Portuguese Virtues & Vices - the good, the bad, &...our guilty pleasure

The Good: I admire many of the virtues of the Portuguese, including:

• Respect for elders: kids here are FAR more polite to their elders than back home. And by elder, I don't mean just senior citizens, I mean all adults, strangers or not. Kids here greet you with eye contact and a "good morning, good afternoon, good evening", hold open doors, and give you the right of way. Canadian parents, I think we need to expect more of our children.

  

  We ain't no spring chickens...overlooking Lisbon on date day

• Respect for pedestrians: despite the crazy traffic in this small country, stand at a crosswalk (no flashing signals or red light) and cars will stop for you, every time. If they don't, they're not from here.

  

  We walk and roll everywhere!

• Appreciation of good food: "Avó's" (grandma's) cooking reigns supreme here. Meals made with whole, fresh foods is the norm. It's what kids are used to and enjoy. Soup, meat or fish, potatoes or rice, greens, fruit and a tasty dessert. There are fast food chains, of course; however, the closest McDonald's to us is 25 minutes away! (Back home, we have 4 within 7 minutes). Go to a Portuguese restaurant, and everything on the menu is something grandma makes.

  

  Caldeirada (seafood stew): Homemade or Restaurant fare?
  Hint: Mark is an amazing cook!

• Being active: everyone, everyday, gets outside and walks. High density living where everything is close-by, great weather, cities built for pedestrians (parking is tough, walking is easier), good public transit, small fridges paired with a love for fresh food, and waterfront that is shared public space are all factors that get people walking outside and interacting with each other. A beautiful thing!

  

  Our world here in Sesimbra is all within walking distance!

• Coffee Ritual: I have yet to see a "to-go" cup or travel mug. Coffee is a deliberate pause in your day; it's always served in glassware, with a saucer and metal spoon (no disposable cups or stir sticks). So different from our Canadian "grab and go" mentality where we drink coffee while we multi-task: driving, working at our desk, attending a meeting.

  

  What's a coffee without a Pastel de Nata?

The Bad:

Smoking: It's everywhere, it's cheap (~4 euros/pack), and it's gross. It's not allowed in the library, the school, indoor recreational sports facilities. Nice: where kids hang out. But take one step outside those buildings and you're in a 1950's scene from Madmen, wading through smoke clouds. We all hate it. Gabi is the best: she pauses inside, plugs her nose, and marches past the smokers. O Canada, how we love your clean air :)

Blast from the past!
A cigarette vending machine--they are quite common in cafes and restaurants

Dog Poop Galore: There is dog poop everywhere. You're going to step in some, accept it. I suspect the poop&scoop etiquette isn't the same here.  Interesting note: you don't take off your shoes at the door like back home, you wear the same pair, inside and outside. Hmmm, the 3 second rule here does not work!

Litter: Predominantly older offenders, but a lot of people toss garbage on the ground. Catarina's class says it best: "Não deitam lixo no chao!" (Don't throw litter on the ground!)

Who's that adorable fish marching in the Parade?
Our little activist, advocating for cleaner oceans

Our Guilty Pleasure:

Day drinking: So, having a beer or wine with lunch is something Mark and I do daily. Sure, I don't have to go back to work afterwards.  But I wonder how productive everyone else around me could possibly be after a big meal and drinks to boot! But hey, that's between Portugal and the EU, right?!

Lunch is the main meal here, and well, it goes so nicely with a tasty drink!

Not all sunshine&beach walks: Parenting is still hard work!

Ice cream buys happiness, right?  It did for the first couple of weeks of our "vacation"!

Mmmm, gelado de chocolate for this girl!

But as we live 20 metres from a decadent gelato shop, it's always warm enough for a frozen treat, and our "vacation" is a year long, the length of smiles and peace&quiet an ice cream will buy us isn't what it used to be...

Reality Check: just because we are in a beautiful place, enjoying an incredible, year-long adventure does not mean that parenting is any easier!  I play all the same roles here as I did back home:

• the evil warrior battling excessive screen-time;
• the "biased" referee settling disputes between siblings;
• the nagging house manager overseeing chores;
• the unskilled chef who rarely gets it right;
• the annoying alarm clock that always comes in too early;
• the personal shopper who chose "terrible socks", "shirt with stupid buttons", "not pink enough pants";
• the overzealous activity director incessantly hurrying them out the door;
• ... 

In my corner, on this side of the pond:

• I am not working so have more time to maintain the lines I've drawn and deal with the drama. 
• Life can happen within 400m of home, so energy is not wasted on commutes and waits.
• Wine/beer is on hand, even at McDonalds!

They love exploring together

Differences working against me:

• Not being able to ship my kids out for sleepovers when they need a break from each other
• Lack of babysitters when we could use a night off
• No fenced yard to banish them to

Fortunately, the snags are severely outnumbered by those moments when all is right with the world, smiles abound, and our trio is playing beautifully and harmoniously together.  :)

Sister Love

Pokemon Huntin'

Cruisin' Buddies

A book that captures all 3 imaginations: where can I get more?!

What We Miss About Canada

Half-way through our time in Sesimbra...WOAH, that was fast!

Occasionally the kids mention home, and what they'll do "when we get back...", but we haven't really had to deal with homesickness yet. I imagine the fact that we're all together, and we know we will return in August helps!

For "blog" fun this week, I asked:

What do you love about Portugal?

What do you miss about Canada?

Catacombs from 3200BC

Catarina:
Love: She pauses, looks up in thought, then answers with a huge grin on her face: "Noodles, galinha e peixe." Translation: noodles, chicken and fish. She really loves her food at pre-school.  Every other day at pick-up I am told how well she eats!
Miss: "Um...I don't know." Fair enough--I'm not sure how much she remembers of home.  She occasionally, and without prompting or even context, will say to me "I'm from Canada". So much sweetness!

Gabi:
Love: Opens her eyes super wide and says "The food!". Me: "Anything in particular?". Her: "All of it. It's all so good. Like farturas, beijinhos, croquettes, palmeirs." (Note: these are all deep-fried, and most are covered in sugar. Same taste preferences as her mamma!). Me: "Anything else you love?". Her: "Swimming in the ocean. We don't have much ocean in Canada. And here, well, it's everywhere. I really love it. Oh, and it's warm here. I like that."
Miss: Makes a goofy face and giggles "Snoooooooow!" Pauses, thinks, says "And cousins. And friends."

Jonty: 
Love: Without hesitation, and with his mouth full of one, he says: "Pasteis de Nata (custard tarts)". Me: "Anything else?" Him: "Um, yeah...fresh grilled fish." Me: "Is that all?". Him: "The weather. Sure, yeah, that."

Miss: All in one breath, with custard all over his lips: "Snow and friends." Mic drop.

Mark: 
Love: "Of course the weather, the ocean, the food. The family time--it's just less busy here. And time with you." Me: "Aw, that's sweet." I raise an eyebrow: "What do you want?!" LOL. But really, we are both surprised at how we are not tired of each other yet--we spend a LOT of time together. Go ahead, roll your eyes :)
Miss: "My bed." Our mattress here isn't great. :(

Enjoying a sunny day and tasty seafood, oceanside

Luisa:
Love: The weather.  Can I tell you: it's February, it's sunny and 20C. It makes me so happy! It's so easy to get outside. The other night we all went out for a walk under the light of the moon/stars/street lights, wearing light sweaters. OMG. I also love the food (bread, pastries, fish), cheap delicious wine, and extra time for me, Mark and the kids.
Miss: Massages from my RMT, an insulated bath tub (despite being filled with hot water, anything touching the bottom of an uninsulated tub gets cold, fast!), and an in-house clothes dryer (winter is humid: You have to plan laundry around the weather.)

It's February 3, and I'm barefoot on the beach

And, Mark and I are not heartless: friends and family! But with my wonderful relatives here, time with eachother, new friends, lots of visitors, and modern communication connecting with all of you, we are not lonely :) Whew! It could have gone the other way!

Sightseeing on a date day: Sado Estuary Natural Reserve