Sunday, November 18, 2007

Happily Ever After


So we survived our maid's wedding. Unfortunately for the ole' blog, it was pretty uneventful. It was a very nice ceremony with a fun reception afterward. Juan Carlos said our maid looked like a princess.



I took a shower and dug some make-up out of my drawer in the bathroom to prove to my maid that I could be presentable.



We didn't end up having to sit with her parents OR say a toast (thanks, anyway, for the offer Fabiola!). Sure, we got stared at and pointed at, but that's normal stuff for us because 1) we are obviously foreigners and 2) because we have four kids.

Vanessa got to see Pedro at her wedding.




I had such high hopes for a wealth of bloggable events but, alas, there was only one little thing.

That would be the driver we hired because our driver is on vacation.

You hire a driver to

1) drive you safely hither and thither, and,
2) to watch the car, especially when you are in not-so-safe areas like we were last night.

He pretty much failed at both. He is out of work right now (I am no longer wondering why), and it was quite apparent that in his past job he drove a manual transmission.

We have an automatic.

Every time the dude went to stop, his right hand would grope around for a stick-shift and his left foot would search for the clutch. His left foot always ended up (quite forcefully, I might add) on the brake. This would about send us all through the windshield. The kids would scream and I would poke Guapo in the back, trying not to laugh.

I understand it happening once, but he never.got.it.

He backed into a car parking in front of the church.

Then, instead of waiting for us whilst protecting our car, he joined us in the wedding. Guapo decided not to say anything because it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world if my car got stolen (it's a piece of crap). After the wedding he drove us to the reception and joined us, uninvited, for the entire time, at our table. Please don't think I'm a snob- I love my real driver; we hang out a lot together. But keep in mind that we had never before met this guy and besides that, it's just totally against driver protocol.

Here we are at our table:


On the way home we were again subjected to a myriad of bad driving techniques: more whiplash inducing stops, driving with the emergency brake on, driving without the headlights on (for the first half hour), signalling to go around curves and then leaving the blinker on for the next 15 minutes. I made Gaupo promise he would stay awake so I could take doze off in between the neck-whipping stops.

Oh well. He was a nice enough guy, and we made it home in one piece, he just probably shouldn't be a driver.

Cheers!

11 comments:

Fabiola said...

Dear Gabriela,

I am so happy everything ended up well. When I lived in US, I read a bible passage on my English Teacher's Wedding. My English was regular back then and I was REALLY nervous.

Fabiola

Awesome Mom said...

Lol Well I am glad you had a pretty ok time at the wedding. I think it would creep me out to have a stranger hanging out with me like that.

Unknown said...

It definitely sounds like the drive was more eventful than the wedding!

Janice said...

Actually, considering all of the bad things that could have happened, I am glad it was uneventful. Pedro is huge!

nikko said...

I'm glad that all turned out well and you were able to go the wedding and return home in one piece. :o)

the lizness said...

She did look like a princess!

Anonymous said...

Oh that looks like so much fun!!

Darci said...

Hee hee I so remember those days!! We didn't have a driver for very long after moving there.
I would love to chat about Brasil.
darcindave1@msn.com

utmommy said...

Sounds like an adventurous ride!

marine's words said...

Gabriela, your muchacha did look like a Princess please tell her for me. And you look very pretty all dress up with make-up and all.
How did your speech Go after all??
if you go over to my blog everyone here in the states every one that can remember the Osmonds are having Osmania!!Ever since Marie Osmond fainted on stage!! The Osmonds have been on enternment tonight.. a whole lot!eveyone my age 40 something is all blogging about it !!its fun walking down memory Lane .lots of fun! blessing marina

Super Happy Girl said...

OMGosh Pedro is so cute, but then again, all you kids are cute.
Wow, your maid looks beautiful.
Glad it was uneventful (somewhat I guess) and that there was no speech or sitting at the front. But really Gabs, ya'll look so obviously foreigner :D

Tsk tsk tsk to the not-your-driver.