Hello!!
The heatwave across Europe has finally hit Portugal, and we are really feeling it. I have never been more thankful for Lisbons preference towards AC, at least in the buildings I have spent the most time in. And when I cannot be in air conditioning, I have been in the ocean. So, I’m definitely trying to make the most of it.
This week also marks the halfway point of my trip, halfway through study abroad! Time has certainly flown by, and I hope this month will be as exciting and memorable as the last. There are definitely exciting things coming up: Next weekend we’re set off to Seville, and end of July to Marrakesh, so lots to look forward to in the traveling department.
Because I am Halfway, I have had to do a lot of reflections for Pitt in order to get credit for this experience. One of the assignments was to write a cultural reflection, discussing differences we noticed abroad, things that excited us and what has presented challenges. I would like to share a snippet of what I wrote:
“The idea I had in my head of Portugal was simultaneously exactly what I was expecting–a picturesque European city full of rich history, colorful buildings, cobblestones–and nothing like I could have ever imagined. I think when you travel so far away from home you have this preconceived notion that where you end up will be nothing like where you came from, that the distance justifies vast differences. I was so pleasantly surprised by all the similarities I noticed to Pittsburgh, Buffalo and a lot of the United States, but I also took a lot of comfort in everything that felt unfamiliar.
It is so interesting how quickly we can adjust to things that feel foreign: now, espresso after lunch, eating dinner at 8pm and the lack of tipping culture feels quite normal–if not expected. One of my favorite cultural differences I’ve embraced wholeheartedly has been the tendency to linger at meals. Long after you’ve had your last bite, a stranger outside lights up a cigarette, you people watch and enjoy the scenery, you soak in the conversation, have the last sips of your wine. Maybe you order an espresso to help with digestion. But no one is around to take your check, kick you out of your table the second you put your card down. You aren’t interrupted 20 times to make sure the food is good, and I think there is such beauty in letting yourself sit. I never realized how rushed American dining culture was until I sat through a two and a half hour dinner, most of it enjoying the presence of my friends and their company; having a second to appreciate the food we ate, stuck in each others laughter, where we reflect on the day and linger just a bit in the stillness of after, caught in a post meal haze. I’ve gotten tastes of this before back home, when I’ve had the privilege of going to high end dinners with my family: perhaps as a celebration of good grades, sometimes just because. But that is the standard here, not just at the fanciest of places, and catching your breath does not feel like a reward, but the norm. Maybe this is what we are missing: a meditation and ritual of sorts, and I think as a whole we all could do with taking a second to sit and be present.”
Unfortunately, I have not taken as many photos as I usually do these past few days, but this weekend will definitely be busy. For now, here’s what I have on my camera roll:
