My Positive Review Of ESC 2018

Welcome

Even though it’s still early days of my life in Portugal - here’s a ”quick” update about my first 9 days in Lisbon! Tons of things I’m still missing, practical things like having a local bank account or a phone number and obviously the city, the country within its culture and language haven’t still quite opened for me yet.

Back in Finland I did manage to squeeze the last 30 years of my life into two luggage (apart from a few bags of clothes and dvd’s and cd’s which my mom took in) and get rid of everything else that didn’t fit in. People wondering how do you do that, but it is literally like peeling an onion. Prioritizing. One layer at the time. And yes it can make you even cry – or at least sad. Not everything you want or even need does fit in. Farewells  were as expected but it was comforted by the thought in my head that leaving Finland felt still very natural and necessary thing to do. I was on the right track. 

(Not all in that pile ended up coming with me)

My first down side came along already back at home when I was trying to get a travel insurance (or any insurance) which no finnish insurance company will provide me cause I don’t have a permanent address there anymore and I’m moving permanently out of the country. So I went on as insuranceless and hoped that all my stuff, all 56 kg of it would arrive safely in Lisbon with me. Luckily no problems there. I’m covered in health issues by my employer but not sure if I can get some insurance for my stuff from a portuguese insurance companies. Still working on that one. 

In my new employer’s support package for foreign employees included a pick up from the airport which was super handy since I didn’t know where I was gonna live (the flat was also provided by Teleperformance). And the guy picking me up wasn’t part of any international human trafficking as mom was so afraid. Positive things, you know. No, he was very friendly and professional.

But to be honest - I was super relieved that the company I applied EXISTS and everything was what they said it would be. Because when you agree online to something - you never know. But everything went fine and I didn’t become one of those horror stories you hear out there. 

(My new home - My room, the two pics, the messy ones above in the left)

The neighborhood gave me first a chill and not in positive sense of the word. It didn’t exactly wow me even though I wasn’t expecting any Ritz – I do pay only a few hundreds of euros monthly. The flat was nice though. A lot of light. There are 3 other people, at the moment all girls (2 from Austria, 1 French). Not super close with them but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. However they’re friendly and helpful. 

In a nutshell there are washing machines (dishes, laundry + tumble dryer), one broken coffee maker (working on that), freezer (ice cream), two bathrooms, no balcony. And basically I have the other bathroom for my use only – a bit confused about why that is but apparently it has something to do with the locations of the rooms I guess (not complaining). Down sides.. we could have more kitchen wear, I CANNOT ACCOMMODATE ANYONE and it could be tidier here... but oh well it’s a start. I can look for something else if I get super irritated. Oh and we have a cleaning lady coming in once a week but she doesn’t touch the rooms naturally. And yes still people can’t mind their own messes! Apart from once locking myself outside of the flat even with a key (don’t ask me) there haven’t been any difficulties.

(Not my photo - I live 10min to the left from this traffic circle) 

But the location is really good. I guess I live somewhat in the Areeiro neighborhood. Feels safe. Lots of people with children, old couples.. Not a party district clearly. 10min away from the metro, train stations. Bus stops, pharmacy, groceries are right in front of my house. In the next block there are cafes, gym, more grocery stores, banks, hotels, restaurants… Airport is super close also. Not prettiest neighborhood in the city but living here – it works!

About the work. Well haven’t started that one yet properly. I’m having four weeks of training with 4 other Finns. It’s been confusing, interesting, cool, difficult, horrifying, fun and the list goes on… Tons of things to learn! But overall so far so good! I do feel like I’m at the right place and this is what I wanna do!

The city itself! Haven’t had much chance to discover it yet. Just the weekends basically. And there are so much to see here! I wonder what kept me away before. The city doesn’t exactly have that one, clear, symbolic sight which the people recognize the destination for but to be honest Lisbon doesn’t need one cause the entire city with its warm atmosphere and relaxed spirit is a landmark itself. It does remind me of Rome (old), Barcelona (green areas, palm trees, mediterranean atmosphere) or Québec City (stairs, hills). This is a perfect city just to get lost. Narrow old streets with tons of colours and details. Hundreds of hills and stairs make sure that wondering around here will go for a work out. People are friendly. They might not always speak English but they understand it pretty well. Super handy when you don’t speak a word of Portuguese! But I have managed with the help of my knowledge in Spanish, French, Italian and English – which ever language you manage to find the word the other person understands. I have a feeling I’m gonna be here for a while. 

The weather hasn’t been that bad as I expected. And yes by bad I mean HOT. I’m afraid of melting, you see. There were some +30 degree days but the there’s always such a strong wind in Lisboa that makes it feel cooler and then when it’s actually +20 it has a tendency to feel actually cold. 

When moving abroad what helps and has helped me tremendously in the past is to have someone at the destination. In Spain I had my future room mate getting me started with things. In Montréal and here in Lisbon I had a friend (THANK YOU!!) – and they were huge help when you just don’t have a clue about anything and for a brief moment you can just trust someone else to take the lead or you’ll always have someone to turn to. 

In general during this week  there have been ups and downs. I have LOVED and then I have just HATED living in Lisbon and Portugal. Strong emotions indeed. And so damn small things but very every day like! If I’ve learnt anything at all during these 9 days is patience! Not the thing itself but basically just that you should have it. I clearly don’t. I knew this and I was reminded of it but still somehow I was surprised. 

Always prepare yourself to have time and effort to have a second or third round of doing things before successfully finishing them. Especially if they are official ones. Forget customer service. Forget doing things online. And like I said in the beginning I haven’t even got myself a phone number or bank account yet. But like they say, no country was made to feel foreigners comfortable. I have definitely been feeling uncomfortable. But so did I in Québec and Spain. This is all part of the fun, the things you’ll be laughing about in a year. In the end things have a way of working out. You’ll find your way. You’ll learn how things work. You’ll adapt. You’ll have a different attitude. And that’s what I’ll be doing. 

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.

Helsinki by night.

Oriente train station and Vasco de Gama Brige in Lisbon. 

UMK 2024 Song Review - Cyan Kicks

Again the hype is very real around Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu (UMK), the Finnish national selection for Eurovision and the race to Malmö has officially started!

Cyan Kicks - Dancing With Demons

Cyan Kicks is a Finnish alternative rock/electric pop band established back in 2016. They had their big break in UMK 2022 when they came second with Hurricane losing to The Rasmus. I do remember for rooting for Hurricane two years ago!

Since then, they've been busy with making music and touring around Europe. This shows. They've also mentioned themselves the growth of confidence and experience, and especially the vocalist Susanna. This time around they're bolder and loader but still not losing their familiar energy and sound. But it's inevitable to compare their 2024 entry to Hurricane of UMK22 and perhaps their biggest contestant might actually be themselves from two years ago.

For many the 22 entry was instantly memorable and still is and the question is can DWD do the same?

Dancing With The Demons is the first of seven UMK24 entries to be released. And what a start it is!

The song is kicked off with a promising electronic beat and it builds up nicely towards the first chorus which I have to admit I'm slightly disappointed that it's not grabbing enough. Personally I'm liking the second verse and Susanna's interpretation of the lyrics here. I even saw somewhere a Lady Gaga comparison.

Instrumentally this is very rich and there's a lot to take in. Lots of volume which makes me worry if Susanna's vocals which are rather light in here, are strong enough to carry it through? Even though I know she can sing live obviously. As seconds turn into minutes there's more volume, more instruments and more noise coming up!

A lot of people have criticized the bridge but my musical (rock) taste is generic enough to love it actually. I'm loving the "follow me's" here. In three minutes it's tricky to get an instrumental part squeezed in but DWD manages to do just that. The whole band is clearly involved in this with 150% and musically this can be quite overwhelming. The ending is as load as the beginning. Lyrically not the best of songs but this wasn't the band's strong suit in 2022 either.

This is well and heavily produced track that can be blamed of sounding a slightly bit too mainstream and plastic lacking originality and organic sound. However, this is a question of personal taste. Live performance we don't need to worry with this entry because as we remember from UMK 22 - they'll nail it.

Visually this is impressive. Susanna and the band rocking under the rain (she was actually with fever when shooting the video!) and everything we see supports what we hear. Sexy, load, wet, explosive. It's actually difficult to listen the song without its video because that's how astonishing it is! And the pair clearly belongs together. UMK music videos have come a long way!

What do you think of the first UMK24 track and would you vote for Cyan Kicks to go all the way to Malmö? UMK final takes place on February 10th!

Lisbon Tips vol. II

DON’T COME HERE DURING WINTER ... AND NOT 

ESPECIALLY IN THE SPRING

Despite of being the sunniest capital in Europe winter which means from November ’till February is chilly, windy and rainy. The problem is not the temperature but the humidity and the fact that houses aren’t heated. Spring is not only rainy but super rainy. There can be 30 rainy days in one months trust me. March-April are is the worst time to visit here. Unless of course you like the rain.

 Photo of Kerry Murray! 

NO SPECIAL COFFEES (they have their own)

Portugal has a very strong coffee culture so they don’t need frappuccinos and fancy lattes – they have their own and they keep it simple. In the center you can find Starbucks and other international coffee shops but in general the traditional portuguese way is clearly more popular here especially among the locals. Take a look here how to order a portuguese coffee:

https://lisboasecreta.co/made-in/15-formas-de-pedir-cafe-em-lisboa-o-guia-que-te-faltava/

(not my pic)

PORTUGUESE FOOD AIN’T SPANISH FOOD OR ANYTHING SPICY (my opinion obviously)

A lot of people confuse this or expect these countries have similar food culture – not. They have the same ingredients but the way of using them is clearly different. Seafood is obviously in especially codfish in which there are over 300 recipes to cook it. Fish in general comes in all forms of cooking. Sardines seem to be another big hit. They use spices but carefully. Olive oil is the queen of portuguese cuisine and the local one is told to be the best in the world. Eggs are popular also so don’t wonder if you’ll find an egg on your steak or in your burger. The local cheese of goat’s or sheep’s milk are worth trying for.

ELECTRICITY AND TECHNOLOGY IS EXPENSIVE

When living in here even though many things are cheaper than elsewhere in Europe, housing is not of those things. Rents are a one thing but like having electricity and Internet + other technology is expensive. ”Bill included or not” are usually mentioned for a reason in the adds when rooms are being rented.

LISBON IS NOT A BEACH DESTINATION

To get to the beach you have to take a train or bus (1h-) depending which beach you wanna go to. There’s no beach in Lisbon. I’m sorry! 

METROS RUN BETWEEN 10MIN AND THIS IS NORMAL

When I left Helsinki they had just renewed the metro timetable so that during the rush hour there’s a metro every two minutes. In Lisbon the normal waiting time is 10 minutes. Sometimes it’s shorter like 6 minutes but.. yeah. You don’t wanna have a minute schedule in this city.

Olaias Metro station (red line) - Not my pic!

PAY ATTENTION WHAT YOU PAY

Lisbon and Portugal are experiencing a huge tourism boom which has caused the price getting higher what comes to eating and drinking out + accommodation. I wish people while travelling would find out what is a normal price in a local range before buying a product with three times more expensive rate. But this is not a simple problem which would have a simple solution.

PEOPLE ARE HONEST AND ALWAYS APOLOGIZE

If you forget money on the machine or are given wrong amount of change back – people will come after you. Not that I wouldn’t keep a good care of my money but this goes for anything you might drop from your pocket or bag. But don’t think that pocket thieves or criminals don’t exist here! Another thing is if you bump into someone on the street or in the metro or wherever - make a gesture that you’re sorry and didn’t mean it. A simple gesture with a hand will do it. People appreciate this a lot in here.  

VEGETERIANS ARE A MINORITY

Portuguese food is all about the fish and meat so vegetarians especially if you’re a vegan are struggling to find a proper meal in the local restaurants. However people are quite flexible sometimes, they can prepare something outside of the menu aaand the vegetarian diet is quite trendy at the moment so there a growing number of restaurants that are specialized vegetarian dishes...even in Portugal. 

BOOKS, CD’S AND VINYLES STILL EXIST

The other side of the coin of Portugal being slow, traditional and old fashioned is that BOOKS, CD’S and VINYLS still very much exist unlike anywhere else where all the literature and music has gone online. Obviously there are plenty of strores that sell these things. This is what I love about Portugal!

Don’t have time to publish all my Portugal photos before going to the next tour! 

Non english songs in ESC2018

This year we can feel Salvado’s affect since we have over double amount of original languages compared to last year. Some have released English versions such as France, Greece but still kept their Eurovision performance in an original language. The songs offer more authentic sounds, they all bring so much diversity, color to this year’s competition! People have really digged up their past and cultural heritage. Hope this will continue next year also! 

ALBANIA - EUGENT BUSHPEPA - MALL (1st Semifinal)

ARMENIA - SEVAK KHANAGYAN - QAMI (1st semifinal)

ESTONIA - ELINA NECHAYEVA - LA FORZA (1st semifinal)

FRANCE - MADAMEMONSIEUR - MERCY 

GEORGIA - ETHNO / JAZZ BAND IRIAO - FOR YOU (2nd semifinal)

GREECE - YIANNA TERZI - ONIRO MOU (1st semifinal)

HUNGARY - AWS - VISLÁT NYÁR (2nd semifinal)

ITALY - ERMAL META E FABRIZIO MORO - NON MI AVETE FATTO NIENTE

MONTENEGRO - VANJA RADOVANOVIC - INJE (2nd semifinal)

PORTUGAL - CLÁUDIA PASCOAL - O JARDIM 

SERBIA - SANJA LLIC & BALKANIKA - NOVA DECA (2nd semifinal)

SLOVENIA - LEA SIRK - HVALA, NE (2nd semifinal)

My benefit

Never I would have thought of wearing a t-shirt in Montréal in October. Untill this week it’s been over 20C degrees over here and the fall has been sunny, dry and lovely so far. This weekend was the first one when you could actually feel winter approaching. The trees are getting bald and the temperature is dropping. A good thing really, cause all my biggest shopping findings (read: financial disasters) have been about fall/winter jackets! Totally unnecessary of course cause I brought my own from Finland but SO cool! If you ask me, snow can come in already.

(Moi, le touriste!)

At work, hours and days are passing by quickly and I’m gaining so much experience from every minute. Rarely I’ve been taught in a job as thoroughly. My employers seem genuinely interested about my learning experience. They’re quite different  but I think they balance each other nicely. I’m loving the fact that I get to see the two fields in tourism industry that interest me the most. I’m so glad to have (finally) some structure in my life and a real mission to be here.  Though gotta admit that it does bring limitations to my social life. I’m also missing some great events in the city but I guess more great ones will follow…

The atmosphere in both of them is very relaxed but still professional. Especially in the hostel where some of the employees live and there are long term residents, the atmosphere is very family like. The working tasks at the hostel are more routine based, normal reception work, taking care of the breakfast, doing laundry.. when at the gallery they’re different every time according to the upcoming event; preparing the space, decorating and that sort of thing. No routine there.. every day is different. 

I try to keep it as a 5-days working week kind of thing and to have some weekends off as well every now and then. I don’t work more than 30h/week so it’s quite flexible. At the hostel I work usually three 7hours shifts and at the gallery 2-3 shifts but not longer than 6h at the time.

(Oratoire St. Joseph du Mont Royal in August - around 2 million people visit it every year and apparently it takes another two million dollars just to keep the stairs in shape.) 

During my day off’s I’ve continued my sightseeing project. Visited the Oratoire St. Joseph du Mont Royal which is a roman-catholic basilica at the other side of the island of Montréal. Not the oldest thing there is but definitely the biggest. In the entire Canada actually. It took me hours to see the main sections. Definetely worth seeing for though. If you wanna know more: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Joseph's_Oratory

I also returned to “the mountain” of Mont Royal which the city was named after. It’s not really a mountain and thank God for that cause I couldn’t probably climb any higher than that. Yeah but people of Montreal love to call it a mountain and it is an insult to refer to it as a “hill”. Anyway spent a lovely afternoon there in the rain of the colourful maple leaves. My pics won’t do justice though.

I love it that it’s so close to where I live.. 30min by foot and I’m in this great forest without a sign or sound of the metropolitan city that surrounds me. People go there to run, cycle, for a picnic, whatever and also for famous Tam Tams, a free live music event that takes place there every Sunday afternoon in the summertime. Unfortunately I missed that one cause when I arrived here in August all my Sundays seemed so busy with everything else. Bummer. 

But I’ve got great stuff coming up!! Lots of things I’m looking forward to! Some personal stuff, favourite music and books coming out but also these great Northern American (sorry, don’t know if they are celebrated in Latin part of the continent) holidays; Thanksgiving and Halloween! I’m so excited! The first one is only one week away and I’ve been invited to a friend’s house to have a traditional Thanksgiving. So stay tuned! :D

(The monument of Mont Royal "The cross" in the night - the photo from: http://www.urbanphoto.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/mountain1.jpg )

Discovered the coast of Cascais this weekend! Unfortunately my settings weren’t correct so my shots weren’t that good but oh well..here they are! Gonna do another visit there one of these weeks..