Bus Tour

Today I went on an arranged bus tour for the international students.  There are over 500 of us.  The most students come from France, Germany, and Poland.  There are 17 Americans.  They all come from Boston, except me. My roommates are from Italy and Czech Republic, but I have been making friends from Romania, Estonia, France, China, Korea, Greece, pretty much anywhere you can imagine. 

Today I tried the famous pastel of Belém.  It is technically a Portuguese egg tart, but to me it tasted like a combination between a croissant and flan, but it was so good. It was 1.05 euro for one.  We each ordered one, but they were so small and so good, that we all ended up buying another on our way out.  They have powdered sugar and cinnamon on the table that you put on top.  They were originally created by a monk in 1837.  The monastery was located next to a sugar cane refinery linked to a general store, but after the liberal revolution os 1820, the monasteries were shut down.  The munk started selling sweet pastries as a means for survival, until today they are famous.  Today, the very same secret recipe from the monastery is used.  I ate the true pastel of Belem, but now similar knockoffs can be found all over bakeries in Portugal. Here is a video below if you want to learn more and see how they are made:

Here is the website for the pastels: Pastel de Belem

Here is a beautiful peacock that we saw at the castle!

This is the Belém palace, where the president of Lisbon lives.  It is a gorgeous palace, but I sure hope more people live there than just the president, because that would be quite lonely.

Here is the medieval São Jorge castle.  It is located on the top of a hill, so the view is amazing. The castle is only used for military, as there is no residence within the castle, like you will see elsewhere in Europe. There  are 11 towers, with secret entrances.  It was built in 1147 when the first king conquered Lisbon.  Part of the castle was later destroyed in 1755 by a big earthquake.  

Last, here is the statue called Monument of the Discoveries.  This is also located in Belém.  As you can see, the river is in the background. This same river flows right next to my residence.  You can also see a large bridge in the background, as well as a Christ statue, similar to the Christus that you see in Rio de Janeiro. This statue celebrates the age of discovery when Portugal explored India and the Orient in the 15th and 16th centuries. 

Biggest Wave Ever

The biggest wave in history was surfed yesterday in Portugal! It happened in Nazaré.

Nazaré is a unique beach because there is an undersea trough.  It is longer, deeper, and wider than the Grand Canyon.  "At one end, far out to sea, the mouth of the canyon is wide. At the other end near to the coast, the canyon is narrow just near the seaside Portuguese village of Nazare. Waters passing through this natural funnel, are amplified and pressurized, creating waves of skyscraper proportions. This eons-old, natural phenomenon was recently discovered by American wave hunter, Garrett McNamara, one of the world’s top professional tow-in big wave surfers"

This canyon truly does make skyscraper waves, because yesterday it made a wave 100 feet tall! Just to give you an idea how tall 100 feet is, look at this picture above. Yes, that is a seven story building!  I can't imagine how scary, tall, heavy, freaky, etc. it must have felt to ride this wave. But congratulations to Garrett! That is so awesome he is still alive and has set a new record!

Bridges

Here is a picture from the balcony of my dad's hotel room.  I'm not sure if you can see, but there are some sweet bridges in the background.  Turns out, Portugal has the largest bridge in Europe.   The bridge was named after Vasco da Gama, the most famous Portuguese explorer.  He discovered a direct trade route to India and the bridge was inaugurated 500 years after the discovery.  The bridge has six lanes, with a speed limit of 75mph.  Hopefully soon I will see the real bridge and post a picture.  Until then, here is a picture of Vasco da Gama.

Astrology

Here is my horoscope from a magazine I got on the plane.  It says "You will feel within yourself a need to change, break the routine, and you an do this through new projects, ideas, and decisions.  Change something in your life."  I guess astrology knew that a big change happened in my life today.  Whether I believe in astrology or not, I do not know. 

Let's take a look at astrology in Portugal.  Because the Portuguese were explorers, navigators, and sailors, I was hoping to find information of the history of astrology here and how it affected their travels.  Unfortunately, I am either really bad at browsing the internet or the information is not available.  However, I did learn about two influential Portuguese astrologers, Helena Avelar and Luis Ribeiro.  They are interested in the history of astrology in Portugal, and have published several books, including a book of horoscopes of all the kings and queens of Portugal.  They also founded an astrology school known as The Academy of Astrological Studies in Lisbon.

To read their blog click here: Primum Mobile

To learn about the academy click here: Academia de Astrologia

Books for the Plane

I bought this book at the
 Art Museum in São Paulo

Two short & sweet books for the airplane ride.

"Concisely written, this book packs loads of detail into a handy small format, tracing the evolution of costume history and fashion through a series of interconnected trends and movements (a.k.a. "isms") from the Greco-Roman toga and the antebellum hoop skirt to the latest from the runway.

This guide is organized chronologically and covers the evolution of costume, the beginning of haute couture, and the rise of fashion as we know it— documented throughout with a combination of line drawings, costume illustration, and fashion photography. It includes an overview of designers from the classic—Coco Chanel, Dior—to the contemporary design greats, such as Tom Ford and Marc Jacobs. While the book traces the influences and links between designers, it also includes patrons, from Marie-Antoinette to Jackie Kennedy and Princess Diana, as well as fashion muses from Sarah Bernhardt to Sarah Jessica Parker. Related topics such as accessories and accoutrements are included as well.

Anyone interested in costume and fashion will delight in this book."

This bookstore, Livraria Cultura caught my eye in São Paulo.  Turns out, it's the largest bookstore in Brazil.  This is the flagship store in São Paulo on Avenida Paulista.  It has three beautiful floors of books with a cute little cafe and free wifi.  The architecture is unique and there is a fun charm about it.

This is the first novel I will read in Portuguese.  I was looking for a simple, yet interesting short read by a Portuguese author.  The popular Jorge Amado was recommended to me by a friendly employee.  He has read this book numerous times and mentioned of Amado's greatness in cultural portrayal, humor, and deep yet optimistic messages.  

The Reason

Why Portugal?

• I love the language because I served as an LDS missionary in Brazil
• Portugal will give me a new perspective on the language and history
• I can study at a top business school in Lisbon for the price of BYU tuition 
• All my classes will transfer to BYU Marriott School of Business where I study
• I love international business and what better way to learn than abroad

What I'm excited for:

• History 
• Castles
• Seafood 
• Codfish
• Beaches 
• Surfing
• Making new friends
• Learning a new culture
• New experiences and opportunities
• Business from a different perspective
• Comparing and contrasting Portugal and Brazil
• The growth that comes from being alone in another country
• Helping and being involved in the LDS church in a country with few members

The Purpose

The objective of this blog is to:

1. Fulfill the requirements for a Portuguese Contemporary Culture class

2. Share cultural and historical insights gained through personal experience and study