I will apologize in advance…this is a venting post. I could have scrapped it and not bothered today but it really helps me to get my feelings out. I also think it will make for interesting reading a few years from now as I look back on the posts about our expat life.
Tonight I am SO FRUSTRATED, SO DISAPPOINTED…. to tears as you can see from the title of my post! It wasn’t the original title I had in mind. The title of today’s post should have read…A Special Dinner with My SWEETIE!
You see…There is one restaurant in Penedo I have REALLY, and I mean REALLY been wanting to go to for a “special occasion” It is not a place we would go to just for dinner but it has to be for a celebration or something. Every time there was an appropriate occasion and reason to go, it was closed or we were away.
So tonight, David & I decided that we would go…the occasion? Valentine’s Day!
What in June? Yes in June. Valentine’s Day in Brazil is June 12th. Dia do Namorado!
We knew Dia do Namorados would be busy like February 14th Valentines Day so we made reservations in advance. A reservation for 7:30 pm. I have been looking forward to tonight all week. David worked until 6pm, came home and we got all dressed up really nice to go out. This is a fancy little Italian restaurant with limited seating and live piano music, very romantic.
So, we arrive at the restaurant and they tell us we need a reservation and David says we have one for 7:30 showing him the email on his iphone. The guy said sorry but you don’t have a reservation, you had to come in and make a deposit! What?! What do you mean we don’t have a reservation??!! A deposit for a restaurant reservation? And of course, there was NO availability!!! IDIOTS!!!! I am sorry…this is just one MORE thing in a LONG LIST of many things we deal with!!!! I am so tired with dealing with all the JUNK and STUPID way of doing business here!!!!
This is the beautiful restaurant where we would have liked to celebrate Dia do Namorado. It is called Pergola and is in Penedo. It is so quaint, you should see the inside. BUT I will NOT try to go again before we leave!!!
These things in Brazil just upset me so much…more so than ever before ( I don’t like how frustrated and upset I get in Brazil) and unfortunately my emotions after this couldn’t handle crowds of couples! Couples making out in restaurants because YES, in Brazil the Public Display of Affection is disgusting!! I LOVE my husband and I love to show him, but I don’t need to continually maul him in public! And trust me on a regular day everyone is doing it, so today would be even worse!!
My wonderful husband is so understanding and sweet that we came home and had homemade Italian, a little white chocolate and fruit, and a romantic evening snuggling.
I guess that is a better way to enjoy Dia do Namorados!
PS~ It also started a big thunder, lightning, rain and wind storm when we arrived home. Is it bad to hope the Pergola restaurant loses power?! Sorry, just the way I feel tonight 😦 Tomorrow is a new day, right?
Adventure For Two 
Hi! I’m following your blog since about two years and I love to read you. I know how these little things can be frustrating when you are an expat. My husband, my two years old boy and I (pregnant!) lived in Querétaro for a year in 2006 so I understand you a lot. But you are right : when you will read this post a few years later, you will smile and hope to enjoy this expat life again, with all the desagreements and all the beautiful things you live. I did the same thing !! Now, I am waiting to have an other posting with my family (3 kids now) to live again the adventure. Thank you for telling us what you are living and making us travel too ! 🙂
Thanks Lisane for the comments. It is always nice to hear from people reading my blog and where they are from. Hope one day soon you will get another expat assignment. They really are full of adventure 🙂