In my last post, I shared some strange and awesome things about Madrid, Spain. This time, I'm diving into the wonderful culture of Lisbon, Portugal and how it differs from what I'm used to in the US.
Some of these were actually similar to Madrid, although not mentioned in that post.
1. The Stoplights/Traffic Signals
Even after five days, @shenanigator and I still couldn't figure out what the heck was going on with the lights. I could hardly tell which traffic light was meant for which direction, let alone what the indications meant. There didn't seem to be much rhyme or reason to when the lights blinked, were solid, or when they changed, and drivers didn't obey them anyway. I heard it's common to speed up and run the reds here, though.
To make matters more confusing, for pedestrians, the signal goes from green walk sign to red with no warning. (Here, we see a flashing light to tell you to stop or hurry up and finish crossing.) So...walk at your own risk, I guess.
2. Bipolar Weather Throughout the Day
I'm sure this is the case in many other places across the US and Europe, but in Arizona, we're used to relatively consistent weather. If it's sunny, it's sunny that day. Perhaps you'll get a few clouds. In Lisbon, it will be clear skies for miles and flash flooding at the same time. You can expect showers one minute and then beautiful weather the next. Not sure how it is during the rest of the year, but that was our late-October/early-November experience.
3. There Are Automatic Lights Everywhere
We noticed this in Madrid as well. I'm sure it's an effort to conserve electricity, but there are motion-sensor lights in hallways, bathrooms, and even the individual stalls. Although that type of technology isn't new to me or anything, it's not commonplace in the US, except for in newer buildings. I didn't expect to see it all over Madrid and Lisbon where most homes, hotels, and restaurants are older than my grandma.
4. Lots of People Smoke
Vaping has all but replaced cigarette smoking in most of the US from what I've seen in my travels. In Lisbon, lung cancer must not be much of a concern based on how many people smoke (and at the frequency that they do.) Props to the anti-smoking campaigns in the US, I suppose.5. Uber Is Uber-Cheap
We noticed that in Lisbon, there aren't extra charges for booking, safety, insurance, or other random fees like there are in most places. A ride across town would be 2-5€ on average. Win!6. Wherever Music Is Playing, It's In English (Even If The Person/Place Doesn't Speak It)
We noticed this in restaurants and Uber drives the most. Whether the people spoke English or not, they were playing US Pop songs on the radio. Makes me wonder if it's to attract tourists, be accommodating, or simply because US Pop music is so, well, popular.
7. Like Madrid, Wine is Super Inexpensive
Paying more than 3€ for a glass of wine at a restaurant was considered "expensive" there. It's likely due to how much wine is produced within these regions, and I am not complaining. We got a really fancy 3.25€ bottle at the store with a 1.24€ bottle sitting few to its left.8. Many People Drink Coffee After Dinner
I don't know about you, but if I have coffee after 3pm, I'm wired for the night. Yes, they serve you these adorable little espresso-sized mugs, but still. Caffeine is caffeine, even in small quantities. I guess that's how people party all through the night! lol
9. You Can't Order Glasses of Water at Restaurants
We did try ordering tap water once in Madrid and got a funny look and giggles from the waitress. It's the same in Lisbon. When you order water at a restaurant, you're ordering bottled mineral water. (Kept me from getting a hangover from all that wine, so who's complaining!)10. Most Sidewalks Are Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weenie!
On any of the side roads, you're lucky to fit just one person (yourself) on the sidewalk...and suck it in if there's a car coming! Here's Jordan walking down one.
As you can see, most people don't even use the sidewalks. We're probably the weirdos who attempt to keep out of cars' ways.
11. Tax Is Already Included; Tipping Is Different Than the US
This was one of my favorites. You already know how much the meal is going to cost because if it says 5€, it means 5€. There's no city tax, food and beverage tax, or other extras to pay after that. As for tipping, we learned it is customary to tip 10% and only if you are satisfied with the service. It still felt a little weird leaving so little when we're used to tipping 15-20%.So there you have it! The notable cultural differences between the US and Lisbon, Portugal. Did those who also went to #SteemFest notice anything they weren't expecting? I'd love to hear about it.
And I must say...experiencing new food, people, and cultures is one of my favorite things in life. You really can't trade those experiences for anything. I feel like my eyes are opened up just a little more to all this world has to offer. Still, it was pretty tough for me to deal with my health issues (mercury poisoning) while doing it.
I had a hard time finding creamy and delicious (lol) food I could eat (i.e. gluten-free and vegan with no onion/peas/sesame seeds). Probably should have mentioned this above...Lisbon LIVES on gluten and sugar, I swear. It was a whole lotta this the entire time...
Therefore, I sometimes couldn't take my detox/chelating supplements. That picture above with the side of potatoes was a meal one day, sadly. As I said, I wouldn't trade the experience for any amount of money, but Jordan and I have decided to hold off on any major traveling until I'm showing signs of improvement.
Hopefully that will be in a year from now for SteemFest3. Woot, woot! Can't wait. :)
Ah, your pictures brought me right back. We experienced so many of these same things too. We thought it was strange that you couldn't tip the Uber drivers on the app like you can here in the US. The drivers were absolutely thrilled when we tipped with cash. I love these societal differences, it's so good to know not every culture is like ours! Great post!
Amen to that!
The way we tip in the US is strange to me. It's always expected, whether or not the service was good. If you thought the cab ride was less than desirable, your food was brought out late/wrong, or your hairdresser gave you the wrong style...you're just supposed to tip less, not nothing at all. I appreciate the way it is in Europe far more! Although, like I said, it's super strange not knowing whether you're just being "cheap" by not doing it! Or worse...offending people in a situation where it's really not required/expected.
Either way, it's nice to experience the differences and get a fresh perspective on things we consider so normal and customary.
No you don't tip no one going to be offended, it's normal to not tip. Nothing wrong with it. No one is expecting tip from you, France is a little bit different if you will not leave tip (sometimes is included) the waiter may be very rude to you when you walk off from the restaurant, but generally most places in Europe no one expect tip.
On several of your points, it is the same in Chile. In fact, when we landed in Lisbon and took an Uber from the airport to the hotel, we both said to each other, "We're back in Santiago again."
#11, tax is included. This is going to be standard in all countries that follow the VAT format which is most of Europe and South America. Chile has a 19% tax on everything, but it is included in the marked prices
Water - same in Chile. The water in Chile is safe to drink, but it tastes unpleasant because it is full of chlorine and the like. So, again, all over Europe and South America, very difficult to get water from the tap that you actually want to drink. Same goes for New York.
coffee after dinner. Same in Chile.
music in English. Same in Chile. It's even more drastic in Chile from my opinion. In Chile, only a small percent speak English whereas in Lisbon, I only met one person who did not speak English and fortunately he spoke Spanish so I could communicate with him. he was an Uber driver.
Great post and I hope you're enjoying your travels
It's remarkable that two places so far apart could have such striking similarities!
As for the water, I wouldn't recommend drinking it out of the tap in Arizona, either. Most states for that matter. The only place that it was actively encouraged was Portland, Oregon because it's all well water—and delicious stuff at that! And now that I think of it, Oregon also doesn't have sales tax!
It was awesome meeting you and @shenanigator! I was loving the cheap Uber’s, cheap wine and the delicious teeny tiny coffees. Can’t wait to see where next year brings us!
So great meeting you as well!
Three elements of an awesome day...inexpensive wine, tiny coffee, and cheap transportation. ;) Stoked to hear where SteemFest will be next year! Whenever the current event ends, I'm already starting to count down the days until the next one.
Wow great fraind...
wow ! That's very detail observations you have there, sis!
you are a vegan? and you take detox supplement? I thought vegan should have be healthy enough?
The weird weather could be caused by the surrounding Atlantic Ocean...
Someone should really sell them these:
:D
The automatic lighting is good for environment i guess, or may be their electricity cost is just much higher than the state.
Anyway, very great post there! I really enjoy reading it.
Thanks for reading! Glad you enjoyed it.
To answer your questions...
Just because someone is a vegan, doesn't mean they are healthy. Right now, I am dealing with mercury poisoning, which is a totally separate issue to my vegan diet. It took a long time to figure out what was wrong with me because all tests were coming back within normal ranges, indicating that most of my body is, in fact, quite healthy.
my bad, sis. sorry to hear about your mercury poisoning. Is it getting better?
I'm myself a vegetarian too. Not vegan though.
me neither. started saving. well, maybe in january at least!
Looks amazing. Nice post and photos. The weather looks great there and the food :)
Thank you for sharing your experience with us :)
Great post!
The food pic placed second, to the made-for-you companion. When's the wedding? ;+)
Peace.
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STOPWhat about tiny dogs in vests named Gary? I thought that little fellow was pretty remarkable and unexpected. (Or was it Greg...?)
Nice write, it's always interesting to see that people from other part of globe see many things different, while for me most of it seems to be normal.
But getting everything together thats what good about Europe, as each country is completely different.... I personally loved Lisbon, amazing vibe and people.
Yes, the Uber is super cheap, lol.