I have been in Portugal for five days now, and exploring Lisbon has been absolutely incredible. This was my first time in Europe, and although I came in with some knowledge on the culture and customs, there were still many things that surprised me.
The first thing I noticed immediately upon arrival at the Lisbon airport was the difference in atmosphere. I was used to the cold air conditioning in American airports, and I was surprised by how warm and bustling the airport was. Lisbon is also very hilly, which was definitely a change for me coming from the Midwest. Our ride to the hotel was a short distance, but it took an hour because of the traffic and navigating the small, steep streets. It was my first glimpse of how the city’s layout really shapes the way people get around.
For our first meal in Lisbon, we walked to a small Portuguese restaurant with a group of other students. Within our group, three of us spoke Spanish, but nobody spoke Portuguese. We thought it would be pretty simple navigating Portugal using English and Spanish, but we encountered language barriers almost immediately. We ended up using Google Translate to read the menu and prepare what we had to say to the server. The interior of the restaurant was very small and busy with the sound of many customers.
I noticed some interesting cultural differences in the dining experience, such as water not being automatic and a small charge for the bread and butter that is set on the table. One thing I’ve really come to appreciate is that eating out is an entire event. A meal can take up to two hours, and the service is much more relaxed. This slower pace has been a great way to actually slow down, relax, and connect with the other people on my trip. It gave me the chance to really talk to and get to know everyone much better than if we were rushing through a quick meal.
The food has been great, consisting of a lot of fish like cod and sardines served with potatoes and vegetables. We have been able to try so much amazing food and explore many fun places, from various coffee shops to local spots. We did find that other cultures’ foods are adapted differently here. We tried a Mexican restaurant and found that they did not offer any kind of tortilla chips, and instead of queso, they had an orange cheese sauce. The quesadillas were mostly chicken on a tortilla that was not grilled, which was an interesting way to see those flavors outside of the States.
The sites in Portugal have been absolutely gorgeous. We have seen so much stunning architecture, and the buildings are so unique and built with so much character. Every direction I look is just something beautiful. We learned from our tour guide that Portugal is called “the white city” because a lot of the buildings are white with colorful details and orange roofs. There are so many statues, historical sites, and viewpoints around the city that I feel like I could spend months just exploring.
However, even with all the beauty, I’ve started to realize that things aren’t always perfect behind the idyllic tourist areas. On our city tour, we saw an older woman struggling to get up the steep cobblestone stairs just to throw away her garbage. A guy from our group offered to help her, and she was very grateful, saying “obrigada mucho!” It made me realize that while the hills and stairs add so much character and are easy for a group of college students to navigate, it can be very difficult for elderly people or those with disabilities. It can create a lot of isolation for them since it is so difficult to leave their homes.
We also met an Uber driver who had come to Lisbon from Pakistan a year ago in hopes of finding a job. He told us that even though he has a Master’s degree in psychology, he has struggled to find work in his field because he doesn’t speak fluent Portuguese and the job market is so oversaturated. I also noticed posters and signs protesting the building of a new hotel in one neighborhood that said “less tourism, more neighborhood.” Although tourism helps the economy, so many areas have become overrun with tourists and transplants, which is pushing the local people out. The city is gorgeous and I can see why people want to move here, but I feel a lot of sympathy for the locals who are being pushed out of their homes.
Despite these challenges, the culture here is very relaxed, which is nice for a peaceful lifestyle. We tried to ride a bus on a Sunday, and twice the bus never came. A local woman at the stop was so kind and helped us figure out the system, explaining that “nobody wants to work on Sundays, it is very common for the bus not to come.” It is definitely a change from the fast-paced American culture I’m used to, but it’s an interesting way of living to adjust to.
The people here have been incredibly kind and welcoming. Many Portuguese people are very willing to try to speak English with us or find another way to communicate. One experience that stood out was trying to wash clothes at a laundromat. A classmate and I were confused on how to start a machine, and even though the people there didn’t speak English, they were all very eager to help us out.
We struggled with paying since the machine only took small coins and we only had bills. The owner was very friendly, and when I asked if she spoke Spanish, she said “a little bit.” We ended up using a combination of Spanish, English, and Portuguese to figure it out. It took a little longer to get the message across, but she was so patient with us. We also went to a convenience store nearby to ask for change, and the cashier was so friendly that he exchanged our bills for coins without us even having to buy something. Everyone’s kindness and willingness to help has made navigating a foreign country so much easier.