Just Me Being a Portagee :)

More Than Words, By Extreme. 

One of my favorite bands from the 90's...  I have my reasons.  The guy sitting on the left is Nuno Bettancourt--yeah he is Portuguese.  If you look closely at the video, you'll see the Portuguese flag draped on a speaker in the background.  When I first saw this video, it was a big deal.  You NEVER saw the Portuguese flag on MTV.  It was a proud moment to all Portuguese everywere.  Nelly Furtado did the same with her first video as well.  Anyway, after seeing the video for the first time, I just had to know about this band..naturally.  Don't ask why--it's just a Portuguese thing. 

Of course his family comes from the Azores-same island as my family is from.  And of course, being a small island, he is quite the celebrity.  He lives in the states now, and plays for another band: Mourning Widows.  Anyways, I have a funny story to share. 

One summer, I was in the Azores vacationing--years ago, I believe it was 1993 to be exact.  I was in the city, and I just happened to be wearing my Extreme concert T-shirt I got at their concert.  This T-shirt was one of my prize possessions at the time.  You see, I had this secret crush on Nuno (my ex-husband did not like that), and there I was walking down the same city streets from which Nuno was born.  Anyway, I was with my sister, and my mom and the kids, when out of no where a man, who just was leaving the bank stopped and looked at me.  He looked at my shirt, and then smiled, and said:

"You know, that's my brother!"

Let's just say I was a little excited.  I don't exactly know what I said, but I did ask him if he would take a picture with me, and here it is: 

Poor guy is still holding his checkbook.  See how little my daughter, Lizzy is?  Well, it wasn't until later that day that I was told that Luis (the guy in purple) taught Nuno how to play guitar.  I was thrilled--my husband at the time, (the ex) wasn't that thrilled; he actually thought I had lunch with the guy or something. 

A few years later, Nuno was performing on the island, and my cousin, Adelaide went up to the stage and got Nuno to sign his autograph on a piece of paper.  It reads: "Hi, Julie".  Yes, it's a prized possession of mine.  It's pinned to my wall at work near Nuno's picture.  Only I know it's significance.  Well, not now I guess.

Anyway, ironically, remember that movie, "Love Actually?"  You know Colin Firth's character--the one who falls in love in Paris with the Portuguese housekeeper?  Well, the woman who played the housekeeper, her name is:  Lucia Moniz.  She is married to Nuno's other brother, Donovan.  They have a little girl named, Julia.  I saw them this summer while on vacation.  Unfortunately, Nuno or Colin were no where in sight.  Small world, huh? 

(Why must all Portuguese women be betrayed as housekeepers on the big screen?)

Anyways, I'm sure my cousins were grateful that I didn't ask for a photo with Lucia.