ARIELLA KIM: Welcome to the first episode of Unexpected Friendships, where we find unusual pairs around SPA and dig deeper into how friendships form and how they last. I’m Ariella Kim, and today we will be diving into the unique bond of Eddie Soden in grade 10 and Phillippe Cristobal in grade 11.
Eddie and Philippe knew each other before Eddie even joined SPA. They found their friendship through a common interest: Valarant. This video game brought them together online, where they didn’t know much about each other except for what they chose to share through the screen. To better understand their friendship, I spoke with Philippe on how their first few interactions occurred.
PHILLIPPE CRISTOBAL: One of my other friends, he plays baseball with him, and then another one of my friends also played card games with him. So, they just knew he played Valerian and I played ballerin as well. So we came together and played ballerin online, and he wasn’t at the school yet. So when I first actually met him in person was when he decided to come to the school and go to school here.
ARIELLA KIM: When Eddie transferred schools, Philippe didn’t recognize him until their mutual friends re-introduced them. They quickly formed a strong friendship due to the previous times they had spent gaming together. I asked Philippe how he would describe their friendship, and this is what he said:
PHILLIPPE CRISTOBAL: It’s very funny. He makes jokes sometimes, but he’s also very direct. He has this one type of handshake every time I see him, where he fully extends his arm out into a straight line and just dabs me up like an unusual handshake.
ARIELLA KIM: Eddie and Philippe have many good memories together, yet one stands out to Philippe, and it occurred when Eddie first started going to SPA.
PHILLIPPE CRISTOBAL: He invited me to his birthday party, which was at this pro cart racing. And it was only one of my friends that was also friends with him and another person. Not many people came to his party, but I guess he didn’t invite as many people either since he was new to the school. And I guess the people that knew him before he went to the school, and me were the only people he knew. So I guess it was easier for him to connect with like me and those people. And I guess that’s just what led me to him and go to his birthday party, and it was actually a lot of fun.
ARIELLA KIM: According to Philippe, his friendship with Eddie is solely in person now. When asked how their bond differs from other friendships he’s had, Philippe says that they don’t communicate online very often, despite having started their friendship that way.
PHILLIPPE CRISTOBAL: I guess it’s more in-person now. I don’t really talk to him online, like my other friends. I talk to them both online and in person, but I guess if I want to talk to him, I just find him first and then do the weird handshake. I guess it’s a lot more direct.
ARIELLA KIM: Philippe’s friendship with Eddie was able to stay stable throughout the transition of going from only hearing each other’s voices through a monitor to speaking in person most of the time. Philippe feels that their bond starting online made them appreciate things about each other more.
PHILLIPPE CRISTOBAL: He’s very unique. He’s very direct, but, you know, he’s pretty smart. There was this science Olympic event we had, and it turns out he didn’t study at all for the event. So that didn’t turn out well, but we still did okay.
ARIELLA KIM: Philippe and Eddie feel fortunate to be able to talk on a daily basis, have a unique handshake, and work together on school projects, things they wouldn’t have been able to do if not for Eddie moving to SPA.
ARIELLA KIM: Beginning a friendship comes with difficulties. Maintaining one though, can be even more challenging, Eddie and Philippe managed to do just that. Despite being in different grade levels, they have stayed close and are glad to be able to communicate in person after meeting online.

If you want to discover additional podcasts head over to RubicOnline to find more like this. Also if you liked this podcast, tune in next time to our other episodes of Unexpected Friendships, where we encounter a friendship that made the switch to a new school together, a long bond between two physics teachers, and a connection through mutual friends.

See you next time.