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I guess the fact that this thread has turned into a music thread and is basically limited to two or three people, says a lot about how interesting Portugal is
Can we please swap our citizenships, you move here and I move to California
I have heard of all those musicians posted in this thread, but I don't like hardly any of them, the vast majority of Portuguese music is just alien, weird, and boring to me, just like Portuguese humor. I would immediately feel much more at home in the US than I do here after a decade.
I guess the fact that this thread has turned into a music thread and is basically limited to two or three people, says a lot about how interesting Portugal is
Can we please swap our citizenships, you move here and I move to California
I have heard of all those musicians posted in this thread, but I don't like hardly any of them, the vast majority of Portuguese music is just alien, weird, and boring to me, just like Portuguese humor. I would immediately feel much more at home in the US than I do here after a decade.
This thread has nearly 9,000 views, I suspect a few people are finding it interesting.
Sorry I won't ever give up my US citizenship but. I'm sure you can figure out a way to move to California. I am seriously going to at some point spend a few months living in Portugal to get a better feel of whether I would enjoy living there.
Portuguese culture is comfortable and familiar to me I get it intuitively. I also get most of the musicians I don't know what else to say other than those are my people and I get them. I especially value the hospitality and politeness, when socializing in peoples homes and how friends and family are often highly valued, whereas in California friendships sometimes feel competitive and shallow. What I most value about California is the optimism you find in some people and there are a few areas that I really enjoy but in my opinion much of the state has turned into a rat race where possessions, work, and status are often valued above everything else. There is also a deep divide here politically, educationally, and economically it feels quite fractured people on opposite ends of the spectrum are becoming less and less tolerant.
Yes, the Portuguese are rather jolly and social. But since I am the opposite, that doesn't mean much to me...
Plus, there are also a lot of negative sentiments in Portugal, although most people keep a lid on them. But sometimes they do come to the surface. For instance I have never lived in a place where people were fighting so much, not even in Britain. There is a lot of that passive aggressive thing going on, people more readily engage in shouting wars and even physical fights than where I come from. It also surfaces at soccer matches, which often result in bloody battles between fans. I just don't trust the friendliness of the Portuguese, I think most of it is fake, which also shows in that they are famous for talking behind people's backs while they smile you in the face as long as you are present.
Bullying is also widespread...
Yes, the Portuguese are rather jolly and social. But since I am the opposite, that doesn't mean much to me...
Plus, there are also a lot of negative sentiments in Portugal, although most people keep a lid on them. But sometimes they do come to the surface. For instance I have never lived in a place where people were fighting so much, not even in Britain. There is a lot of that passive aggressive thing going on, people more readily engage in shouting wars and even physical fights than where I come from. It also surfaces at soccer matches, which often result in bloody battles between fans. I just don't trust the friendliness of the Portuguese, I think most of it is fake, which also shows in that they are famous for talking behind people's backs while they smile you in the face as long as you are present.
Bullying is also widespread...
Very true regarding passive agressiveness, and actions deemed as disrespectful are sometimes taken quite seriously. I don't follow soccer at all I have no interest in that area. Bullying is common with first year university students from what I gather and I do notice that my family members children have different boundries than my kids as far as interacting with peers they seem more rough and more likely to push. Talking behind people's backs is quite common with some Portuguese people, I avoid those sorts of people. Also as far as insincere unfriendliness that is something you learn to navigate through by being raised in the culture. I am not particularly friendly unless it's genuine people generally get it when I don't want to associate with them.
Yes, the Portuguese are rather jolly and social. But since I am the opposite, that doesn't mean much to me...
Plus, there are also a lot of negative sentiments in Portugal, although most people keep a lid on them. But sometimes they do come to the surface. For instance I have never lived in a place where people were fighting so much, not even in Britain. There is a lot of that passive aggressive thing going on, people more readily engage in shouting wars and even physical fights than where I come from. It also surfaces at soccer matches, which often result in bloody battles between fans. I just don't trust the friendliness of the Portuguese, I think most of it is fake, which also shows in that they are famous for talking behind people's backs while they smile you in the face as long as you are present.
Bullying is also widespread...
I have lived in several countries and I disagree. Portuguese people aren't typically aggressive, I actually think it's the other way around, a little on the softy side sometimes. Football games drag a lot of different types, and fights occur sometimes, yes. I love football and find violence in it plain stupid. However Portuguese crowds are little angels when compared to hooligans from England, Belgium, Holland, Germany, Greece or Turkey. I grew a couple a blocks from the Paris Saint-Germain stadium and in the 90's whenever there was a European cup game against an English club the school had to close due to safety concern.
Plus the "talking in the back" kind of thing is just universal, everybody hates it, yet everybody does it, to different degrees. You would hate just hate California, backstabbing to get ahead can be a national sport, specially at work. Back when I arrived I used to think that people will only be nice to you if they want to sell you something, or want lay you. People will throw you under the bus whenever they get the chance as telling on others is encouraged by the system, that is the dark side of ultra-liberal policies. Yet some people are sincere too. It's just a matter of finding the right people.
I have lived in several countries and I disagree. Portuguese people aren't typically aggressive, I actually think it's the other way around, a little on the softy side sometimes. Football games drag a lot of different types, and fights occur sometimes, yes. I love football and find violence in it plain stupid. However Portuguese crowds are little angels when compared to hooligans from England, Belgium, Holland, Germany, Greece or Turkey. I grew a couple a blocks from the Paris Saint-Germain stadium and in the 90's whenever there was a European cup game against an English club the school had to close due to safety concern.
Plus the "talking in the back" kind of thing is just universal, everybody hates it, yet everybody does it, to different degrees. You would hate just hate California, backstabbing to get ahead can be a national sport, specially at work. Back when I arrived I used to think that people will only be nice to you if they want to sell you something, or want lay you. People will throw you under the bus whenever they get the chance as telling on others is encouraged by the system, that is the dark side of ultra-liberal policies. Yet some people are sincere too. It's just a matter of finding the right people.
I have lived in several countries and I disagree. Portuguese people aren't typically aggressive, I actually think it's the other way around, a little on the softy side sometimes. Football games drag a lot of different types, and fights occur sometimes, yes. I love football and find violence in it plain stupid. However Portuguese crowds are little angels when compared to hooligans from England, Belgium, Holland, Germany, Greece or Turkey. I grew a couple a blocks from the Paris Saint-Germain stadium and in the 90's whenever there was a European cup game against an English club the school had to close due to safety concern.
Plus the "talking in the back" kind of thing is just universal, everybody hates it, yet everybody does it, to different degrees. You would hate just hate California, backstabbing to get ahead can be a national sport, specially at work. Back when I arrived I used to think that people will only be nice to you if they want to sell you something, or want lay you. People will throw you under the bus whenever they get the chance as telling on others is encouraged by the system, that is the dark side of ultra-liberal policies. Yet some people are sincere too. It's just a matter of finding the right people.
I think it depends on what one is used to, based on that one evaluates other peoples relative to what one knows...
I guess the fact that this thread has turned into a music thread and is basically limited to two or three people, says a lot about how interesting Portugal is
Can we please swap our citizenships, you move here and I move to California
I have heard of all those musicians posted in this thread, but I don't like hardly any of them, the vast majority of Portuguese music is just alien, weird, and boring to me, just like Portuguese humor. I would immediately feel much more at home in the US than I do here after a decade.
If you dislike it so much, why don't you move to another country? (Not being provocative, this is a serious question).
If you dislike it so much, why don't you move to another country? (Not being provocative, this is a serious question).
I am not saying that I dislike it here so much. but certain aspects such as music.
I just don't feel much of a connection to the Portuguese, their culture etc. I have a decent life here despite that, but still, there is that feeling that something is missing, that I am not at home etc.
And yes, I probably would move to another country if I could. But emigration outside the EU is quite difficult today...
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