My weekend (which never seemed to finish….)

You’ll notice a little gap in time between posts. Im not quite sure where it went either. Let me explain……

The weekend started after work on Friday – I thought we were going to watch the football down a local bar all together but that plan went missing as fieldies don’t hang around when theres no beer in the fridge. Sackable offence for me. So back to Montemor and out with one of the students who was the one I ended up in the strip club the other week. Apparently his girlfriend will kick my ass if I take him there again and I should be worried cos she knows tai chi (?!). I must be a local as I had to pick the bar– to the extent of having to give directions despite having been in town less than a month?! This is after dinner in a restaurant which didn’t quite match the heights I’ve come to expect and had no atmosphere since we couldn’t go in the centre of town “as everything will be full cos of the game”. They weren’t. The game was ok, 1-1, except for the big screen dying 20 minutes in, or the sound being turned down so they could turn up the black eyed peas (ive been in that bar twice and heard the BEP album from start to finish twice). And I got left standing alone at the bar.

Worked Saturday and then headed off to gatecrash a birthday party of a uni friend of the geos at work who lives an hour and a half away. Not before things got “complicated” (everything does here!) – I got a call at 5.30pm as I was about to head off and asked to pick up my MD the next day at lunchtime. Almost killed my enthusiasm - a 3 hour drive and having to be reasonably with it after potential big night (Id been told it would be huge and go til 3, 4am). Plus after the previous night I was a bit worried that what Id been told wouldn’t match what actually happened so I might not have much fun. No need to worry. It was a great night – nice friendly people most of whom spoke English really well (thankfully), all my age as well so easier conversation/more things in common e.g. a guy running up asking “Do you know Franz Ferdinand? They really are excellent, I have the DVD.” However since it was Portugal there was of course mountains of food and drink (including a table full of cakes) and the obligatory liquers/ports after coffee (and the dad very proudly making me taste a local port equivalent and then a cherry liquer). I’ve worked out that I turn into my dad at parties where I don’t know people, holding up a wall at one end of the room with a wineglass in hand swaying slightly and smiling waiting for someone to chat to. Which wasn’t too long usually as I’m the local tourist attraction so everyone is interested in what I think of Portugal and how I’ve settled (also helps if you stand near the food table ;). There was someone who had actually been to Perth and UWA! We ended up in a bar in town playing table football and as promised I got to bed at 4….. (well I think, tad hazy)

What was best about the party was it reminded me about what Europe really is. I live in the country so while its still different to Australia and great fun its rural “eat and drink as much as you can” sort of fun. But Europe for me is also the conversations that spark you intellectually more than just the challenge/fun of trying to explain/contrast/learn each others language, the ones where you consider what the differences are between your cultures and philosophies, where you start asking yourself who you are and what you believe in. I probably need to be drunk to explain. Maybe this example – when I said I was from Australia instead of “ah, Crocodile Dundee” I got “Do you know that PETA protested at your embassy today about the live sheep trade”. Young people here are all politically aware and proud of their identity and individualism –all the arguments Ive had against wearing workshirts have never included “why should I advertise the company?” This is more than just not liking brand names on clothes.

Anyway to Lisbon with a hangover to meet a MD only slightly jetlagged. MD visits are always interesting – a lot of touring, a lot of intense questioning and the fear that you’re not doing things the way you should. In our company you add the task “entertain the MD by finding decent restaraunts and bars and spend all night drinking with him”. I learnt something about Montemor though – don’t bother ringing for a taxi late. All it does is ring a bell upstairs from the taxi rank. Which is soul destroying when there are no cars around, youre standing there in the freezing cold, tired and pissed with your phone to your ear and you hear the bell and realise you have no chance at a taxi home. It could be worse – one of the guys refused a hotel room as he’d drive home (after we argued with him for half an hour) then was woken at 3am by his mum ringing to find out where he was (thankfully asleep by the side of the road). First taste of Bundy OP will be his last!

Anyway by Wednesday I almost felt ok – had one good nights sleep and was looking forward to actually reading some of my emails and then getting another. When the phone rang – “Bill do you want to come up to Lisbon for dinner and a couple of beers tonight? Theres someone you should meet.” So off I go. We went for a couple after dinner and then headed down to the Docas area (underneath the 25th April bridge, very commercial/touristy area). On the way we decided to only go for a couple. Something which didn’t ring true about 4am. We started in an Irish pub which got packed full of Benfica and Manchester supporters after the Champions league game (two groups of people you don’t want to meet). Then being two feral miners out on the town we went to a gentlemans bar – no not a strip club or a skimpies bar. Instead this is where the high end of Lisbon goes to pick up pros. It looks/feels a little like a Japanese hostess bar, guys in suits hanging around chatting up young girls who are dressed to the 9s. Yep chatting up. Confusingly you don’t get hit on/approached at all, the guys have to chase them (even though they’re for sale?) and I even saw one girl tell a guy to go away. I have no idea how you choose who’s money is better?!

Portuguese society is interesting like that – like all Latin societies its very macho, guys are guys, all my guys like to be thought of as hard and tough who can work all day without help, when you go out the guys are all dressed immaculately and swaggering around, even the fact when a girl kisses you on the cheek you’re not supposed to bend towards her, she has to strain to kiss you and you stand upright and show no enthusiasm what so ever. Yet its all a bit of a show as they are all seriously under the thumb at home, the guys ring their girlfriends or else, the female geo here scares all the drillers and geos without trying too hard, my fieldies are home well before 7pm most nights even when we’re having beers. It helps that the girls usually cook as theres nothing like food to get a Portuguese guy home at night!!