Hello lovely people, how are you doing? I woke up today kind of tired today…for the past two nights I’ve not been able to sleep so good…so I’m kinda sleepy and lazy, but here I am, writing a post to see if I can shake it all away! On Monday, Rafael and I celebrated 2 years of marriage! Can’t believe how time is going by so quickly…8 years has already passed since we met at a samba bar in Campinas, Brazil…and so much has changed since that! We always like to go out for dinner to celebrate and talk while eating (so much eating, as always…hahahha). But this year, I also wanted to do something else, there is a jazz bar one block away from us called Sowieso. It’s been quite a while since I wanted to go there and see some live jazz music, so I said to myself this was a perfect situation! Rafael was having doubts about this place since forever, but I said let’s go and check it out, it may be nice! Guys, I’ve never ever been so wrong in my life! Last Friday was a mix of Portuguese/Berliner jazz, and I thought it would be fun….I swear…we lasted maybe 30 minutes there after the band started playing, it was like I was in my worst nightmare, or if I dare say, purgatory’s soundtrack! I am not kidding! I left the bar so mad, that I started crying in the street. I know…a bit dramatic, maybe? hahaha This has never happened to me before…Now, I may not be a musician, and I don’t understand a lot about music, but I do admire a good melody and arrangement in a song. But when six people start playing their instruments totally uncoordinated (at least that was what it seemed to us) 5 feet away from you, making a lot of weird noises (and faces…haha)…the only alternative we had was to bolt! If there had been an indication on the program that had said, experimental jazz music, I would have never gone to see the band. I know that a lot of people must enjoy these kind of performances (apparently the whole bar was in a trance, even the 70 year old lady sitting next to me was very focused on the band), but this is not our style. What really got me irritated and sad was the fact that one more place I can cross off my list that I’ll never go to anymore here in Berlin. If it’s not the weird music, it’s the fact that people can smoke in bars here (a thing that I really, really hate…I can’t stand smoke!). Of course I don’t know all Berliner bars, but what I do enjoy here are Irish pubs, especially the one that we went to for NYE, Irish Times….just keep them pint of Guinness coming and I’ll be happy all night! hahahaha

I don’t want to complain anymore, so let’s skip to Saturday night! It’s true when they say, when bad things happen, good things come…and this time it came really fast, the next day, at Sala da Mangiare! haha an Italian restaurant also close to our apartment, I have passed by it a couple of times during the day (when they are closed), and after reading about it on the Oooh, Berlin! guide winter edition, I decided it was time to make a reservation…I sent an e-mail (because I don’t like talking on the phone…haha) requesting a table for two, Saturday at 8 pm…but they never responded back, so maybe the phone would’ve been more efficient…haha The restaurant opens from Tuesday to Saturday, from 7 pm to 11 pm. We got there maybe around 7:30, and there where already people there, but we still managed to get a table. Like all little restaurants, this one can maybe fit around 30 people, so I think going early is the trick, in case you have not made a reservation.

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