Once upon a Portugal

Once upon a time, Portugal was one the most powerful and the wealthiest nations in the world. Two thirds of the world were discovered by the Portuguese explorers and sailors, and so the first modern world empire was created.

The roots of that era stretch back to the 15th century when Portuguese explorers such as Vasco da Gama sailed through the sea in search of a route to India. By the 16th century these sailors helped building a huge empire, embracing Brazil as well as swathes of Africa and Asia. There are still some 200 million Portuguese speakers around the world today.

Portugal's history has had a lasting impact on the culture of the country with Moorish and Oriental influences in architecture and the arts. Traditional folk dance and music, particularly the melancholy fado, remain vibrant.

Portugal is my country and i hold it dearly in my heart everywhere i go. There are good and bad things about this small European country. It's a country with a wide array of beautiful beaches, breathtaking landscapes and majestical castles and palaces. But is a country that is still under-developed when compared to the other countries of the EU. Unemployment and an unstable economy are still a major reality to most Portuguese. It's not really a good place to make a life, unfortunately. It's a shame that WE ( young Portuguese generations ) have to seek for opportunities overseas.

Portugal is a nice place for tourism, as i'm going to show. Maybe by the end of this article, i might have captured someone's interest in coming to visit my country.

Portugal's 21 wonders: ( click under the names for a more detailed description )

1. Castelo de Guimarães



2. Castelo de Marvão



3. Fortaleza de Sagres



4. Fortificações de Monsaraz



5. Igreja de S.Francisco



6. Igreja e torre dos Clérigos



7. Mosteiro da Batalha



8. Mosteiro dos Jeronimos



9. Torre de Belem



10. Paço ducal de Vila Viçosa



11. Universidade de Coimbra



12. Palácio de Mateus



13. Palácio Nacional da Pena



14. Palácio Nacional de Queluz



15. Ruinas de Conimbriga



16. Templo Romano de Évora



17. Castelo de Almourol



18. Castelo de Óbidos



19. Convento de Cristo



20. Convento e Basílica de Mafra



21. Mosteiro de Alcobaça
    
22. Berlengas

It's freezing out here!!!!

Woke up today feeling i was in living in Antartica!!!! What the hell!!!! This is surely not normal in Portugal; its capital, Lisbon, has been the warmest European capital so far with temperatures ranging from 14ºC to 10ºC, but temperatures started to slumping down after last weekend.
And today, my god, when i checked the temperature scale outside, it marked 2ºC. Warning alerts have been given to all population at TV News, newspapers, etc., this cold wave will stay with us till at least next Friday.


Being south european and used to a mild weather, i'm certainly not prepared to undergo through cold experiences such as this. Besides, Portugal's domestic houses weren't created to help us with such low temperatures, at least not like the houses in Denmark, Sweden, Finland, or even Switzerland, where most have their own central heating system. Which is very difficult to find it here, Portugal's winters aren't as severe as the ones in the northern portions of Europe.



Feeling at the moment: Just grab some chairs and chop them up into firewood for a big bonfire in the middle of my living room, with some barbecued sausages and a cup of hot cocoa...What??!! Am i crazy??!!! It's not a crime if i dream it, right??!!! Lol

Fruit for self-defense

Is it a fruit? Or is it a throwing weapon??

Some say it's an exotic and tasty fruit! While others refer to it as a vampire repellent!

What if i say it's both??!!! Although not relatively famous in the west, this fruit is probably the "king" of fruits in the entire Asian continent.

After three enjoyable trips to Hong Kong, i started to get more familiar with this weird and strange fruit. One of the most remarcable characteristics of this fruit is its odour and flavour which make this fruit not so much appreciated by foreigners or Gwai lo ( Cantonese word for foreigner ) like myself and surprisingly also, people from Hong Kong.

I remember the first time i had to give my first bite and all my Hong Kong friends around me betting whether i would vomit the huge chunk of durian i was attempting to eat for the first time.

It's not really so unpleasant like many people depicts it, but later i found the flavour of this fruit varies with the seasons and also some varieties of durian.

Asian people have this saying: “smells like hell, tastes like heaven” , which i totally agree after i had my first time with a durian. It didn't hurt as most people were claiming, but after hearing such things as durian being a very useful tool for ridding yourself of an unwanted neighbour or spouse, or perhaps defending your household against vampires or invading armies, you just can't avoid to fall into the trap of letting your senses fool you by others judgements.

There aren't many recipes to use this fruit as its main ingredient, but during my trips to Hong Kong and also according some of my friends, i found that it can be used for jelly, cake and even ice cream. And since i'm a huge love of gelatos, gelados, helados or skipping some language lessons, what do we know as ice-creams, i've decided to share a recipe of an ice-cream using durian.

Ingredients:
- 4 to 6 segments fresh, frozen or canned durian, as needed to make 4 ounces durian paste
- 2 large egg yolks
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar, or to taste
- 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
- 1 cup light cream
- 1 cup whole milk

Preparation:

Remove the seeds from the durian. Use an electric mixer to mix the flesh into a paste. Press the paste through a fine sieve. You should have 4 ounces durian paste at this point. (If not, use more durian). Chill the durian paste until ready to use.

In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs with the vanilla essence and sugar.Bring the milk and cream to a near boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low.

Pour in the egg mixture, stirring constantly to thicken. Take care not to let the mixture boil, or the milk will curdle (if you see bubbles forming at the edge of the saucepan, take it off the stove element).Allow the custard to cool.

Chill the custard in the freezer for 30 to 45 minutes, until it is just beginning to harden. Gradually stir in the durian paste, a tablespoon at a time.Either continue freezing, stirring several times throughout, or finish the ice cream in an ice cream maker.

When it comes to durian, either love it or leave it!!!

40 questions about 2008: An end-of-the-year meme

New year, new life, new goals... this is spirit followed by everyone after this New Year's eve/ Christmas holidays break, though i think i have been in permanent holidays since i don't have a job and therefore no working days or days-off, lol. I usually say, for me it's weekend everyday. Usually, i hate those questionnaires or memes filled with endless and non-sense questions, but this one seems worthwhile to answer to it. All this exercise of having to go over through the worst of 2008 was surprisingly beneficial, i think i grew more as person although i'm still concerned and worried with what's coming ahead for me.

1. What did you do in 2008 that you’d never done before?
I looked for a job in a different country and had job interviews conducted in English.

2. Did you keep your New Years’ Resolutions, and will you make more for next year? No, I wasn't able to keep my New Years' Resolutions for this year. I aspired to do greater things this year concerning my still "under-developed" teaching career but my time still hasn't come.
I'm not going to make more for next year, i'm still after my chance in the teaching field. So i think i just want to be happy.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Yes! My youngest cousin who was born two months ago. She was a blessing to the family this year because my aunt has been having hormonal problems which made the baby's conception more difficult, not to mention her miscarriage two years ago.

4. Did anyone close to you die? Not this year.

5. What countries did you visit? Finland and China ( Hong-Kong )

6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008? A teaching job.

7. What date from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? May 12, the day i had to defend my thesis because it was in the same day that an earthquake shaked China and caused millions of deaths. But also 9th of August, the day i met my sweet mamita.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? Hmmm, it has to be defending my BA degree thesis sucessfully.

9. What was your biggest failure? Going to Hong Kong for some job interviews and not being able to get any offer for a working visa.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury? Only a very serious flu.

11. What was the best thing you bought? Nothing actually.

12. Whose behaviour merited celebration? Not mine for sure, i've been annoying and cranky lately.

13. Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed? My own behaviour

14. Where did most of your money go?
Well, being unemployed and not having a salary means the money didn't even came in so how can it be gone??!! lol, besides i spent a very high amount of money in my trip to Hong Kong.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
My trip to Hong Kong and the job interviews i had there.

16. What song will always remind you of 2008?
Psychosocial from Slipknot

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder? hummm...sadder because i'm still unemployed and worried with my future
ii. thinner or fatter? Thinner because i've been sad and depressed and that totally ruin my appetite
iii. richer or poorer? Poorer, because...well, you know after the two previous thoughts

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Exercising.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Worrying

20. How did you spend Christmas?
Home with my parents, grandma, aunt, uncle and their family.

21. What Blog users did you meet? Plenty actually, most of them being Hong Kong bloggers. I think i have some followers there from my other blog.

22. Did you fall in love in 2008?
Yes i did.

23. How many one-night stands?
None.

24. What was your favourite TV program?
Entourage.

25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
Nah, I don't think so.

26. What was the best book you read?
Against Us: The New Face of America's Enemies in the Muslim World

27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Celldweller

28. What did you want and get?
A chance to fall in love again.

29. What did you want and not get? A chance to start teaching.

30. What was your favourite film of this year?
The happening, starring Mark Whalberg. The storyline isn't that great but just the fact of having a virus that makes people wanting to commit suicide is more than enough to have a scary movie session.

31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
Nothing special, i didn't even celebrate it or had a birthday cake. And yes, i'm 30 now...reached the 30's.

32.What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Getting a job out of those interviews i had in Hong Kong.

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008?
Same as usual, comfortable, casual and sporty.

34. What kept you sane? Music to make me relax or release my stress and anger.

35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Jessica Alba

36. What political issue stirred you the most?
All issues during the election of the U.S.A president.

37. Who did you miss?
My friends from Hong Kong, and my brazilian friend Ale, who went back to Brazil.

38. Who was the best new person you met?
My dearest love, Erica.

39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008.
Don't always take everything for granted.

40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year. Switchback-Celldweller

Who are you?? Who am i??? I'm lonesome hero

Who am i?

No, i'm not going to say i am legend just like Will Smith did in his movie. I'm just a John Doe but not the one from the TV series starring Dominic Purcell. A John Doe from Portugal.

I am a lonesome hero, thirty ( unbelievable ) years old, sports/PE teacher that currently is looking for work.
Living in Portugal ain't easy at all, although i love the country that saw me growing up into who i am today. Due to a series of episodes too complicated to explain now, Portugal has become a difficult place to live in. The wages are just too low and don't correspond to tax increases and the high life cost that has been troubling this country lately.

I started this blog because my mind is usually wandering in a million of places, especially now that i'm unemployed and i usually have these self-destructive thoughts that easily break my attention and even self-esteem. So i thought i could get a therapeutic help from the exercise of writing.

I love asian culture and especially Chinese culture, ever since i was a tiny little lot and watched my first Bruce Lee movie, Enter the Dragon. This infatuation has brought me three times to Hong Kong, a place i dreamt of visiting a very long time ago. I've already tried to find jobs in Hong Kong, but so far it hasn't been easy. I know a bit of Cantonese, fruit of my three trips to Hong Kong and a failed relationship with a girl from there.

what will i write about?

Mostly about Portugal, about normal life and news that are currently headlines in the newspapers here. But i won't be always talking about Portugal itself, my life and my feelings are also going to be written here, especially how i handle the pression of being another unemployed teacher in my country and my quest for a teaching job position not only in Portugal, but also overseas. Hopefully, this blog can become a source of inspiration for all the people out there in the same situation as me.

Who knows...one day, i could even be declared a Hero...just like the name i've chosen for this blogspot.

Are you really a hero?

Sorry to disappoint everyone but i don't have any superpowers, although i would fancy a lot some special X-ray vision or at least some invisibility. At least i could be a voyeur hero but i guess i would be some sort of dislike for the feminine public.
What i want is to be a hero, a role model to society and children mostly. That's why i chose to be a teacher in the first place. I feel very frustrated for not being able to do what i love most, which is to TEACH.