were walking together on the square, a black guy approached us and tied a thin colorful band on my left wrist, asking to make a wish. It was a wish (friendship *) bracelet. It's common for all over Europe. They approach, tie a bracelet, then ask for money, though at first, when you refuse to take it, they insist that it's completely free :) My friend had to give the guy couple of euro coins, but he was insisting on more and it was hard to escape from him.
He told me that i shouldn't tear it myself, it has to be worn out and fall off naturally. And the day it happens, my wish will come true.

I don't remember exactly what was my wish, but i'm waiting impatiently for it to wear out. Hey, it's been with me like a part of my body for already a year! Wherever i went, whatever i was wearing - swimsuit, fancy dress at a wedding, it was with me!

* Friendship bracelets are usually given to friends. According to indigenous tradition of Native Americans (where it came from), the recipient of a friendship bracelet must wear it until the cords wear out and fall off naturally. The idea is that the friend paid for it with the hard work and love that made it, and the recipient repays the friend by honoring the work. Removing the bracelet before it naturally falls off is a sign that the friendship has gone sour. Another variation of this tradition is that the recipient of a bracelet is entitled to a wish. After the bracelet wears out and falls off naturally, the wish will come true.
We call them "fenechki" here - the Russian way.