Roll On Spring!

Here comes February. Woohooo - one more wintery blah blah month behind me - roll on spring!

Actually it's quite warm ... weird. I'm de-layering - though with suspicion. I don't trust the weather simply because I'm from England. We don't have weather there. We just have lots of rain. The word 'weather' implies change. Raining every day simply isn't 'change'. It's just wet.

Simões tells me that it can be rather hot in February so I'm anticipatory as well as de-layering. I'll let you know if I get down to T-shirts and shorts ...

I stuck my head in the café downstairs this morning. Had a nice espresso and exchanged pleasantries with the owners. Who are ... somehow ... also my neighbours. Anyway the conversation is often fun in as much as I'm not sure each knows what the other is saying.

I'm British ... and they're not. I speak english. Their default language is portuguese. I think we're discussing things such as the weather, how we are and what we may or may not be doing later in the day. I've decided that comprehension is not quite so important as good manners and interaction. Not speaking a common language shouldn't deny us the ability to interact now should it? ...

Interestingly - they are picking up english. I'm not sure if they want to - but they are starting to say one and two words together. I find it curious. It's like we're toddlers ... learning to speak. We've gone from 'morning - bom dia' to 'how are you? - estou bem?'

Now we're getting complicated. We say things like 'I'm fine thankyou and you?' - 'esta bem obrigada e vocé?

Maybe in another month or so I'll be able to ask what their names are - or for something other than a coffee and a pack of cigarettes ...