Great post FULL of things that are so very familiar... from struggling to find things in stores (I'm STILL looking for white vinegar and egg noodles) to trying to establish a routine, to struggling with the language, to trying to take advantage of all the great things that are available to see and do in this city. You are not alone, I'll tell you that!
On a larger level, I completely understand your struggles over the first few months, and agree with your solution. We always said we'd "give it a year", and I think it helps to have that kind of timeline. I also think it's important to understand the phases of culture shock and be able to recognize where you are on the line. It sounds like you guys have weathered the worst of it and have a great attitude which is an absolute necessity for things like this.
Finally, thanks for the tip on the speaking group website. I hadn't heard of it but any opportunity to speak with similarly situated language learners sounds fabulous. I'm going to check it out!
Hello! On libraries with books in English, have you tried to join the library at the British Council in Lisbon? Their main aim is to teach (British) English. I believe that their library is not only for students, but open to the public: https://englishonline.britishcouncil.org/pt/ (near Príncipe Real). There is also the American School of Languages - they do the same with American English (https://americanschooloflanguages.com/) - Av. Duque de Loulé, "near" Marquês de Pombal. I don't know if they have a library... (Finding their physical address on their site was impossible! And it is NOT "there"!). By the way, if you wish to understand / compare Portuguese from PT to Portuguese from Brazil, just do the analogy with British English and American English: same differences in pronounciation, syntax, words and meanings.
Happy Anniversary! We are recent permanent transplants to Madeira and can echo many of the topics you have touched upon in this post. We love the safety, the clean air, friendly Portuguese people. We are thrilled to leave behind the political unrest and extremely high healthcare and housing and food costs of California and the states in general. I appreciate your tip regarding the under the bed sheet warmer. Lastly, while we initally found the extremely laid back "nothing-is so-urgent-it-can't-wait-a-few-more-weeks" attitude frustrating, we have discovered that it IS liberating to approach life with this in mind, also. Thank you both.
Love seeing you so happy and settling in. My attempts to keep the game night alive has been an utter failure - except for Mike and it’s been great to become friends with him. Miss y’all and am a bit envious.
Oh man, the keys between the fingers. I don't have to do that much where I live right now, mostly because I am rarely walking in the dark, but yeah. That's so emblematic of a lot that's wrong with the US. What a joy to not have the political crazy we are living through over here!
Congratulations and thank you for all you share. As a long term retiree, I’m sorry to say that some of the issues — like not having a routine and never getting around to those art classes — might never go away. But life is good!
So happy for you both, for prevailing and for learning and changing so much. You are still young enough to adapt to all these things, so it's good that you made the move now. I miss you all and continue to wish you all the best. Love and hugs,
I am only getting around to commenting but, yes, congratulations on this significant milestone! Actually, I think it's impressive that you have accomplished a lot in a year. And that you're winning in life! So bravo! We look forward to meeting up with you in Lisbon someday. 🙏👍
Great post FULL of things that are so very familiar... from struggling to find things in stores (I'm STILL looking for white vinegar and egg noodles) to trying to establish a routine, to struggling with the language, to trying to take advantage of all the great things that are available to see and do in this city. You are not alone, I'll tell you that!
On a larger level, I completely understand your struggles over the first few months, and agree with your solution. We always said we'd "give it a year", and I think it helps to have that kind of timeline. I also think it's important to understand the phases of culture shock and be able to recognize where you are on the line. It sounds like you guys have weathered the worst of it and have a great attitude which is an absolute necessity for things like this.
Finally, thanks for the tip on the speaking group website. I hadn't heard of it but any opportunity to speak with similarly situated language learners sounds fabulous. I'm going to check it out!
Hello! On libraries with books in English, have you tried to join the library at the British Council in Lisbon? Their main aim is to teach (British) English. I believe that their library is not only for students, but open to the public: https://englishonline.britishcouncil.org/pt/ (near Príncipe Real). There is also the American School of Languages - they do the same with American English (https://americanschooloflanguages.com/) - Av. Duque de Loulé, "near" Marquês de Pombal. I don't know if they have a library... (Finding their physical address on their site was impossible! And it is NOT "there"!). By the way, if you wish to understand / compare Portuguese from PT to Portuguese from Brazil, just do the analogy with British English and American English: same differences in pronounciation, syntax, words and meanings.
Happy Anniversary! We are recent permanent transplants to Madeira and can echo many of the topics you have touched upon in this post. We love the safety, the clean air, friendly Portuguese people. We are thrilled to leave behind the political unrest and extremely high healthcare and housing and food costs of California and the states in general. I appreciate your tip regarding the under the bed sheet warmer. Lastly, while we initally found the extremely laid back "nothing-is so-urgent-it-can't-wait-a-few-more-weeks" attitude frustrating, we have discovered that it IS liberating to approach life with this in mind, also. Thank you both.
Love seeing you so happy and settling in. My attempts to keep the game night alive has been an utter failure - except for Mike and it’s been great to become friends with him. Miss y’all and am a bit envious.
Amazing. I love that for you!!
Oh man, the keys between the fingers. I don't have to do that much where I live right now, mostly because I am rarely walking in the dark, but yeah. That's so emblematic of a lot that's wrong with the US. What a joy to not have the political crazy we are living through over here!
Congratulations and thank you for all you share. As a long term retiree, I’m sorry to say that some of the issues — like not having a routine and never getting around to those art classes — might never go away. But life is good!
I used to borrow books to read from Christopher's school. Have you tried Project Gutenberg or Obooko?
What a great post! We are a few months behind you and not in Lisboa, but we value your stories of your experiences.
So happy for you both, for prevailing and for learning and changing so much. You are still young enough to adapt to all these things, so it's good that you made the move now. I miss you all and continue to wish you all the best. Love and hugs,
Happy anniversary. I am so happy that things are going well for you both. ❤️
I love this post. Thank you for your honestly, humor and reflections.
A pan idea for your next post. Loved this article about Portuguese soups. What has been your experience. Soups is a favorite experience when I travel.
https://www.wsj.com/arts-culture/food-cooking/the-magic-of-portuguese-soup-few-ingredients-incredible-results-067e7827?st=n3d3sgylqub8zms&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink
Happy Anniversary 😊 ❤
I am only getting around to commenting but, yes, congratulations on this significant milestone! Actually, I think it's impressive that you have accomplished a lot in a year. And that you're winning in life! So bravo! We look forward to meeting up with you in Lisbon someday. 🙏👍
I enjoy reading your posts. Even our Brazilian exchange students said Portuguese was tough!