The city of Setúbal is by far the most Portuguese of all Lusitane cities and that is why I selected it for my research. The site was to be Taberna do Largo on Dr. Francisco Soveral, close to Mercado do Livramento. When I first walked in, I knew I had the right spot.
I was looking for singles with sad faces. Sad faces are easy to find as many Iberians are set in a permanent frown, the challenge was to get them to talk.
Alonso was at a table with a beer and a small plate of snacks. He is a composer who makes a decent living scoring movies and TV series, which allows him to work on his symphony. I asked the question for my project: "Did you recently break up with your partner?" He said he did. He confessed that, after a rehearsal, he had sex with the girl playing the oboe. "How did your girlfriend find out?" Alonso said that he told her, as he thought they had a good thing together and he didn't want to lie. "How did that make you feel?" "Sexually abandoned." "What do you do after a break-up?" Alonso looked even sadder: "I compose a string quartet, this one is Opus Two, Number Six." Suddenly he jumped up and said he had to rush as he just had a great idea for the Rondo of the fourth movement.
Iria sat at a table in the back with a glass of wine. She is from San Leandro, California, USA and teaches MTM* at the Politecnico Setubal. I asked if she recently broke up and could we talk about it. She told me that after a department party, slightly drunk, she had sex with a pretty PhD student called Lolo. A few days later, as she thought they had a good thing together and didn't want to lie, she told her partner the truth. They broke up. "What do you do after a break-up?" Iria told me that she eats peanut butter sandwiches with Sriracha on cornbread. She has to order the peanut butter and Sriracha on Amzoron**. I asked if that helps and she was close to tears and just shrugged.
I thanked her and wanted to leave when she grabbed my arm and asked me what I do after a break-up. It was only fair to tell her the truth. "I listen to German love songs from the thirties, forties and fifties. Zarah Leander, Marlene Dietrich, Hildegard Knef." Iria asked if it helps ... I just shrugged.
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* I did not know what MTM is but didn't ask as not to interrupt
** You know which one I mean
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