Okay, to set the scene. I was lost. Really lost and over 20 minutes late to pick up my children at a party.

Since I had been to this family’s house before, I assumed that my innate Portuguese navigation skills would get me there again even if I was coming from a completely different direction. That was my first mistake. When I realized that in fact I could not make it there from where I started I decided to back track and start again from the way I knew. Or let me rephrase that, from the way I thought I knew. You see, as I was driving to the party there were two detours. I kid you not. Two. And this made me lost in a way that you can not imagine.

And my Tom-Tom you ask? That’s a great suggestion but the problemo was that I did not have the address. I hadn’t asked for it because I thought I knew where I was going. That and the fact that the little neighborhoods that locals refer to are not listed on GPS devices.

Another good idea would be to use my phone to call and ask directions. Brilliant idea, except that I was out of minutes and I do not have a debit card at the moment because a machine ate it up when I got my password wrong 3 times. You see, when you go away for 5 weeks to the States you forget random pins. And it’s not just me.  My husband forgot too so now we await our new cards. ANDDD in this country you can not connect your phone to a credit card. You have to go into a vodafone shop or use your cash card. I had tried to do find a shop before  heading to the party, but I did not have any luck.

As I said. I was already 20 minuted late and lost. Just writing this I can feel the panic I was in. In a moment of luck and desperation a jogger was running by. I asked him if he could tell me how to get to Bisesse. As he told me the directions all I envisioned was myself getting lost again. It was obvious that this was not going to work well. So I did the only thing a sensible thing a mother could do. I asked him to get  in the car and show me the way. People. I am a runner and this guy was obviously a serious runner. I knew he would cause me no harm because at the moment all he was thinking about was me messing up his mileage. Yet, even with that preoccupation, he was kind enough to hop in my car and showed me to where I needed to go. Once I got to the right area and  I knew how to get to the house, he hopped out. I thanked him and I laughed my ass off.

Note…I know I may have used up all my karma points on this high risk behavior, so must be super fantastic human being for a while! Now would be a good time to ask me for a favor.