Education Week: Travel to Portugal

{image by Nathan}

Nathan was excited about Portugal being represented in our around the world Education Week. He spent two years in Lisbon and Madeira. Therefore, some of the pictures in this post are from him. But rather than asking Nathan about Portugal, I had Paula who is currently living in Lisbon do our Q&A. She is far more interesting than Nathan, I’m sure. Paula has lived in Portugal all her life. She is married with two children, 16 and 9 years old. She is employed at an educational exchange program for Portuguese and American scholars and students. Thanks, Paula, for sharing with us your lovely country.

What are some traditions or customs of Portugal?

We have a long history and many of our traditions and celebrations are related to our history. For instance, many towns organize fairs in their castles to attract tourists. There are many castles in Portugal although most of them are in ruins with only a few walls left. In these fairs the locals dress up in medieval clothes and sell local products and food. In Lisbon, on June 13, we celebrate Saint Anthony with parades and music in the streets. On this occasion bars and restaurants usually serve grilled sardines with bread and wine.

What do you love about Portugal?

I love the mild climate and the long coast line with wonderful sandy beaches. Lisbon is a beautiful city with old neighborhoods and monuments but the countryside appeals to me more and more as I grow older.

What is your favorite food that is only served in Portugal?

Dry cod fish (we call it bacalhau) is a national food that we cook in many different ways. Grilled fresh fish is also delicious and very easy to find especially in the summer months. Then each region has its own typical dishes and desserts. I love the traditional desserts which are mainly made with egg yolks, sugar and almond. Very yummy but not good if you’re on a diet. I also love the cheese – there are many different types according to the region where they are produced.

{image by Nathan}

What are the living conditions like in your town/city?

Lisbon is a city with ca. 1 million inhabitants. Many people work in Lisbon but live outside the city and commute everyday. Portuguese population is aging because most couples have only one or two kids and many have no kids at all. On the other hand the life expectancy has increased so we have many elders and fewer children.

What are some trends in fashion, interior design and arts and craft?

In arts and crafts, I would say there’s a “new” movement and many girls and young women are learning to sew and knit and they open small online shops to sell their products. Whereas women of my mother’s generation all learned to sew when they were little, the next generation didn’t have much interest in crafts but now we see a new interest for handmade items and for learning crafts.

{image by Nathan}

What is the biggest thing happening in the news there?

I’m sorry to say it’s the economic and financial crisis. Unemployment rate is rising every month and examples of companies that are closing down are always in the news. Soccer (which we call football) is always in the news too.

What are some stores you like to shop there?

The things I prefer to buy are books and fabrics, and we get better prices buying these online. For clothes, when I can afford it, I like a store called Lanidor. It’s a Portuguese brand but they opened stores in several other countries in Europe, Africa and the Middle East. I also like to shop at the El Corte Ingles, a Spanish department store. For the kids I buy at Benetton, Zara, H&M and of course, I buy them clothes whenever I travel to the US. There are no GAP stores in Portugal.

Paula's two children.

What is it like to be a mom in Portugal compared to other parts of the world?

I think one of the main differences is that in Portugal there are very few stay at home moms and even fewer who do home schooling. I only know one mom who is about my age that doesn’t work outside of home but her daughter goes to school. In the countryside there may be more stay at home moms than in the cities, but children usually do go to school. This means we have less time to be with the children, and we spend our days running to get it all done.

How are children raised differently there?

Nowadays with the globalization I believe children are very much alike in what they eat and what they play. They all like to go to McDonald’s even when they only eat the fries and they all enjoy video games. Wii is a great success here. They all want to dress alike and I struggle against this as I think this type of behavior (doing exactly the same all the other kids are doing) kills their creativity. I try to talk my daughter into being herself and not copy what the others do. But it is not easy as kids tend to think that being different is bad. I remember 2 years ago we went shopping for stationary for school in August and there were no notebooks available featuring the idol that was fashionable that year (probably Hanna Montana). My daughter was on the verge of tears but I convinced her that at home we could turn a plain notebook into a cute one, with her drawings and photos and some felt. When classes started she was really nervous because her notebooks were not alike the other kids’, but what happened was that the other girls loved and praised her notebooks and she felt super important that day. I also made some pencil rolls for her and her friends loved them and she felt great. She has come to understand that different can be great, but it’s a slow process. 

What is something that all moms can learn from Portuguese moms?

Balancing family life with working outside of home. Most moms have a full-time job as most families cannot live with only one salary, but I think we’re pretty successful balancing our family life with our work. Moms try hard to spend quality time with their children and to make a home for them. We know how hard it is to do so with little time.

» Tell me… What did you learn about Portugal? Anything new? To read other articles in the Education Week segment, click on the logo below.