TIPS For Lisbon
TIPS for Lisbon
After living in Lisbon, Portugal for 8 months now - people refer to me as local. Which is cool and it’s nice that people see me as this way though I don’t feel local just yet. Mostly probably due to my problems while speaking in Portuguese. Here are some things I think are useful to consider before entering the country for an holiday or for a more permanent stay. The list could be continued on and on but managed to narrow it down to these facts.
HIGH HEELS
Have probably heard of it but the city is covered with cobblestones and not very well if I may say so. They’re also slippery especially when it rains. If you’re all about the heels I’d recommend wedge shoes or heel that is thick and gives support. Wearing flats is still the best option though.
PORTUGUESE AREN’T SPANISH
Portuguese are introverts. So they won’t come and chat up with you like their social neighbours across the boarder. They will help, they are interested but usually it demans reaching out - from you. Especially in Lisbon people are more reserved than elsewhere in the country I hear. Folks are also very good English speakers here so don’t worry about not knowing enough of Portuguese. Even though making an effort in people’s native is always recommendable.
The difference between Spanish and Portuguese goes also for the language and culture in general. Don’t expect things to be identical despite of the large number of things being quite similar.
PORTUGAL ISN’T JUST SUNSHINE
Lisbon and Portugal does stand on the edge of Europe, next to the Atlantic that brings winds, cold ones and rains. Winter days may be +10 degrees but the nights get low as +2 or even lower. And the houses aren’t heated. So trust me it’s chilly. Also spring time March-April is supposed to be rainy though temperatures are up.
Not my pic! (Moomin)
DON’T PAY TO SEE THE CITY VIEW
The city has great miradouras, lookouts where you can admire the city view towards the river, see the famous churches, castle and landmarks. Enjoy the sunset and have a drink without paying the entry fees. The elevator of Santa Justa, the arch of Rua Augusta and the castle are nice to visit once or perhaps even twice but I prefer the the miradouras which are also the locals favorite.
EMBRACE THE HISTORY
Since Lisbon is the second oldest capital in Europe after Athens make an effort to know the main events in time that made Lisbon the city as we see today. Portugal as a country has a long, proud but not easy history for anyone who’s more interested.
GET LOST
There’s no better city to get lost in but Lisbon. Especially Alfama, the old part and Bairro Alto – the party district which opens up totally different way during day light. Take the most narrow street, celebrate the richness of details and colours around you. Go slowly and pay attention as many cool bars and cafes have no signs outside so these are the spots that only locals know about!
PASTEL DE NATA
The original pastry being almost 200 years old from the district of Bélem where the monks at the Jéronimos Monastery started the whole thing just to get their leftover eggyolks for use. In 1834 the recipe was sold to a local bakery which still exists today in the same spot. Only five men know the secret recipe and they never travel together in case of accidents etc so that there will always be someone to carry on the legacy and tradition.
Traditionally served hot from the oven and with sugar and cinnamon - you can buy them from almost every grocery store and bakery but the number one spot is still and will always be at Bélem. And trust me, they have earned their reputation. Make a stop while sightseeing and don’t be scared of the lines outside since they do have a quick service! If the trip to Bélem is too difficult to squeeze in, Manteigaria at Bairro Alto is the next best thing!
USE THE TRAMS
The old ones which you cannot find anymore in every city. They don’t go as far hop-and-off busses or tuk-tuks but within a normal ticket price you cover the classic Lisbon streets, plenty of sights and save your legs from walking. It’s not completely touristic because the locals still use them as normal transportation to get to work and about!
DON’T STAY IN THE CENTRE
In my opinion Lisbon does not have city center. The biggest shopping mall, sights and services exist different parts of the town. Touristic center can be narrowed down to Alfama, Baixa and Bairro Alto districts. But there are plenty of hotels, restaurants, museums and sights outside of these areas so no need to get stuck in downtown! Lisbon is totally walkable also and has tram, metro, local train and bus systems to make moving around easy.
LISBON HAS A BOHEMIAN SOUL
If you bother to get to know Lisbon culture and history at all you’ll probably notice that every street, square and statue are not named after politicians but famous artists who made an impact. Some kings and famous historical figures might make an exception here though. This fact is highlighted by the street art, the status of fado music and music in general in here, the diversity of the buildings and local enterprises. Clearly there’s so much space to creativity here! Not everything works as it should and if they do it’s usually with the slow motion I’ve been talking about but there’s an irresistible charm in the local lifestyle.
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UMK 2024 Song Review - Sini Sabotage
The hype is very real around Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu (UMK), the Finnish national selection for Eurovision and the race to Malmö continues with another rap entry!
Sini Sabotage - Kuori Mua
Sini Sabotage is one of the best known Finnish artists but at the same time one of the rare female rappers in the country. She started her career with a banger Levikset Repee roughly a decade ago and has since released 3 studio albums and multiple radio hits. She has fought her way to the top.
Despite of being somewhat a dream name for UMK for years the idea of sending her new Kuori Mua song to the competition was actually proposed to her by the songwriters and producers.
Kuori Mua which means peel me in Finnish is bold even as a title. If you're familiar with her personality and music you'll notice how this instantly fits her like a glove.
Kuori Mua begins with inviting piano notes and moves quickly to the electronic beat. The song has heat, rush - it tells you how to move and focus. This screams gay anthem. All the banger elements are here and they're well produced.
The lyrics and beat are energetic and sensual - some might be irritated by the Finglish here but I'm not a Finnish rap expert enough to say if this is common for Finnish rap. Chorus is a bit flat, it doesn't bunch me as I'd wish it would. This needs several listens even though it is memorable though. Musically I especially enjoy the beginning of the second verse and the bridge here. The piano based moments give the juiciest sounds. The song improves towards the end but still doesn't meet the expectations in my opinion.
Kuori Mua is not on top of the Youtube and Spotify lists when comparing the UMK24 tracks and I think it hasn't grown to become the banger they'd hoped for even in domestic levels.
What comes to the live performance music video promises several options and it must be big since this has been chosen to start the UMK show on Saturday (Feb 10th). I have no doubt she wouldn't be able to deliver this live.
What do you think of the sixt UMK24 track and would you vote for Sini Sabotage to go all the way to Malmö? UMK final takes place on February 10th!
What More Can I Give?
After I returned from Canada in 2014 I knew already then that my next adventure would be in Europe. Even after my long time passion for Montréal and the French speaking Canada and the wonderful experience I had while living there.. I didn’t see the return or going to Americas, Australia etc. worthy of hours of paper work for Visas and work permits which I might not even get! Especially when you think that as an european I have 28 countries to choose from where I can live and work freely.
I started planning my departure last winter. Mostly from the financial point of view and decided the summer season being perfect time for my move since I could get my full vacation pay and to have been able to save enough money by then.
So how to choose the DESTINATION? It’s better to have several options in case something goes wrong with your first choice. When travelling always have a plan B! After googling for Finnish speaking jobs on several job boards I ended up with PORTUGAL, IRELAND and MALTA. Spain and some Western European countries were also possible but they had less customer service openings in Finnish so I focused mainly on these three. I also had some friends who’ve lived or live in these countries who could give me answers about living and working in there. This is the part where you gotta be realistic. Even though you’d love India as an holiday spot, are you set up for the everyday life in there? Practical things matter as much as the attitude you’re doing this with.
“I don’t know where I’m going, but I’m on my way” - Carl Sagan
I had already found out about the most common recruiting companies (MGI recruitment, Morgan McKinley etc) and companies (Teleperformance) out there so I would have some sort of idea which ones to trust. Couple of applying situations during the winter taught me that MAY (1-2 months before my availability date) would be more ideal because no one posts an add about job 6 months before opening.
To look for the jobs I used basic multilingual job boards but especially LinkedIn which I upgraded it to Premium (first month free trial). Especially on LinkedIn it was easy to check the company, employees etc. backgrounds. Despite of the work I did to find out the company’s background and whether it was even real or up to its reputation – there’s no guarantee that you still wouldn’t be screwed over. But I do trust my instincts (if it feels wrong - don’t do it!) and I do try to find out as much as I can in advance to avoid unpleasant surprises – and then you just go and hope that the bumps on the road wouldn’t hit you too hard.
Same thoughts I would wanna share also about the safety in general. Especially after this morning’s news from London… you always stop to think about this stuff but unless you’re moving to Afghanistan or in some other country with high rate of crimes and killings, there’s not much you can do about it. You just have to believe that you’re safe by using common sense. You can have your hundreds of check lists, be paranoid, stay in and never go to a big event but frankly I just don’t believe in it. In the end whatever you do in life, you buy a house or you have a kid – you need to have the courage and faith that things will be okay.
“Pray when you feel like worrying. Give thanks when you feel like complaining. Keep going when you feel like quitting.” - Dave Willis
Once I started my active search things happened with a quick pace. Basically in two weeks from pressing the ”apply” button for the first time I had created several useful contacts across Europe (networking!) and nailed a job offer from Ireland and Portugal. Several interviews, language tests, all of been done. The first one I declined basically because of the pay wasn’t enough. After taxes (which are quite high) and accommodation and everything else necessary (the price range is similar to Finland) there wouldn’t have been much left. And I do recommend of finding these things out! How much do you pay taxes? How much does a cup of coffee or a room in a shared flat cost? These are pretty crucial figures in every day life and especially when living abroad you do wanna do things just to ENJOY life and not just the necessary ones to survive.
PORTUGAL was my first and the most potential choice since the beginning. FIRST of all the culture and the language are similar to Spain where I’ve done trainee and exchange periods and where I could see myself living and adapting to the way of life. I could really fit in! Secondly there is somewhat heavy selection of jobs for Finnish speakers in customer service area. I would survive! Third and forth, many jobs are located at the capital area with more international atmosphere and services etc. which I appreciate. Despite of living expenses being always more expensive in the capital area than in a smaller city, still in Portugal the price range is fairly affordable. It could be fun! Also the job description and the pay ain’t bad.
And after this looong prattling, if you did make it untill here...if it isn’t clear enough already for someone - I AM GOING TO LISBON! Heading out on June 30th with no return date! The blog is reopened as a traveling blog what it originally was now that my life will be worth writing for! More posts with funny titels (LP inspired) to come!
Differences
Small talk and friendliness
In general Finns don’t do it, mainly because we suck at it. The small talk québecois isn’t as aggressive as in English speaking Canada but still I find it weird how people, totally strangers to me, ask me how I am…what is it to you? And especially when the automatic answer is always “good” and in the end people don’t give a damn how you’re really doing. It just feels waste of time and energy for me.
Small talk creates the image of people being friendlier but like I said I feel it’s very shallow. It’s not that Finns cannot be friendly or helpful too but people consider one’s “personal space” physically and emotionally bigger I guess. That’s why we keep it on general level until we’re actually some sort acquaintances at least.
(Pic from montrealinpictures.com)
Drugs
I’m one of those rare people who’ve never used them. Call me boring but that’s my decision and I don’t judge those who do them but I have absolutely no desire to use drugs myself. In Finland the closest I’ve got to them is hearing an old class mate dying for an overdose. No one’s even offered or tried to sell me anything.
In here, on the other hand, they’re everywhere. Especially marijuana. You could even smell it in the air while attending events or just by walking in the streets. Or I could anyway. And people are so open about it. Super weird, I say.
Winter life
Finns seem to be like bears who go to sleep for the winter time and wake up when the spring arrives. Apart from the holidays like Christmas season and New Year's. Here, on the other hand, people don’t let the cold stop them for going out or arranging events. Super cool, I say.
(Igloofest, one of the coolest events in the city)
Restaurant culture
They say that Mtl has more restaurants than any other city in North America. I could even add to that the industry is blooming over here. All the famous cuisines of the world are represented and there are lots of small, cozy, special pubs, cafes and restaurants all over the city. For the staff, tipping seems to make the working in the industry worthwhile.
In Finland, thanks to our laws and regulations even having your own restaurant is quite difficult and expensive. Especially when the majority of Finns don’t wanna pay for a good service or diversity of products. Tipping isn’t mandatory even though you might bump into some rare Finnish customers who actually recognize a good service when they see it and reward the staff for it. Surprisingly self service is quite in common.
(Almost legendary Café Olimpico in Mile End)
Homeless people
Thanks to the Finnish social security system we don’t’ have much homeless people. Not where I come from anyway. In Helsinki there are some. But even still they aren’t as aggressive or visible part of the scenery.
Here they’re natural part of the cityscape. It took some time to get used to them. Haven’t given any money to any of them so far cause I still feel like I’d be supporting their choice not to work and to beg for their living. Even though I understand that things don’t work the same way here as they do back home and that some people probably haven’t ended up there by a choice.
Garbage system
Found this incredibly weird in the beginning. You just dump all the stuff on the streets which can include anything from furniture to..anything really. In Finland we use those big garbage bins (each house, building has its own) and it’s not okay to leave your old couch or a dishwasher next to it. That’s what landfills have been made for. But being quite expensive in Finland, has made the dumping in the woods –option, very popular. Unfortunately.
I would be willing to pay more taxes if we’d have the similar system in Finland too. At least people wouldn’t feel the need to dump their carbage in the nature.
Alcohol
People can drink and party hard here too. Apart from a few drunks at the subway, the number of people vomiting or passing out in the streets because they’ve had one too many is still zero so far. Unlike in Finland where the consumption of alcohol and the problems caused by it are present everywhere you go.
Sauna
Most of the spas seem to have a sauna and even some gyms but it doesn’t have the status of being part of almost every day life like in Finland. Haven’t dared to try one yet here.
WHO WILL BE THE FINNISH ENTRY AT EUROVISION 2019?
We do have the date and the location (March 2nd, Espoo Finland) but what we do not have is the actual artist. It has been pain to be waiting for the news and here is what I think of the guesses, speculations of the Finnish ESC entry 2019.
WHO IT WILL NOT BE:
Every year people name these artists who are fabulous and the best what this country could offer musically but give it up. They won’t be doing it!
Alma – she’s already said no. Our brand shining star on an international music scene sees ESC as a competition only and has declined it. Pity.
Jenni Vartiainen – too popular and will not be humiliated by Finnish press
Vesala, Janna, Sanni, Chisu, Mikael Gabriel – just don’t think that they’re that interested
Nightwish – they already tried in 2000 but didn’t get selected (don’t ask me why)
Old school stars such as Jari Sillanpää, Kaija Koo etc – the time has passed them.
INSTEAD I HAVE FAITH IN:
Benjamin - Juon sut pois (2018)
Young talents and artists such as Benjamin, Robin, Evelina, Venior, Vilma Alina, Diandra, Ellinoora who are younger and have not labelled Eurovision as the older generation. They could actually see ESC as an oppurtunity even without winning the whole damn thing.
Venior - Sugar Rush (2015)
UMK competitors from the previous years: Mikael Saari and Emma – they’ve got the passion and the spirit. Even though I wasn’t too impressed by Mikael’s singing or songs when he was in UMK (2013 and 2016) and he has actually said that he wouldn’t do it again as a performing artist. But what if he was invited to be THE artist? Emma was my favourite in 2017 but she failed miserabily in 2017 UMK final (singing and technical issues). Emma also competed to be San Marino’s repesentative this year. Despite of the struggles gotta love her anyhow.
Tarja Turunen, the formed vocalist of Nightwish has been on ESC wishlist for being the Finnish entry for quite some time now! She would be such a professional, well known, interesting entry nevermind the song. And I even believe she might have that ESC spirit somewhere there inside of her if we just dig it out!
Tarja Turunen - Never Enough (2017)
ESC representatives: Krista Siegfrieds (2013) and Softengine (2014). She’s crazy enough and Eurovision fan so no doubt about it that she’d do it again! But she’s hosted UMK so they’d have to find another host….Softengine is our biggest success after Lordi and one of our few success stories in ESC to be honest so why not!
Softengine - Something Better (2014)
Eva & Manu are the hottest rumour out there to be the Finnish entry 2019 and I wouldn’t mind them being so. They could offer some fresh air (from a finnish perspective) and they are not a totally brand new duo since they have released albums. Plus they have an interesting story.
Eva & Manu - Empty (2014)
What do you think?
LUX Light Festival in Helsinki
UMK 2023 Song review - Portion Boys
The hype is very real around Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu (UMK), the Finnish national selection for Eurovision and the race to Liverpool continues with glam rock anthem!
Portion Boys - Samaa taivasta katsotaan
Portion Boys have been around for a while. They originally started from Youtube back in 2010 and by releasing regurarly singles slowly but surely made theirselves a name in Finland. Especially the few last years have been succesful for them. They’ve become known as a positive dance-pop group with a lots of personality.
Samaa taivasta katsotaan represents quite well the band’s musical repertoire and style. It offers a great ending to UMK23 series (as it was released as the seventh and the last track) and also to UMK23 show on February 25th. This is a very rich song, we have several elements and genres mixed in this one and it is the thing that might keep the viewer hooked for the entire 3 minutes but it might also be the thing that breaks charm.
I get the feeling of the song trying too hard. It’s trying to please everyone - we have the rock rap, anthem like instrumental parts, heavy metalish screaming going on. Even the lyrics mention several countries and make references in foreign languages. It’s a mess and it’s up to one’s personal taste whether it’s a mess for your taste.
The song reminds a bit of Eurovision Movie: Fire Saga by its vibes and with its to be honest Eurovision clichés. Even reference to Latvian Pirates in 2008 has been made in social media. There’s a certain sillyness in here but also the spirit of becoming one despite all our differences. Usually these kind of entries haven’t done very well in ESC.
However, this might be one of the rare UMK23 entries that I do not wish to advance to ESC. On another year yes but not in 2023 when we have better options. However, I have to admit it does hold the strongest hook in UMK23. This might go against the lovers of Cha Cha Cha as it musically and spiritually stands completely on the other side of the edge. However, I can see this becoming a true Finnhit classic and bringing people together on the dancefloor.
What do you think of the seventh UMK23 track and would you vote for Portion Boys’ Samaa taivasta katsotaan to go all the way to Liverpool? UMK final takes place on February 25th!
Been taking this small tours every weekend around Lisbon. This was the first at Azenhas do Mar, super cloudy day but scenery was gorgeous nonetheless! First part of the many to come btw!
Just discovered him #Melendi #UnAltimoMas :)
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lageografiademicamino reblogged this · 7 years ago
Finnish traveler. Experienced Montréal and la vie québecoise 2013-2014. Living in Lisbon, Portugal since July 2017. Into photographing, eurovision, pop music, ice cream, coffee and travelling. MASTERLIST
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