ADJUSTING TO A NEW LIFESTYLE

Moving to a new location is always daunting as there are so many factors to get used to: new workplace, home, different shops and facilities, unfamiliar surroundings and making friends. Moving to a new country is exactly the same, with the added worry of new customs and attitudes, language, currency etc. One thing on your side in Portugal is that the Portuguese people are very friendly and generally very willing to help newcomers fit in.

You do need to give yourself time to adjust – soak up the atmosphere, walk around and familiarise yourself with the locality, visit all the local facilities and introduce yourself to neighbours. The working day may be different from what you’re used to, with shop opening hours different, and longer lunchtimes. If you are working you may find a different approach to the timetable, or working practices (see also next chapter). You may find, for example, that many more people than back home employ the services of a cleaning lady/daily help (empregada). It is quite normal practice and even people of moderate means do so.

Work, and social, etiquette have to be got used to and the only way to do it with any modicum of success is to throw yourself into taking on board how the locals live and behave. If you are shy, or reticent by nature, of course it’s not going to be easy to start with. But in time, by going to places where you can meet locals (even if it’s just a regular coffee at a certain café-bar), you’ll begin to discover that you can integrate into the Portuguese lifestyle – if you allow yourself. If you still need the prop of the ex-pat community, find out where they hold events – the English papers in Portugal have listings, and schools, churches and bookshops often have details (see also the Regional Directory). Having access to fellow-compatriots can be reassuring and comforting, but rely on them too much and you will certainly miss out on much of what Portuguese society has to offer. If you are heading for Lisbon or Oporto you may be interested in the following organisations, which also produce very useful publications offering a range of advice on daily life:

• International Women in Portugal, Apartado 1060, 2750 Cascais, Portugal. Publishes Feeling at Home in Portugal, a practical guide for foreign residents in Portugal. Also has a monthly newsletter called A Janela. The club hosts various events and activities.
• The Porto Mothers’ Group, contact Zoe Harrap, Rua Luis de Camões 263, Miramar, 4405-088 Arcozelo VNG, Portugal. Publishes Welcome to Porto, a guide for expatriates.

SHOPPING

You will find that, apart from in the larger cities, the variety of shops available will be less than you may be used to, but you should still be able to satisfy all your basic requirements, leaving more adventurous shopping trips to days out in the city. More and more supermarket chains, such as the Brazilian chain Pão de Açúcar, Pingo Doce, Carrefour and Prisunic, are spreading across the country, but it is still a delight to do one’s grocery shopping at traditional bakers, butchers and markets. Remember that the supermarket is an easy option language-wise, as you do not need to communicate with anyone; the smaller shop is a challenge you must meet.

As far as service is concerned, unfortunately the Portuguese are yet to discover that carrying on a conversation in front of an anxious-looking customer, reading a paper or idly gossiping with friends, have a detrimental effect on potential clients. A polite faz favor may catch their attention, but don’t expect them to leap over to you, face awash with an eager smile – that customer care treatment has, in many places, yet to be instilled. But they are, if anything, courteous in their address.

On a practical level, shops are usually open (iaberto) from 9 am to 1 pm and 3 pm to 7 pm in the afternoon. Most are closed (fechado/encerrado) on Saturday afternoons, some all day. The large shopping complexes are often open much longer hours, including weekends. Shops you may need include:

o talho	butcher	a padaria	bakery
o supermercado	supermarket	a sapataria	shoeshop
a papelaria	stationers	a livraria	bookshop
a farmácia	chemist	a mercearia	grocer

As mentioned earlier be aware of all those extra days when the country grinds to a halt for religious and state holidays.

Supermarket trolleys are usually outside; you need a coin to release one. Often inside you have to leave your bags at the entrance and retrieve them later. At the fruit and veg section you sometimes need to know the names of the items in order to weigh them properly on the electronic scales; take a list of translations until you are familiar with them all. In many shops the goods you are buying will be wrapped at one counter whilst you take a ticket to the cashier, pay, then return with a receipt to pick up your parcel.

MARKETS

The market (o mercado) is an exciting and colourful part of Portuguese life, and even culture. Each town has its own permanent indoor fruit-veg market open each day from first light until about 5 or 6 pm. Many are also the location of the fish sellers, and include some butchers’ units. Without exception all are lively places to visit and the choice of products is excellent, with prices even better. If you don’t know the names of the products you require (especially tricky with the fish – some of which we don’t have in the UK), then simply point and remember food is sold in kilos so be prepared to convert your pound of tomatoes to approximately 1/2 kilo (1k = 2.21b). In addition to the daily market, once a week people will bring in other produce from the surrounding areas, and the stalls overflow onto the pavements where a myriad of sights, sounds and smells can send your senses reeling.

The obvious difference from our own markets is the sale of live produce; rabbits, chickens and other wildfowl are all available to the housewife. Be prepared for sights such as ten or twelve birds confined in a small cage in the searing heat. It may seem cruel to us. To the Portuguese it’s merely a way of life and a way of life deeply connected with the land (a terra), so it does no good spouting animal rights, they simply won’t understand.

There are also monthly travelling markets, or feiras, whose arrival is heralded often with the excitement of a circus or fair. In the main, the stallholders are itinerant gypsy families who move from town to town. Bargains can be found in clothing, bags, linen items, domestic goods, but you’ll have to barter, and it takes a clever person to outwit the vendors. Do be careful with your purse/handbag when wandering around these places. If possible have your money inside a zipped or buttoned pocket on your person. Happy shopping.

TYPICAL FOOD

Portugal is an ideal place to eat, drink and be merry! You can choose from a wide spread of delicious, home-baked dishes, many of which are healthy and fulfilling. You can also follow the Portuguese and indulge in some of the most exquisite, sugar-loaded sweet goodies, and forget the waistline, and the dentist. Although most regions have their own special dish(es) some meals are common to the whole country.

Soup

Not to be missed are the substantial soups (sopas), many made with potato purée and very wholesome; try the caldo verde, made from shredded kale.

Meat

For main meals typical meat dishes may include:

came de porco à alentejana	pork with clams
leitão assado	roast sucking pig
bife de porcolde vaca	pork/beef steak
tripas à moda do Porto	Oporto-style tripe
figado com arroz	liver with rice
feijoada	bean stew with black pudding.

Fish

And for fish, the famous bacalhau (salted cod fish) is available in a variety of ways. Other popular fish dishes are:

lulas fritas	grilled squid
bacalhau à brás	cod with eggs and potatoes
arroz de marisco	seafood rice
pescada	hake
sardinhas assadas	grilled sardines
caldeirada	fish stew.

Most restaurants do seem to serve chips with a lot of dishes, although you are more likely to get boiled potatoes with fish. However, you can always order a tasty side salad (uma salada mista) to go with your meal instead.

Desserts

These include chocolate mousse, almond cake, fruit or ice cream, and if your teeth are up to it, try the delicious doce de ovos, made from eggs and sugar.

Meals

The Portuguese don’t often eat a breakfast (pequeno-almoço) as such, rather just a coffee, maybe a bread roll. You will see most people have a quick bite in a café just before nipping into work. Lunch (almmoç) can be a long drawn out affair, usually from 1-3 pm, and even in the heat of the summer, the Portuguese eat hot meals in a café. Dinner (jantar) is not eaten as late as in Spain – about 8 pm is the norm – and again is a cooked meal. The day’s work is interspersed with numerous cups of black coffee. The Portuguese like their food, and large portions are usual in eating places. One thing you can do is ask for meia-dose (half-portion), which is quite legitimate. A service charge is not usually included; tip at your discretion, more at dinner than lunch. See Figure 8 for a sample menu and Figure 9 for information on the wines of Portugal.

A typical menu in Portugal may comprise the following sections: