Tell me something about Portugal...

[Venus]

Hey everyone,

I have to write an essay for school about Portugal. To find information about it on the net isn't difficult, but I don't just wanna write the "usual" stuff. I've never been to Portugal and I can't even remember meeting someone from Portugal. That's why I'm turning to YOU! Have you ever been to Portugal? Are you living in Portugal? Either way, you might be able to tell me something about this country that isn't easily found on the net, like what prejudices do other countries have towards Portugal (like towards Germany: bratwurst, lederhosen etc.). What is typical for Portugal and the people who live there? I wanna know just everything that comes to your mind when you hear the word "Portugal".

Thanks in advance

[Rui 'Trovatore' Pires]

Oh God.

Heh. It's a whole country, my man. What exactly do you want to hear? About the "three Fs", Football/Fátima/Fado? About our theatre, our poets (Fernando Pessoa, Luiz de Camões, Natália Correia)? Our writers (Luiz Stau Monteiro, José Saramago)? Our films (Manuel de Oliveira)? Our food? Our natural pessimism? Our ability to get out of messes? Regarding this last one, do you know it's a common saying that if Portugal had fought in the nam, it might not have won but it would have at least lasted longer? The spirit of the discovery time remains in us - our word for it is "desenrascado", and it sorta means that we find a way to do it, so sweat, and do you want fries with that?

What else? The really popular stuff, like the cock of Barcelos? The colonial war? Our history? Our legends? Our americanized reality?

Could you be a bit less vague? :

[TerranRich]

I could tell you a little bit about the Portuguese-American (Luso-American) community in this area of Southcoast Massachusetts. It's like a country in itself, with an entire culture not seen in any other community. 80% of my customers at the Home Depot are Portuguese men...short, sometimes fat, burly guys with a cheerful, fun nature at times, and a rude, dismissive, indifferent nature at other times.

I can tell you a whole lot more if you'd like.

I've been to the Azores many times, but never the mainland. Only this past summer did I get the opportunity to experience some of the night life (last time I was threre, I was 15, this past summer when I went I was 21). And let me tell you...it's almost the same. Except instead of stupid kids and moronic wiggers infesting every single club and hotspot throughout most of the coutnry (at least my area of it), you have, for the most part, semi-responsible and fun-loving young adults having fun. It's not entirely clean fun, but not the almost pornographic fun that I've heard happens at some clubs around here.

[Rui 'Trovatore' Pires]

I've never been to Azores or Madeira myself, but I hear it's pretty different - though not much different than any other island is from the mainland. Islands are simply different, I guess.

short, sometimes fat, burly guys with a cheerful, fun nature at times, and a rude, dismissive, indifferent nature at other times.

Heh, what a nice description! It fits almost everyone on the planet! Seriously, though, you're quite right. Heh, and the fact that it's a culture all by itself... is it any wonder? We have hundreds of years of history - as does the entire Europe. Isn't it natural that any European community in America should preserve it's cultural identity? Bottom line is, no one in Portugal will admit, it sometimes seems, to like the country they live in, but that's not true. They don't like the STATE of the country... but deep down they are proud of being Portuguese.

[Paper Carnival]

All I know about Portugal is:

My girlfriend is from Portugal
The minimum smoking age is 13 and drinking is 18 (not sure about drinking)
Portugese love football (soccer for Americans)
Portugal got pwned by Greece in Euro 2004

[TerranRich]

Drinking is 16...used to be no age. My cousin (female) who is 15 sometimes sneaks into clubs and bars, but that law isn't really enforced, at least not in Sao Miguel.

[shbaz]

Historically the Portuguese were expert sailors, furthering the art more than any other country I know of before the 19th century.

[Rui 'Trovatore' Pires]

I think the smoking age will be upped to 16... not that it's really enforced, as Terran says.

Portugal got pwned by Greece in Euro 2004

Yeah, but we sure gave a historical performance in the England game.