I had been in Italy for a couple months. Nothing too glamorous, just working in a shipyard somewhere west of Venice.
Once I got back in the US I found out that Old Dirty Bastard had died. I immediately phoned a friend.
Me: “Dude! ODB died?!
F: “Yeah… you didn’t know?
Me: Dude I was out of town! Why didn’t you call me?
F: Oh I dunno, I figured you woulda heard.
Me: Like some Italian is gonna run up to me in the street and say? ‘Sir you Americano? So sorry for you loss… but… de aged Dirty Bastard… hesa dead!!!”