I have been in Portugal for eight months.
Time passes slowly in this country.
Many things have happened since I came here. I feel that it is different from Japan. It’s interesting.
Portuguese people respect the pace of others and their own pace.
I witnessed a car accident. But they are laughing. It happens, doesn’t it? That’s the atmosphere.
I also witnessed a car stalling. Everyone gathers around and tries to help. But as soon as they realise there is nothing they can do, they leave. This dry atmosphere is also Portuguese.
If there is a leak in the house, they say, OK, we’ll fix it, but it can take more than three months.
They say, “You’ll get your bank card in about two weeks, you just have to wait”! I was told that my bank card would arrive in two weeks, but after two months it still hadn’t arrived, so I asked the bank again, and it finally came.
Young people are more likely to help those in need. I think so. I was helped too. Maybe that’s why it has become normal to help people in trouble.
In summer, people start gathering at the beach. Some people watch, others listen to the sound of the waves. I have the impression that people gather especially on the beach.
The trees are covered with green. This one is big. The shadows are big too. There is grass, so there are many people lying down like picnickers. Because it is comfortable.
The daylight hours are long in summer: it is still light at 21:00. This may be one of the reasons why time seems to move so slowly.
I said that time moves slowly in Portugal, but for some reason, only the cars are wild. A real attraction. I want you to experience it. It’s a bit scary.
I want you to feel the national character and atmosphere in Portugal, which is different from Japan.
