Old man's blues

Last August 26th marked my 22nd birthday (cof cof!..). It was my 30th actually. It was a sunny warm winter day in Sydney, and instead of spending this special day with my friends, I got to meet new ones. It was a very pleasant day, and I must thank all of you that sent me emails and messages, for you made me feel like I was close to all of you, and not across the world as I physically am. My new friends took me to the highest tower in the city, to a revolving restaurant that rotates 360º in one hour, allowing for stunning views of the harbour.

For all the circumstances, it turned out to be a pretty special and different occasion. That made me think about past birthdays, and dusting through my brain i came out with the memories of 2.

1992. I was turning 14 on the 26th. We were moving 500km south on the 28th. All my life, older siblings and friends were about to be left behind. Tough days for a kid. My house was an absolute chaos. Just after lunch time I got the visit of Gato and Gaspar. They were there to sing me happy birthday, and going through the mountains of cardboard and bags, they found a very small biscuit and a candle, and made me feel special. To this day I hold that memory as one of my most precious ones, and feel very proud to have made friends like that.

1996. Finally, the 18th birthday! I can get a driver's license and I can go to jail! My 3 great friends from childhood were staying in the south with me. Francisco had a license by then, and I got my father to lend us the car, an old 2 seater VW Golf, that took more people on the back trunk than the Lisbon buses! At one point Gaspar decided to taste the wheel and got it a bit wrong in a turn, smashing the tyre against the curb. We basically spent all night from bar to bar trying to come up with a story to tell my dad the next day. I had such an exciting time! I could actually end up in jail! :) My father decided not to press charges, as it turned out. On the dictionary, next to the word cool, you can find a picture of him.

Cheers to old age!