Expat Advice: Culture Shock in Lisbon, Portugal

What is the name of the city or town that you are reporting on?

Lisbon

Did you receive any cross-cultural training for your move abroad? If yes, was it before or after the move?

Not formal, but I had lived outside of the US three times before in Copenhagen, Denmark; Krakow, Poland; and Norwich, England. While I was in Denmark, I acquired a good friend who was Portuguese and I later spent a vacation in Portugal visiting her, but that was 20 years ago.

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If they speak another language in your new country, do you speak the language? If yes, did you learn the language before you moved or while abroad? If no, are you planning to learn the language?

Pouco pouco. very little. I had gone through the Duolingo course, which was Brazilian Portuguese and had studied some on Practice Portuguese. I had planned to concentrate on learning the language the first 6 months, but other things intervened, and then came Covid, and I'm 70 so I needed to isolate, so I didn’t make much progress actually using it. I had my second vaccine dose a week ago, so I week from now, I will kick that into high gear again. I WILL LEARN!

Were you worried or concerned about culture shock before you moved abroad?

Not really because I had dealt with it before and had effective strategies to deal with it.

How significant was the culture shock you experienced when you moved abroad?

Not very significant at all compared to Poland, especially since i started with a friend.

Expats often talk about going through the "stages of culture shock." Examples include the honeymoon phase, the irritation-to-anger stage, the rejection of the culture stage, and the cultural adjustment phase. Do you feel like you went through these or any other stages as you settled into the new culture?

I kept waiting for the irritation stage, but it didn’t hit until Portugal opened up vaccines for 70+, but try as I might, I couldn’t get the magic number that would link me to the healthcare system and let me access the vaccine. I still don’t have that number, but eventually they opened vaccination centers that didn’t require it.

What, if any, were some of the changes you noticed in yourself that might have been caused by culture shock? These might include things such as anger, depression, anxiety, increased eating or drinking, frustration, homesickness, etc.

Frustration with not being able to understand what was said to me in Portuguese, even after I was pretty much able to use enough Portuguese for what I was asking in Portuguese to be understood.

What are some things you appreciate most about the new culture?

My vastly improved diet. Without any actual effort, I’ve lost 25 pounds since I got here, which I attribute to eatting a lot more fresh fruit and vegetables and walking on cobblestoned up and downhill sidewalks. The extreme level of consideration for other people among the Portuguese. Because of an obstruction in the left venticle of my heart, I have to stop and catch my breath about every block, and I had to learn almost immediately how to say “I’m OK. I’ve got water. I just need to take a short rest before I move on,” because people stop all the time to ask.

What are the most challenging aspects of the new culture?

Mastering the language. This sounds silly, but steaks I can afford and no A1. Sizes. I’m built on a much bigger frame, particularly compare to Portuguese my age, and I wear size 8.5 3E shoes. I’ll just have to look for men’s shoe that will fit and pass. CUSTOMS which basically prevents ordering anything from beyond the EU. And Covid of course, though Portugal has handled it beautifully in my opinion.

Did you "commit" any embarrassing or humorous cultural blunders? If you did and you'd like to share them, please do tell!

Not yet (that I know of), but wait till I get free of my Covid bubble.

Do you have any advice or thoughts about culture shock you would like to share?

My favorite strategy has always been what I call “the American hour:”. Even though I rarely patronize McD’s when I’m in the US, this is what I do when I just need a break from all the effort. I go to McD’s carrying some reading in English, get whatever I want (you may have to push to get adequate catchup for your fries), and settle into a booth for an hour of reading and munching.