Yesterday we did strike it lucky. Went to a Bossa Nova concert and found out that you have to be on a guestlist to enter because it was a record release party of "Couple Coffee". Well, I don't know how but some magic happened and -*bang*- we got five free tickets. Gosh, what a beatiful place it was! That Art Nouveau Hall, very lightened, sight over Bairro Alto and the sundown. Well, we felt a bit underdressed in that sophisticated society but the free caipirinha compensated that one quickly. It was a strange party, remembered me a bit on a marriage or something similar, very festive. But in the end the music was great, easy Bossa Nova and sometimes surprising Progressive Rock guitars, I think have to listen to it at home again, more attentionally. Well, as usual the musical example on Youtube. Enjoy:

...well, since my arrival going to Tejo Bar has really become an inherent part of my Lisbon nightlife. I love the cozy atmosphere, all those chilled people sitting, playing chess, backgammon or mikado, making music. The concept of that bar could somehow be described as "feel free" I guess. There is no waiter at all, if you want to drink a cup (yeah, a cup!) of wine you just go to the bar and serve yourself. If you feel like singing or drumming or playing guitar just grab yourself an instrument or raise your voice. Ok, most of the music played there is the traditional Fado or braszilian rythms. So perhaps... after all you should feel a little saudade to perform. But in the end you will get your chance: EVERY evening the owner distributes the lyrics of "Fazemos" (wich is the portuguese version of "let's do it, let's fall in love") to everybody and the whole bar starts to sing pleasantly. Oh, and there is the poem of the day, always lectured by someone else. A young kid, an old man from Alfama neighbourhood, a beautiful singer, the shy guy, the passionated mid-aged or the tourist from Spain, having funny problems pronouncing the portuguese words. (Well, people who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones... but it was... cute. Stone me!)
Despite of all this inordinateness there is also a "DON'T DO"! As the English would say: Put that in your pipe and smoke it. (Germans would write it behind their ears, but that's another story.)Back to topic, the rule of Tejo Bar: Please never ever start to clap your hands in enthusiastic applause. It's forbidden, everybody knows it and you will instantly be detected as "the foreigner". People rub their hands instead of clapping. It's more quiet and as rumors has it, it is because of that old woman who lives above that bar and once complained. She loves the music but the applause takes her to insomnia. I guess it is a good solution, isn't it?

Ok, to get an idea, this is a video of the nicest jamsession in Tejo Bar I found on You Tube....



And just because it's obligatory "fazemos":

...today it's raining lots of cats and dogs, I got wet feet and finally a lot of bureaucracy-stuff to manage. Tried to speak portuguese at the office and was missunderstood and they refused to solve the problem in English, even though I know they were able to speak fluently. I mean... hey! I really love talking in portuguese and I try to improve my skills wherever and whenever I get the opportunity. But after one week stumbeling from office to office to solve my robbery-problems, struggeling with language, foreign unknown rules, always being alien (ok, except in the german embassy), unassisted and still a bit scared by the weekend's incidents I really am rid of it and would've loved to solve a problem EASILY! (Well, and please remember, my dear readers at home, this one is mentioned by someone grown up in the kingdom of bureaucracy...)

Thanks for listening. I've got to continue filling in some forms now. And later I seriously have to admonish the weatherman. He's doing a bad job today. All those gloomy clouds...

I guess (or hope?) the sun is gonna shine again tomorrow... até logo.

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Raub

Raub ist nach deutschem Strafrecht die Wegnahme (Besitzübergang) einer fremden beweglichen Sache mittels Gewalt gegen eine Person oder unter Androhung einer gegenwärtigen Gefahr für Leib und Leben mit der Absicht, die Sache sich oder einem Dritten rechtswidrig zuzueignen. Es handelt sich damit entweder um ein aus Diebstahl und Körperverletzung oder um ein aus Diebstahl und Nötigung zusammengesetztes Delikt. Zusammengesetzt bedeutet dabei nicht nur das kumulative Vorliegen der jeweiligen Merkmale, sondern auch deren Verknüpfung mittels Finalzusammenhangs im Vorstellungsbild des Täters.

Der Raub ist durch die Mindeststrafdrohung von einem Jahr Freiheitsstrafe ein Verbrechen. Der Täter, der eine solche Tat begeht, wird als Räuber bezeichnet.

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I'm fine again... just need some days to relax and calm down. (And finally a dentist :-)) Hugs to everybody supporting me the last days (and still do)!!! Eased the situation a lot...