So after weeks of talking about it and night after night of plans falling through Edi and I FINALLY went to the "American Bar" that Edi was talking about. Truth be told it was actually an Irish Pub which is of course not an American bar but I know now more than ever what Edi was talking about when he said it reminded him of home. (well, MY home anways)
First of all the atmosphere is great. To me, atmosphere is such an important part of the restaurant/bar experience. Of course we went on a Saturday and we got there between 9:30-10:00 so the place was hoppin'! I was worried we were going to be waiting a while at first because there was a line out the door. Luckily for us it was all from the same group of people deciding if they wanted to get a table. They decided not to wait and off they went. Score! They had a couple of tables left for 2 people so we were able to get a seat right away. The place is not all that big. There is a small outdoor patio area which is really cool with some palm-like trees and green uplighting that gives it a really cool look and feel. Then inside there is a small bar area which could probably hold 7-8 stools but there were none. People just stood where the stools would be and to be honest that makes a lot of sense because there were about 20 people all lined up at a bar where only 8 or so seats would fit. Anyways there was the bar and then there were maybe 20 tables inside ranging in size from a 2 person table to like an 8 person table.
We sat down and perused the menu for drinks and a snack. I was thrilled and shocked to see buffalo wings on the menu. Buffalo Wings! Oh how I've missed you. I also saw a non-Brazilian beer selection which included Guiness, Heineken, Stella, Newcastle, among other things. I looked around at the decor and saw a snowboard hanging on the wall which is hilarious to even think about while we were sweating in the 95 degree heat. Also the Brazilian and Irish flags hung above the bar. The walls were brick and the ceilings has exposed beams. It looked great and it definitely felt like I was sitting at an Irish Pub back in the US. As I looked around I noticed that there was a small stage and it looked like there was going to be some live music. Not surprising since A. It was Saturday night and B. In Brazil almost EVERY restaurant has live music almost EVERY night. I did notice that this looked like a full band setup whereas usually here it is just a couple of guys playing guitar and singing. I then looked at the posters to my left. I nearly fell out of my chair I was so excited! We just happened to come on a night where the band that was playing was a Beatles/Rolling Stones cover band!!! (First of all, Bealtes AND Rolling Stones cover band? Have you ever heard of such a thing. I have not. But hey who am I to judge, I was getting 2 bands for the price of none!) I turned to Edi and I am sure I looked like a kid on Christmas "Did you see that?! It's a Beatles/Rolling Stones cover band!! This place is great! I love it here!!" Edi looked at me and I am pretty sure he was thinking I didn't get enough sleep last night. "Yeah I see that. That's cool!" I refrained from yelling "Cool? Cool?! This is awesome!!! Best night ever!!" because I didn't need him thinking I had gone off the deep end.......yet.
Let me explain why this was so exciting for me. First let me preface by saying that I truly do love it here and I am a big fan of all the restaurants we have been to, I like Brazilian cuisine, beverages, music, Edi's family, and pretty much anything else that I have come across here. I say this because I know I have a lot of friends/family that are happy I am here but worry about me and whether I am or will be happy here. The answer is yes I am. However, with that being said I have been here, away from my home, friends, family, and comfort zone for over a month. 1 month is not enough time for someone to be totally comfortable in their new surroundings if those new surrounding are in another country. As much as I love it here, I obviously struggle on a daily basis. Although I understand SO much more than I did when I first got here, I struggle everyday with the language barrier. I am living with Edi's family which is hard to get used to, no matter how nice they are. I am used to having my own space, doing my own thing. I don't have a car to go where I want, blah blah blah. Did any of these things change because I was in an Irish style pub? No, but it felt like I was home for a couple of hours at a bar that I would go to in the US. I ate french fries and drank beer from a bottle (I went with Stella. I don't mind it, it's just not my fav.) and listened to a band playing songs in English. It relaxed me. I needed that bit of an oasis to recharge my batteries. We had so much fun. I sang all the lyrics to all the songs, (Edi tried but needless to say he won't be starting a Beatles coverband anytime soon) and drank my beers and ate my food and felt totally comfortable for the first time in a while. We will definitely be going back soon. Also I wish so badly that I could have had a chance to talk to the lead singer of the band because I have heard a few people try to sing songs in English here and the accent usually makes the song sound a bit off or they don't quite the word pronunciation right, but this guy was AWESOME! Was he so authentic that he had a british accent? No but when he was singing it sounded great. Everything sounded clear. I really wanted to ask him if he spoke English or just memorized the songs.
Other than that fabulous night out there is not a whole lot here to report at the moment. I have been trying to run everyday because the whole eating a lot everyday and doing no sort of exercise is beginning to take its toll..... The weather is perfect as usual but I think we are do for a few rainy days later this week. I am in for a big shock when I come home in November. What is wrong with me? I am out of New England for the fall (my favorite season) and I come back for Nov, Dec, and Jan??? If you know me, you know I hate the cold/snow. All well I do love the holiday season!
Miss you all!
Tchau!!
Sounds like that was a great night for you!
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