I wish I was in Portugal, cheering for my team with my friends

Força Portugal!!!!

After coming back from a fantastic holiday to find a freezing house, the only thing I could do was to download the pictures Russ took into my laptop. The post and pictures will come later as I don’t have them here with me.

But before I post about the holiday I think I should talk about my experience with the NHS on Thursday just before I left.

I was well impressed! After complaining to my GP about my constant ear problems he decided it would be best to see a specialist and arranged and appointment at the hospital for an external appointment. It took 2 months. I’m not sure how things are in Portugal now but last time I check it could take up to 2 years to get an appointment. So it started well.

On the day, I was ready for a wasted afternoon. I was wrong! The doctor was fantastic, didn’t speak to me as if I was an idiot, was very kind and caring. Right there I got a camera up my nose, down to my throat (not very pleasant I can tell you), then I was sent to a pressure test and an hearing test! In 31 years of asthma, nose and ear related problem I never had this done. Well I had it now and in 1.5 hours I was done and going home! That was impressive!!!

I found out there is nothing wrong with my hearing, I have very dry skin in my ears which causes a horrible itch and I need to moiturinse (!) (so that is why!) and my problem is not my ears but my nose which is constantly swollen meaning I have to use a steroid spray everyday for many, many years.

Well from personal experience NHS hasn’t been bad for me, but still the mortality rate in maternities due to lack of midwives and in hospitals due to super-bugs doesn’t give me much confidence. Also Russ is not as lucky as me and his GP is the kind you want to kill!

 PS-Tottaly unrelated. With the new WordPress update I can also write things in different colours

It’s amazing the small differences that you find.

Sanitary towels (pensos higienicos) in England are much bigger than in Portugal. A normal with wings in England is a super with wings in Portugal. (can’t imagine how big the biggest are).

I wonder if it’s because in England people are fatter? Or do they have stronger fluxes?

Portugal is building the biggest solar power station in the world and the biggest wind powered station in Europe. It is expected that 45% of its electricity will come from renewables by 2010.

Very impressive!! Very very impressive!

But it has it’s costs… As all things have

See it all here

Well then, been so busy I completely forgot this holiday in Portugal, Carnaval! It’s becoming worrying that I knew it was pancake day and forgot it was Carnaval

Well the two are very closely related: they both refer to the Tuesday before ash Wednesday which is the first day of lent, or 40 days of fasting and prayer before Easter.

These 40 days represent the time Jesus spent on the desert without eating and endured the temptation of the devil. So during these 40 days people are not supposed to eat certain (rich) foods like meat and eggs and so on. Well Carnaval and pancake Tuesday are a direct response to that:

Carnaval is the last day that people have to party and eat and have a good time before entering the lent period. So they go crazy on the Tuesday and then enter the fasting period.

Pancake day is the way of getting rid of all the perishable foods that can’t be eaten during the next 40 days like eggs and milk. It’s quite a delicious way of doing it as well

Considering that I hate Carnaval anyway because people behave like idiots, I quite like the pancake day thing. Too bad it’s not a holiday like in Portugal. And Russ makes fantastic pancakes

E impressionante como estes tipos me levantam a moral em qualquer situacao. Sempre foi assim. Ha anos que e assim.

A ouvir Xutos tudo parece muito menos mau.

Obrigada Xutos

Depois de levar meses a ler o segundo livro da triologia Inheritance – Eldest (o primeiro chama-se Eragon com direito a filmezito e tudo) de Christopher Paolini, decidi virar-me para livros portugueses. Faz-me falta ler em português. Da para descansar um bocadinho.

Decidi que os livros que vou ler em português tem que ser de autores portugueses. Autores estrangeiros prefiro ler no original ou então estrangeiro por estrangeiro compro em inglês que e muito mais fácil de comprar e mais barato graças a Amazon, the Book Depository e outros sites.

Como não sei o que se anda a passar na literatura portuguesa (e porque, vergonhosamente, nunca li muitos livros de autores portugueses), pedi conselho ao meu pai. Digamos que tenho grande preferência por livros de fantasia com dragões, elfos, ou do tipo templários, idade media, etc. Gosto de livros que me levem a sítios impossíveis, imaginários, onde nunca irei sem ser através da imaginação. Nao e assunto que abunde na literatura portuguesa, pelo menos ate recentemente. Claro que já li outros romances de palcos mais ‘reais’, menos fantasiosos, mas já foi há muito tempo e, curiosamente, a maioria e de autores sul americanos (o que adorei os ‘Cem anos de Solidão).

‘Portantos’ la fomos nos a FNAC. Eu tinha que la ir comprar uns dicionários de Inglês-Português e vice-versa para mim e para o moço, que aqui por terras de sua majestade deixam um bocadinho a desejar. Sao metade do tamanho e corre-se o risco de levar com um Inglês-Brasileiro por isso aproveitei.

Encontramos os dicionários (ele ia tendo um treco com o preço- as únicas coisas que sao mais baratas em Inglaterra do que em Portugal sao livros e CDs), comprei um livro novo de um autor português (falarei dele quando o ler) e em casa o meu pai emprestou-me mais uns quantos da colecção dele.

Ainda bem que levamos malas grandes. Voltamos a Inglaterra carregados de cultura .

Escolhi um dos que o meu pai emprestou, um mais pequenino que o que comprei e muito grande e depois do Eldest prefiro algo que não leve meses a ler. E o conhecido Delfim, do conhecido José Cardoso Pires. Ja vou a mais de meio. E estou a adorar! E passado numa pequena aldeia nos anos sessenta. Historia a parte, estou a adorar a forma castica e familiar com que os personagens falam, os costumes, e acima de tudo a forma como o autor escreve, a linguagem descontraida, e podia continuar por aqui a fora. Enfim, muito bom! Vamos la a ver como e que acaba

Edit: Ja estou toda trocada com o inglês e o português. Já nao sei como se escreve em nenhuma. As regras sao muito diferentes… Ah, e os acentos, so cá estão os que o dicionário encontra…

For the second year (and I think it will become a tradition) we decided to spend Christmas with Russ’s family and New Year in Portugal.

Christmas was great just like last year. The usual divine food (diet on standby until January) and lots of presents!  And, of course, the most important, the people: lovely as always

The presents were great! I got a coffee tree so I can grow my own coffee, if I manage to keep it alive… I find it funny how I usually get presents related to coffee. It’s great! Although in this case I’ll have to wait a couple of years until the tree grows enough.

Russ got a great present as well although it’s for common use: An electric blanket!! I wonder how I managed to survive without it. Our flat is very cold and the heating is not the best but now… Now going to bed is a pleasure. It’s so good to jump in and find the bed nice and warm. Ahhhhh…

Also got a Rocks and Minerals book from Russ and a grow your own mineral set (just for fun), a therapy pillow and lots of other things. Very good!

We stayed for a week (the children were there for most of the time which was a bit odd for me- they are growing fast! But again I’m lucky that they are very well behaved and happy children so it’s not that difficult to be around them), came back home for a day and flew the next day to Portugal

We stayed in Portugal for 10 days this time. A bit longer than usual.

There were some works being done at my place so we had to stay at my dad’s. Fantastic! Not only it’s closer to everything, with a great view and a very pretty house, they also cook a lot better than we do

M. (my stepmother) was at home for the festivities but then she had to go back to the hospital. It is something I will not talk about much more because it’s too personal and difficult and a family matter.

I spent most of the time with with my dad and visiting my mum but I still had time to see all the closest friends. But most of the time was dedicated to the family. My priorities have changed a bit in the last few months. Instead of trying to see as many people as possible I focused on having quality time with the ones that matter the most: a handful of friends (the best) and my family. It was a lot more rewarding and relaxed

New Year was at Praca do Comercio with a live show and fire works. And then a visit to Bairro Alto for a few more drinks

We still had time to go shopping for a new coat (mine was too hot for the weather there) and for quite a few Pasteis de Belem Fatties! I also ate one of my favourite dishes, Cozido a Portuguesa, until I couldn’t move

Russ could tell you more about the Italian restaurant that my dad took us (twice) and it’s divine white chocolate mousse. If he ever writes on his weblog again 

And that was it. A very good holiday Nice and relaxing with the people we love. That’s how it should be

It was a very good long holiday. I really enjoyed it

Portugal now also has a no smoking policy in all public places! It started in January. It’s not a strict as in England. Places bigger than 100 square meters may have a smoking area as long as they have the appropriate ventilation system. The thing is that the ventilation they are obliged to have is so expensive that even some big places are choosing to have a complete smoking ban

There are a lot of complaints especially with clubs but I hope that the obey the law for the sake of public health.

Anyway it’s a start and very good news for everybody smoking or non smoking. (would anyone imagine me saying this a year ago? )