So, sure enough woke up Friday morning with a bit of a hangover and dim recollection of consuming several drinks involving a salt apperitif and lime sobre mesa. It passed, aided by a coffee in town with Landy, sharing computer problem nightmares - I thought mine was a surefire winner, but I had no idea!

I got text invite to go to some concert/ party thing with Amy and the Erasmus mob, and uncharasterically accepted without asking any questions, so I'm off to Saldanha. We set off to the party to be welcomed by a large unmoving queue and the start of a downpour. Foolishly braved it for a while, but retreated to a bar called Magnetic once we'd got a soaking and realised it looked futile. A beer later and we tried again, but it just looked the same, so cut our losses and headed to Bairro, to a small local bar with cheap Ginjinha(?) and free monkey nuts (although on reflection these are better to nibble rather than use to make funny faces out of). The girls take more snaps than the paparazzi, its a good job I'm not epileptic, I swear if you put all the pictures together and flicked through them you'd get a mini-movie of the nights proceedings. I'll add the better ones when I get hold of em. A mini bar crawl, taking in Jurgen's and Catacumbas, a final beer and I was ready to call it a night, but not before Amy proved that it is bad luck to open an umberella indoors by sending a glass flying off the table as it shot open. We left rather apologetically.

Woke up around midday and was just leisurely flicking through the paper over breakfast and spotted Man Utd vs Liverpool in the FA cup. Dashed down there with 5 minutes spare to get a pint. Back for a cuppa and finished some reports before meeting Steve in a local bar for the Benfica game, followed by a bit of grub and another soaking walking home. Met Steve again later in Com Alma (with soul) Cafe, near Praca Comercio. I'd not been here before and was impressed. A friend of theirs was playing there, they were good and the beer flowed, even persuaded Juan to join us. The hours glugged by, a few drinks, tripping over my words trying to express myself in Portuguese chatting to Alex and Fabiana, Steve's Brasilian housemates - I think they got the gist. The place was closing, so we headed to a place called Teju Bar, knocked and we were in. A character packed bar, packed with characters located somewhere near the castle. Got a beer and made a table ours next to a couple playing chess (they weren't the only ones, either). An English guy from London-ish, and a cute German girl (they'll never last - they might not be together, I'm just assuming) I chatted to them both for a while, one more than the other (I'm no traiter, just doing my bit for foreign relations!). Musical accompaniment was provided by people in the bar who had brought along an instrument or 3, including a girl playing her squeezebox (concertina?! the word escapes me), most impressively. If you were expecting some inuendo laden humour at that point, shame on you, this is not a carry-on script you know! With a bit of dutch courage, Steve had decided to get himself a piece of the action, and had acquired himself a  small hand drum, before anyone had noticed, and proceeded to add an avant-guarde serving of percussion to the proceedings. At least 2 people liked it, me and Juan, but clearly some punters weren't so visionary and press-ganged him into playing quieter and later deciding that they didn't even want that. Although we belive this was some kind of conspiracy.Time drifted by and I'd managed to establish that the German girl goes to some of the same bars in Bairro that I go to albiet a little sneakily while her chap had nipped to the loo, subtlety gets you...Steve hadn't read the play book though and launched a full scale charm offensive in injury time on my behalf. He proceeded, to give her a full sales pitch in unhused tones, telling her what a lovely bloke I am, undaunted by our protests or the presence of the fella who was with her. Who knows it may yet prove decisive. Time for another beer, listening to a group of Angolans playing guitars and a guy with a soulful voice singing songs in Portuguese, Creole and even one I know, a Compay Segundo number from Buena Vista, a real highlight. Steve was keen that this didn't pass without a show of appreciation and bought a round for them, nice touch. A windy walk down hill and up from Baixa, chatting to Danea, another friend of the gang who was also singing earlier, and good she was too (Erykah Badu come Bebel Gilberto). We said our goodbyes and hit the sack.

 

Sunday hardly happened, an abondoned attempt to watch Nacional due to another downpour, refuge sought in the pumphouse with more beer and footy,before a quiet night in ready for the week ahead. Wise, I'd need the rest, not for work as it turns out but I wasn't to know. Monday night we'd arranged to see soem Fado in Tasca da Chica with Steve and his entourage. Cancellations had flooded in and I reached the end of Tuesday without teaching a single lesson, despite dragging myself to Danone with a cold at 7.30am - not amused. Liverpool fans had invaded Lisbon, by Tuesday afternoon and they'd made a claim on Rossio square and the Pastarelia Suica (I'm yet to discover why every large goup of foreigners seem to swarm here, but they do). Didn't feel too hot so watched the game at home. Me and Juan had also been invited for a meal at Steve's on Wednesday evening, which presented a bit of a all too familiar dilemma as it clashed with Barca v Chelsea, eeekamouse, I need a cunning plan, my reply;

 

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" So, I'd like to know if:

you will comefor sure___

you'd like to come , but you can't___
(because you're vegetarian )

You don't want to come_____
(because you don't give a damn about Italian stuff!) "

Oooh Crikey heck, I'm struggling to remember what I've been upto since I last checked in, just had to do a bit of a recap as I was getting my weekends confused. Ok, so the weekend before last was Jenny's leaving do, she called on the Friday to ask if I knew any restaurants we could go to as the one they were planning on had been booked up. I mentioned one that I'd been to with Pedro and friends that was ok, and had seemed very reasonable when we were there. I actually stayed in on the Friday night, and got into a bit of a Pro Evolution session with Juan, that lasted til gone 5am. Gisa had gone out, come back and we were still playing. Bit of sleep and then I was off to meet Wendy (Canadian not Drum and Bass English Wendy you understand) in Carcavelos. We went to a cafe by the beach as it was a lovely hot day, and mananged to blag a table right at the front in the sun. We spent the day drinking a few beers and a couple of Caiprinhas and sat whiling away the afternoon. By 5ish we decided to head back, and on having to stand up and walk realised we were a little less sober than we thought, not drunk but a rather nice floaty relaxed 'tipsy'. Good stuff that Caiprinha!

 

As I said the restaurant had seemed reasonable, however, I hadn't realised that Saturday night was Fado night (well Jenny did request traditional), and Fado is taken very seriously, so much so that we had to be quiet during the performances and Jenny was split up from her friend for talking - Ideal for a leaving do then! Oh well, it gave us something to laugh about over drinks once we'd escaped, although I did feel a little sheepish as murmours of dissatisfaction swept round the table to the tune of 'who's idea was this place' - oh well, live and learn. Several drinks later and a few of us decided to move on to Mercado to see Camarao (shrimp) play, or so we thought, it appears they had been and gone - sneaky! Sunday passed all too quickly with couple of Imperial's in the sun overlooking the river at the Miradouro Santa Catarina, then off for a game of footy.

 

Monday passed fairly quickly and my Mum and Eileen were arriving in the evening, so I had arranged to meet them on Avenida, after my lesson in the evening. We went to a really nice restaurant just behind Avenida called Solar de Presuntos, a good recommendation from one of my students. On Tuesday we'd arranged to meet after my morning class and spend the day in Cascais, it was another nice day, so we had a drink at the Cafe by the Miradouro before catching the train. I was teaching most of Wednesday so we met around 9 in the Brasiliera, just near the statue of MC Ribeiro (see photo's - who famously introduced Hip-hop to Lisbon in the 15th Century, by reciting his poetry to the rhythm of the #28 tram). We went to a restaurant in Bairro called Sul, which I'd been told about but had not got round to going to. We weren't dissapointed. The main selling point is the cook-it-yourself steak options where you are presented with chopping board with steak and a range of dips with a hot rock in the middle, whack on a bit of meat and away you go. Bit of a clever trick for the resaurant too, no complaints about the meat being under or over-cooked and they're also blame free if you have any unpleasant after effects. A little pricier than the average, but had to agree it was bloody lovely, or just lovely if you're more of a well-done kinda guy. After the meal, I'd decided to give Mum and Eileen the whole Bairro Alto experience well part of it, as it was their last night and I had felt a little frustrated that Mum hadn't really seen what it was about last time she'd been here. So it was Cena dos Copos first for a Marangoska, then on to OKA bar for a bit of Brasilian music to finish the night. The Marongoska's were met with approval, while OKA got a split vote, Eileen liked the music, Mum wasn't so convinced but did approve of the football shirt decor. A respectable 2am finish and off to bed ready for my usual Thursday night antics back in OKA, does that mean it's the weekend already!  

Ola pa!

 

Well another 2 weeks slip by and I guess it's time to write another update, slightly overdue, but I have been intending to if that's any consolation. I also have 2 personal bests to report. The first is the number of hours worked this week, which after tomorrow will be 20, it may not sound like a great deal but when you factor in at least an hours travelling time per class and lesson preparation - we're talking something more like 40-50 hours, plus a lot of my spare time is in 1 and 2 hour blocks between lessons - so it doesn't feel like I've had a great amount of free time. Which I suppose partially explains the lack of an update, I guess.

 

So, what have I been upto? Well the weekend before last was Georgina and Lloyd's leaving do, before they jetted off to Milan to start new jobs and new lives in a new city. I know I've not been here all that long, but they will be missed. Particularly as Lloyd organised most of the gang's social gatherings, leaving a bit of a gap, that so far no ones offerred to fill - I have considered it myself, but I have enough trouble gettin myself organised half the time, although I reckon I'd be great in an advisory role. The leaving do was really good if not a bit messy, six hours in one bar seems a bit excessive but it flew by all too quickly, helped by some top quality musical accompaniment (from the DJ from Da Weasal - Portuguese Hip-Hop group, still not entirely sure how they managed this but I ain't complaining), on leaving the bar everyone realised that plans to move on from here were a tad ambition and the local Kebab van was as far as we got. (Thanks again you two, for an amazing night, but even more for looking after me - hope your getting settled in Milan). Meeting on my first night back in Lisbon, and being supplied with friends, a job and a game of footy was certainly more than I could have expected. (well maybe not - Mum always says that I could fall in a barrell of 'Merda' and come out smelling of 'Rosa's').

 

Now, on the verge of another of the gang deserting us, it does feel like I've arrived at the end of an era. I won't go on - I was gonna call this update, 'Dead Wood makes way for New Blood' - no I'm only joking! Jenny is off next, back to England after a captain's innings - so another leaving do is planned for this weekend, will it top George and Lloyd's - the pressure's on. Last weekend, was kinda a leaving dinner/ joint Birthday celebration for Jenny and Landy which was lovely and oh so very civilised. So civilised in fact that I felt the need to pop round to a house party on my way home, at one of Gisa's friend's place. A 3am arrival after a bit of wondering round trying to find the place, was followed by a few bottles of beer (hmm, G&T's,Port then Beer feeling _____ ?). Certainly loosened the tongue anyway, and rather randomly ended up talking to a  couple of Portuguese guys about the wonders of Monty Python and the League of Gentlemen (Yeah,I know!), so on leaving at 6ish, the thought of another beer, seemed like a top idea - if only we could find somewhere open. But's what's this? A Cafe opening for the local early birds - I'm sure they'd love their peaceful morning cuppa and newspaper interrupted by 3 booze-hounds (Copyright - Simpson's) - we weren't too bad - we only got told to keep it down once - so more beers we had. Daylight had returned and further plans had been hatched, now 9.30am and we were heading to, some sleazy strip club, nope, Chiado Museum to appreciate some art - I kid you not! Although on returning to Baixa - Chiado, I decided to miss the cultural leg in favour of my bed, but my new friends were not to be deterred, worthy of severe cap doffing I think you'll agree.

 

 Crawled out of bed after about 4 hours sleep and went for a kick about for 2 hours - still not sure how. I slept well that night, but not for too long as was off for an 8.30 start in Pasteis de Belem. The rest of the week has kinda sloped by without event. I managed to coincide my only free afternoon with the African Nations Cup Semi's on Eurosport, only to be explicably denied by a guy turning up 2 hours before kick off to cut off our Electricity as the landlord had neglected to pay the bill (another you wouldn't read about it oxymoron). One was certainly not amused. And that's about it I guess, I'm sure I've missed some stuff - like the Miserable Bakery Women, and the headache of young learners - although a prescription of marmite on toast and a cuppa helps (thanks Jenny!), German Mockumentaries and 1,001 other oddities of living in this country, but I'll have to save them for another time I guess!