Queima #1

So this week is "Queima das Fitas" - Burning of the Ribbons.
Those Ribbons are ribbons the students have in their facultiy's colour (in case of the engineering faculty of the state uni of Oporto it is Maroon), they tie them to their uni bags when they are in 4th (second last) year.
Burning these ribbons symbolizes the end of your uni time.

Queima das Fitas (or short: Queima) is celebrated a whole week every year in which there are no classes. After the last day of classes on Friday during the night of Saturday to Sunday at 0:01 is the Serenata. The students gather downtown and sing the traditional melancholic Portuguese Fado. Those are only students who are in the students association, underwent all the rituals, wear the traditional black uniform with the cape and participate in student traditions regularly (singing, playing instruments, parading etc.). And still today 2006 only boys can sing and play in the Serenata. (Eventhough there are female singing groups.)

You're not supposed to applaude, instead students of the forth year will wave their ribbons.

I went to see the Serenata last Saturday with Ricardo from my "Lubrification and Vibrations Laboratory". I totally took to his girlfriend (I'd say Ricardo is one lucky man to have such a endearing girlfriend). We didn't stay until the end.

On May 7th the boys from mechanics/automation met for dinner, I was the only girl but I was allowed in *g*. The restaurant was near the big Norte Shopping. A group of bats (students in the black traditional uniform with cape... get it?) and their caloiros (students of the 1st year) was already there, feasting very loudly.

Caloiros have to undergo several humilating rituals on a daily basis (also on weekends and during the night) under the older students from the association. This torture starting with the beginning of the uni year in September and only ending at the end of the Cortejo (pageant/Festumzug) during the Queima das Fitas.

Speciality was chicken served w/ rice and potatoes (it's normal to serve these two "side dishes" at the same time and serve no other vegetables... I don't really like it), you could ask for more of any of these any time.
The guys wanted to order wine. Then they changed their mind and asked "Do you have Receita? Ok, then two big bottles, one white and one red." I was wondering what Receita (recipe/Rezept) could be but I should soon find out... It was a mix of either white wine with SevenUp/Sprite (white) or red wine with cola... It does sound weird and it is... But I kinda liked it. In the end the guys (6) had bought 4x2 liters of white receita and one of red...
When after dinner (which turned out to be cheap!) we walked to Parque da Cidade where the nightly Queima das Fita party should be... we were pretty drunk already.
Parque da Cidade looked like a fair (Jahrmarkt) w/ alcohol alcohol alcohol... (or think Oktoberfest) Beer for 75 € cents...
While the guys had killed another 2 liters of white receita during the 30 mins we had walked I had abstained from the beverage to recover...
The place was frikking crowded and we had to hold each other's hand in order not to lose one another.
Every night of the Queima (! 7th-13th May everyday this big alcohol event at night!) there are two concerts. We assisted the end of one for a while. This is were I started dancing with Guilherme which is always hilarous and fun.

In the beginning of October I had this single date with a guy from electrical engineering Tiago J. on which he all too confidentially had said that we would go to the Queima together and see the concerts.
This info is important cos then I saw him... at the concert... with his now-g/f. He also saw me. I just smiled. I mean damn... what else could I do but smile and wave. I ran into him later on again. Was für ein Film!!!
After the date we kinda didn't talk to each other anymore. I until now don't really know why (or maybe I know...).
He was right afterall... somehow...

Got me some cotton candy/candy floss (Zuckerwatte)! wheeeeee always reminds me of my childhood!!!

Danced some more with Guilherme which was a hell a lot of fun.
Diego was getting worse and worse. Started to puke at some point...
Guilherme and me lost him and António later on. We also left the place at around 4:30 am. We saw lots of people waiting for the bus, but we wanted to walk. When we didn't know the way anymore we followed a girl we met in the streets, she was really nice.
"You have some guts to walk here alone, girl!!" Guilherme said. She indicated the rest of the way to use when she got home.
So we got to the main avenue... but what now?? Still frikking far away from my home (and Guilherme lives at a totally different place altogether...). We sat down at a bus stop were Guilherme started to ask some of his famous straight-forward (to a fault...) questions. On top of his natural talent to ask touchy questions as if it were peanuts he was also drunk...

"Do you use fio-dental? (floss/Zahnseide)"
"Yes, I do."
"Why?"
"Cos it cleans your teeth better..."
"No no! I mean FIO-DENTAL! (thong/String-Tanga) Do you?"

ARGH!!!!!!!
And some other questions I won't even mention, mind you :P.

I got to catch a madrugada (dawn/Morgendämmerung) bus after the Queima special shuttle passed me three times... Had to leave Guilherme behind :(...
Got home round 6am...