Too much to say, not enough time to say it
Lisbon update #1
Tl;dr: Lisbon is kicking our asses right now. We're having very different reactions, understandably so, to this situation. And we are starting to turn the corner.
From Scott
I had envisioned a totally different first 48 hours. Like, polar opposite different. It has been a giant scramble since we arrived. No time for anything but the next thing. Certainly no time to write.
Dominant theme thus far
Lost luggage. We checked eight bags at O'Hare airport. We brought six large duffel bags to the airport three hours before departure, we gate-checked two of our intended carry-ons ten minutes before we boarded. Not one bag made it to Lisbon. Not. One.
Problems include but are far from limited to: not a single stitch of clothing beyond what we wore on the plane, no sheets or towels, and no power adaptors. Amy spent five hours waiting at the airport to report and initiate the retrieval process. She was told that if we don’t see them in five days, we can fill out a form online and sent on her way.
It has been 60 hours since we landed and we still have no idea whether or when we might see our belongings.
Sub-themes
Josie’s flight out of Chicago was canceled (after having been moved from afternoon takeoff to midnight). Initial report as we waited in Toronto was that they weren’t sure she’d be allowed to land in Lisbon on a Saturday. Eventually, we found out she could and that we would see her today. She arrived about 48 hours after we did and it was clear it had been a rough journey, the poor girl. She is sticking close to us and has yet to vocalize in the five or six hours since she's been here. Not going into detail here but we won't send another pet overseas the same way again.
I made the 1.2 km walk to the Amoreiras Shopping mall twice on Thursday and was disappointed to see that I'd walked more steps on several occasions during AP exams. Then I realized that all of my 14,000 steps had been logged in an 8-hour time span as the day began on an airplane and was followed by hours of standing around at the airport waiting for luggage.
Hilariously, my “smart” watch never caught on to the location change so all day Thursday it was on St. Louis time. When the settings were tweaked to allow automatic recognition of time zone, somehow the language also changed so now it's doing its business in Portuguese.
SIM cards were also waiting for us in our mailbox when we arrived. Amy’s worked seamlessly. My phone turned out to be locked to the previous US network so I was scrambling for wifi connections all day Thursday and Friday in order to stay in touch. (This was the reason for the first trip to the mall – visiting the MEO retail store the reps told me my card would be unlocked after the setup at the apartment was complete. By the end of that conversation there wasn’t enough time to actually buy any necessaries in order to ensure I'd be home by the start of the technician’s arrival window. Turned out it wasn't the card it was the phone that was the problem.)
Things I'd heard before coming that have turned out to be true:
The hills are no joke. It's slightly flatter to the east/northeast of us than in the other directions but some of these elevation changes are difficult to negotiate.
The pigeons are fearless. I've nearly walked into a couple of them because they just don't get out of the way. Others have flown so close to me I've had to dodge them.
Things I'd heard before coming that have turned out not to be true:
Almost everyone speaks English; certainly anyone under 50 will. Not so much. It's generally possible in a larger store to find at least one clerk who speaks English. I was scolded (I think) by an older woman in a convenience store when I asked (in Portuguese) if she spoke English. But after the second time she repeated her question, I realized she was just trying to make sure I really did want the paper towels I'd put on the counter in front of her and not toilet paper (she asked if these were for use in the kitchen or the bathroom). When I vigorously replied that I really did want paper towels and not toilet paper, she asked if I spoke Spanish. I said a little, so she asked me the same question in Spanish. Eventually, I was allowed to leave with the paper towels.
Small victories
Water and power were working when I first arrived at the apartment. Internet was installed later that afternoon. I changed the wifi network name and password to match what we’d had in STL so our computers and phones just logged in as usual.
I found my way home from the mall on my first trip without using Google Maps (and, later, made my way back again without aid). I had several brief conversations in Portuguese, asking for directions and where to find items in stores. None went flawlessly; most got me what I needed.
I reserved a “surprise bag” from a nearby vegetarian Tibetan restaurant using the Too Good to Go app. For 3,99€ it was a delicious vegetarian dinner. We don’t know what it was, but it was good.
I also bought cherries from a street vendor outside the shopping mall. In St. Louis, I'd recently spent $7.99 for a pound of cherries for Amy at Schnucks. They were terrible. Thursday's were 10€ for 2 kg (4.4 pounds) and they tasted as cherries should.
I finally got my phone sorted late Friday evening. I had to call Tracfone - my last US carrier, which I'd left in late May to test out how to port my number to Google Voice - and get them to unlock my phone. I now have a working Portuguese phone number, which will smooth out and/or enable a variety of other tasks and obligations.
Some of the people I've met here have been incredibly kind. Our next-door neighbor is a lovely young Russian woman who, unfortunately, will be moving out in a few days. She has been here two years, her lease is up, her landlord won't renew it short term and she can't find another place to live. We haven't heard a peep out of her apartment; don't know if that's because of great insulation, her lifestyle, or both. She taught Amy how to use the pay dryer in the basement (our unit has a washing machine, we had no idea there was a dryer in the building!), and were it not for her scissors, we might still be hacking away with a butter knife at the zip ties on Josie's crate.
From Amy
The good: The apartment rocks. The location is amazing, the view astounding, the continual breezes from the open french doors through to the bedroom and kitchen delightful.
Josie's home. At last. It was rough, that is clear, but after an unwelcome shower, she is righting herself. She has visited a park and drawn many happy smiles from many people. Josie is conquering Lisbon, just as we knew she would.
The first surprise box is from our favorite new restaurant, a Tibetan treasure. The others, interesting, but don't sing for me. The cherries are to die for.
The weather. This must be an anomaly. Highs are 73. Sunny. Lovely breeze. I am pinching myself.
Challenges.
Said baggage. 'Nuff said.
"Everyone speaks English!" Horsehockey.
There's nowhere to buy things. Oh, you can go to tiny boutiques on the street, or to a big, expensive mall. But no anchor/department store like a Macy's. Can't figure out where to buy underwear. No big box store. Accumulating what we need, when we need everything, is an enormous obstacle when there's no where like a Target.
It's rough. I've had moments of "Let me back on the plane, I wanna go home." Tonight for the first time I feel some enjoyment here. Because Josie is home? I don't know.
Scott is absolutely blossoming. This is where he was meant to be. His delight is palpable, and the often only thing keeping me from hopping on said plane.
Scott again
There's SO much more to say but, frankly, I'm exhausted from just trying to stay afloat. Amy's right, though, in general I am having a blast here despite the many challenges.
Thanks to those who've reached out so far. It's been helpful to hear from you.
Love from PT,
Scott & Amy