To all the outsiders coming in, please know that as hard as it is for you start a new life here, is it incredibly hard for us portuguese to do the same in our country as the government and some people take advantage of the fact foreigners usually have more money to spend than we do. It is extremely hard for most young people to buy or even rent as the prices have skyrocketed in the past few years and it only seems to get worse the more people get to know and love Portugal. By all means, we love receiving people and welcoming you, we love that you love our country as much as we do, but please be kind to us as some of us feel we are being pushed out and given no choice but to move to another country as we can’t keep up with the prices here ❤
This happens here in America. We have a huge homeless problem because people run out of money and can't keep a roof over their heads. The rich push us out just like you are being pushed out. It is happening everywhere and I am not sure what the answer is. The only thing I can come up with is that there are still these beautiful villages with stone houses in Portugal and Italy that were abandoned by the people who lived there for better economic opportunities in the major cities. I did read about an abandoned village in Spain where a group people moved there and fixed up the houses and the businesses. They started with the bakery and took it from there. I don't know if this is even a possibility in Portugal. I don't want to see the Portuguese priced out of their own country.
@@Peace-d6r in NYC (where I'm from and still live - for now) our understanding is that properties here are being bought by overseas investors who either want a safe place to store their money or want a place to escape to if necessary. New housing is built that is called "affordable" because it is in the range of 100-130 percent of the adjusted median income (AMI) is well out of the price range of people whose income is in the 40-80% AMI range. People come here from out of town and share apartments that are not made for the number of people who live here. Finally a new law was enacted that started today that prevents people from renting out their apartments for less than 30 days. People would get an apartment and then AirBnB it for much more than the rent while they lived somewhere else. Unfortunately people are being priced out everywhere, so at least I - a not wealthy NYer - have both compassion and understanding for the Portuguese people.
@@thurstonhowelllll948 there are many countries; the question is whether or not a Portuguese person would *want* to move to certain countries where cost is the only criteria.
Interestingly, what Americans have difficulty with is exactly what I like about Portugal. I am from Finland and I have lived in many different European countries and in Portugal I found what I was looking for. The people, which is the most important thing, in Portugal are genuine, honest, helpful, open and at the same time sensitive in a good way, which I think is a nice combination. Many tourists take it for granted that they will be served and they complain when everything is not perfect or goes the way they want. When you show that you care, maybe even want to help and don't take things for granted, in my experience the Portuguese receive you as if you were a family member. In much of the world, selfishness, superiority, materialism, efficiency and superficiality are so present, but in Portugal I found something completely different. The people are just as genuine, caring and friendly even though they are very poor by our standards. Although I walk at night in poor areas, I feel safe, which is something I value greatly. I really hope that those of us who come to Portugal know how to adapt to them and not expect the opposite.
sendo finlandês como sabes escrever português? só não gostei da frase, que "somos muito pobres"nós não nos consideramos coitadinhos, nem pobrezinhos...não repitas isso, tá?
@@cjnge6828 O finlandês escreveu em inglês, és daltónico ? Se percebes inglês, o que ele escreveu foi que pelos padrões da Finlândia poderemos ser considerados pobres, o que é a pura verdade. Também é verdade que tem metade da população e quase quatro vezes a área de Portugal, o que também explica a maior riqueza per capita, tanta floresta para tão pouca gente ...
Same here. I'm from Pt and live in the US for 23 years now. I'm returning tho, and I'm a bit afraid of the culture shock 😅... but if Dave can handle it, I guess why not me. Dave is ABSOLUTELY right about pt, now imagine how it was back 20 years ago!
I’m curious if you and the other native Portuguese commenter (living now in the U.S.) would mind commenting on the motivation for moving to the States and whether you feel like the U.S. has been able to fulfill those wishes
@@fotiniwaltonmore money, we are not treated as slaves by our bosses. Work culture is really bad in Portugal. We pay heavy taxes in Portugal because we are still paying the for German bank’s incompetence as well as our politicians lack of integrity.
I have lived and worked in the USA, had the privilege to travel and visit various states. Have reached the conclusion that I rather live in place that is full of problems, not in wonderland. As you we say 'quem não está bem que se mude'.
I'm Portuguese born in Mozambique. Lived in Africa for 53 years. Now living in Portugal for 12 years. After Johannesburg, SA I'm enjoying the laid back pace and relative peace. I don't need to look over my shoulder constantly to see if I'm been targeted as a potential victim of crime. In South Africa, I lived under constant threat and high levels of stress & PTSD
Glad to see our Portuguese people are finding their way back home from countries that despise them for contributing to their growth and treating them with dignity
@@nancyamaral5620 Portuguese expat in US. This is a bit one-sided. I lived and worked in Lesotho for two years and spent time in SA over the two years ('76-'78) .. an incredibly beautiful country that reminds me so much of CA. Anyway, this was during the wars of independence of various countries but mainly Angola, Guinea, and Mozambique. I can understand the centuries of bitterness of all European / American interference. Africans may have (many had reason) to hate the colonizers and I assume that some of the bitterness remains. The Portuguese (along with the Belgians) were pretty cruel and it's said/written they were the worse. I wanted to visit Mozambique during this time (a foolish thing to try in retrospect) but couldn't for I had an American passport which, of course, stated I was born in Portugal. So, most of the riches due to 'growth' were sent back to Portugal and as for 'dignity' ... not as I heard there and have read subsequently. I am glad that after Salazar died and a new time for Portugal .. in particular led by the young, progressives .. began to try and help the people they .. we ... used for some many centuries.
I'm originally from Denmark and lived in California for many years. I now live in Portugal. I would say one really nice unexpected thing is that I feel so much calmer in Portugal. There is no putting energy into trying to push to make something happen when you're at a business. It's just not going to happen the way it would in the U.S. So, you might as well just go and have a coffee at a nice cafe and chill....
Open your eyes and have a look at how Portuguese people are living. Your reality is a total fairy tale that could basically happen anywhere in the world, it has nothing to do with "Portugal".
Snakker du fremdeles dansk ? 😉🙋♀️jeg er norsk. Elsker Danmark, vært mange mange ganger. Også vært i Portugal for mange år siden. Så vakkert der, men fattig land den gangen. Jeg bor i Norge. Ville heller bodd 1.Danmark 2. Portugal aldri i USA. USA har blitt Crazy. More peaceful in both Portugal and Scandinavia😊
Hey Dave, sorry to hear that you got confused between a digital rendering and a real photo. that must've been tough. Bro, you have no idea the entitlement and myopic american view i'm so ashamed to see continued. you think you can't get an innovative, entrepreneurial team together for your business ideas? Are they shitty? Because I've been starting my networking pre-move and I'm thrilled at the aspects. Lisbon hosts one of the biggest tech conferences in the world. and you think they are too slow to catch onto your fire idea? GTFO. The beaches are cold? You live in Micihagn or whatever flyover state with the lake effect, coated in 15' of snow. aight bro. And you feel soooooo unsafe because you got your ass beat in porto being a drunk aggresive asshole with locals- who you clearly denote are 'immigrants'. but you're not an immigrant... you're AN EXPAT!! Is being generally disliked something you've encountered elsewhere? Remember the golden rule to moving abroad, wherever you go, there you are. And Dave, I doubt location will solve this for you. Look inward.
That description of our waters is what makes our fish so good...cold waters so fish has to have a bit more fat in it, and the strong waters make the fish stronger and meatier.... Great video once again!
@@zhufortheimpaler4041not really, it's actually related to de oceanic streams, Portugal's cold waters are due to the north african atlantic stream that feeds cold water from the depths of the ocean that flows north from the mauritanian coast up to the north of the iberian peninsula, there it mixes with the warm gulf stream that flows eastwards, thus the water is usually warmer in the gulf of biscay than in Portugal.
I also would like to add that young people have better opportunities to socialise in Portugal- the beaches are full, the coffee shops are cheap which attract people from all generations and walks of life. People talk to each other, go to restaurants-they actually know a little bit about what good food is, children are fed the same food as the adults. The influence of the fast food chains is not as pervasive. I live in a beautiful English village but everyone is indoors. Even young people! I know Portugal is in a different social and economical cycle from England but nem muito ao mar nem muito a terra. Wealthy countries have a lot to learn from countries like Portugal. Too much fast food, netflix, computer games, amazon deliveries, spreadsheets to measure inputs and output does not create a happy, creative, healthy society.
Sounds like my neighborhood and kitchen, there is community, morality and swaths of freedom to be had in every US state at this point in time, even in the blue states outside of the densely populated blue cities
Boa sorte Madalena.. Caso queiras, espero que voltes um dia, e que os preços impossíveis que esta moda de Portugal entre os estrangeiros ricos não torne impossível um dia comprar casa cá..
Muito obrigada e tudo de bom para si. Sim, eu pago impostos aqui em Inglaterra e trabalho bastante. Com muito gosto, acrescento. Tenho receio que essa moda continue... espero que nao. Portugal tem uma alma grande e generosa mas tem que haver limites.
Spot on Dave. As a Portuguese American, I couldn't agree more, but anyone can adapt to snails' pace. There are quite a few areas in the US that are equally just as bad if not worse. As with anything, there are tradeoffs. We recently bought a modern villa in Madeira and we need to get some renovation work done there. Being an island, you have to add the snail's pace + limited supply chain + island time + extra patience to get anything done, but, the overall experience has been priceless because it has reminded us that the world does not revolve around our expectations. 😅
Great vlog! Having lived in Portugal for almost 3 years now, I can say with confidence that real estate agents and firms, in general do not work together to share commissions and actually fight each other, to the detriment of buyers. Regarding the snail pace, it is a huge adjustement for most americans, especially those coming from big cities, but it helps tremendously to speak portuguese, even a little bit, because the locals will greatly appreciate the effort. But if they start to speak in english, don't feel bad because most of them just want to practice their english 😂
I don't believe everyone can adjust (or wants to!). For example, I know Madeira would not be for me because I don't want to live on an island (I visited Madeira - it is beautiful - just not for me). Every place isn't for everyone, and that's okay! On the other hand, being from a large city in the northeastern US, I am used to everything not being brand new. In my neighborhood, the people who want to live in new buildings are generally not from my city, but are from other parts of the country where they are used to new everything. Everyone has their preferences; the important thing is to know what suits you so that you don't move and have an awful experience that could have been avoided.
Yup..same in Italy. They don't have 50 thousand contractors for every trade to call for an estimate. Lol. No. You have a few that are overbusy and you wait.
Dave, long time watcher, first time commenter. My family and I just moved to Tavira a week ago. We are from the US, but one of the things we notice is that, since we are from the southern states, South Carolina specifically, and from a region called the LowCountry, but colloquially also known as the “SlowCountry”, the difficulty and slowness of getting things done here in Portugal hasn’t been any different than what we were used to back in the American South. Sometimes actually better here frankly. I guess it is all perspective. We are very happy so far, but that I think is due in large part to great content creators like yourself allowing us to have a true realistic view of what to expect. Keep it up. Will definitely get you a Sagres or Super Bock if we ever meet or you are down here in Tavira.
As a 54 years old native portuguese, i am pleased to say that you have chosen one of the best places in Portugal to live. Tavira is a wonderful little town, you have miles and miles of the best beaches we have to offer, the weather is good all year. I can recomend that you go to Cacela Velha, which is about 6 miles from Tavira. It has a lovely view, a beautiful old church (my sister got married there), and you have a nice restaurant right next to it called Casa Velha. Hope you enjoy our country!
Hi Dave. Every American wanting to live in Portugal should read this book "A Cottage in Portugal" from Richard Hewitt. The book is about the adventures and chalenges of an American in the Portuguese bureaucratic system renovating a house. Im Portuguese and highly recomend it. Loved the book.
OMG! I read that book way back in the late 90s after my first visit to Portugal! It made me want to move here right away. It took me until 2022 to get here, but I have that book on my bookshelf! And now I’m putting together stories of my own that resemble the experiences that couple had with the quirks of Portugal which I love with all my heart!
I'm a Korean living in the U.S. and feel so much that American bureaucracy is so bad... Portugal's cheap & great food are attractive but I guess gotta try it a bit before fully committing
I'm Spanish and I can say that once you visit Portugal you begin to fall in love with it. In no time you are infatuated with all the beauty that they have. It's one of the best countrys in the world despite all the cons. Love you P.❤
Dave, thanks for the video. I’m Portuguese myself and lived in the US for 15 years until I decided to move back home. All of these points are spot on but I think the most stressful points would be professionalism and the lack of ambition by many companies. I guess it’s a European thing where relationships are more important than company goals as a whole. In life we can’t everything but I think Portugal as a whole, vale a pena ;) BTW congrats on the accent!
"I guess it’s a European thing where relationships are more important than company goals as a whole". More accurate would be to say it's a southerners' thing all around the world. I live in central Europe and businesses are closer to US than to Portugal.
@@Myko_Life I agree with that, the further south the more laid back people are. My question is due to the fact that you have a name from Eastern Europe, and since you say that you live in central Europe, I thought you were an expat
I enjoyed your video- thank you. I am Portuguese , living in England since I was 25. I am now 43. My husband is English so I think I have a good grasp of both countries. Compared with England, service in Portugal is excellent. Honestly... we go back many times to Portugal and I do feel that the service we get there is very good. People are generous and they actually want to help. I also would like to point out that Portuguese people work hard, the pace may be slower but unlike traditionally wealthier countries people actually need to work, in often what I would call very physical jobs, in order to provide for their families. We always drive to Portugal from England - that allows us to explore the country and stay in different areas. Portuguese driving is fine! Yes, you always find the odd selfish/emotional driver but in general driving is good. Driving styles in England can be very passive aggressive. In Portugal, way less so. Portugal is doing really well when it comes to Electric car charging. The infrastructure is way better than in Spain. All service stations in motorways have EV chargers. Small towns have EV chargers! We did not have one single problem driving our electric car in Portugal. The move away from oil is very obvious in Portugal. You go Portugal!! restaurants With all it's faults, I am very proud to be Portuguese. I hope the grit and resilience I see in Portugal is not lost. It is a beautiful thing.
Agree it’s 100% better than the UK. I moved to the UK via Argentina and the US and spent a lot of time in both Spain and Portugal. Slow is better for me anyway. The UK is mostly just rude.
Portugal has a better infrastructure for EVs because they make sense in Portugal, you can travel from Lisbon to Oporto in one EV charge and from Lisbon you can reach most of the country without the hassle of having to deviate and wait for an hour to charge your car. In Spain that's not possible, distances are bigger and major cities are not reachable between them in one charge, making EVs impractical for travelling in Spain.
I'm an expat and live in the UK. Eventually I would like to move to another country with a cheaper cost of living. What interesting countries do you think exist besides Portugal?
We retired to Portugal 16 months ago and couldn’t be happier. Nice people, good food and good weather really help overcome the challenges you’ve accurately described. The language and slow response to service calls are the worst, but we have no plans to return to the US anytime soon
Yes, Portugal can be good under certain conditions. I did my college study abroad in Portugal in 1990-91. Bureaucracy, slowness, etc was a problem then too but the internet nor email existed then. Half of the ppl didn't have telephones in their houses because it was too expensive to get installed, and that wasn't even counting monthly service fee, local or long distance minutes. Dealing with bureaucracy of the university, getting a transportation monthly pass (with photo)...barcodes didn't exist then either, renting a room month to month was hard enough with a paperback dictionary. If ppl don't have to deal with service providers (plumbers, etc), cars/driving, and you are a retired person who might be having issues illing the time..then Portugal could be a good fit. But in US, after businesses decided that every encounter could be an 'experience'....ie) customer service on steroids.. As well as for every one business in a city there are usually a couple of competitors who are willing to do anything to get your business. Not having ppl show up or on time is rare unless they are dumb enough to try to use the freeway during rush hour, or they have problems. (In this situation, I was actually charged for the time they sat in traffic...which I thought completely unfair since there are frontage roads to avoid the freeway...but the company wouldn't budge on the charge.) The can-do, as soon as possible spirit of US...will make it difficult for anyone used to the conveniences of 'instantaneous' response ...to go somewhere where they feel like they've gone back in time. How is the language learning going? Taken a class yet? I had had 3 yrs of college Portuguese before I went. I was completely literate...could speak full sentences, could write essays, could speak with a European accent and knew European grammar...but though I could understand my college instructors and other students, it took me 6 months to understand anything that was spoken to or around me. WTH...wasn't expecting that. Turned out that half my classmates were in the same boat but many of them left after 5 months.. (Guess I had the opposite of an immigrant's child...they typically know how to speak/understand but can't read or write correctly (unless their parents spoke exactly grammatically correct..most parents don't and so when one goes to school, you have to unlearn your spoken grammar. Sigh!)
I forgot to say that I enjoyed my year abroad and could understand everything by the time I left. I loved having affordable available transportation to get to most tourist places of the country...except Tras-os-Montes (Bragança area) and Castelo Branco. Made many friendships and had good experiences.
@@thomasbarchen European Portuguese is a bit different than Brazilian Portuguese. Portuguese people are more familiar with Brazilian Portuguese because they have soap opera like tv shows. Brazilians might be less informed about the grammar of European Portuguese. I don't know how many tv shows were produced in Portugal and exported to Brazil. Just like British English vs American English..there are differences in words, spellings, and ways of saying things. Many foreigners arrive in US having learned British English and are surprised that Americans don't know these English words. (Well that was experience in 1999-2003....so before internet became mainstream, before we could view tv shows from other countries, before youtube, etc. Example: a student neighbor originally from Switzerland in a college town asked to borrow a spammer. I was at a loss. His dictionary german to English was of no help to me. I asked what you use it for, what does it look like...drawing pictures, hand gestures and it was a wrench. Grr...either wrench or screw driver....cant recall off hand.)
If you are a foreigner and come to portugal, PLEASE do not only stay in Lisbon or Porto, there are beautiful things awaiting in the rest of the country
I have lived in several countries (and travelled to many, many more. I am not a spring chicken 😂). The hardest part about living abroad is aligning our expectations with reality. The first three months are adventurous, the next three confusing, the following year arduous and then you start to get an idea of where you are. Most people (would be ex pats) I have encountered have returned within three years. Business ex pats often return because their spouse cannot handle the situation, often isolated due to lack of language fluency. The hardest part can be trying to navigate bureaucracy. Moreover, the locals have their own lives and most don’t need people running in and out of them. Real friendships are hard work that bear slow ripening fruit. I have become fluent in several languages, but I always look for ex pats. They make life a bit easier, answering questions and listening to you gripe until they tell you off about not making enough effort! I had thought about trying Portugal, too, but at my age, I think I will stick to vacations (I live in Continental Europe). At any rate, I would do it again and recommend that people try it. Just do your research and homework, so you (think you) know what you are getting into. It will all happen differently, of course, but that is your story to tell.
That’s what I’m worried about. We are planning on retiring in Hungary in a few years. I’m was born and raised in Hungary, my husband is US born. He is also set in his ways while I can live on a top of an ice float if need be. We will see I guess
Hi Dave, I´ve moved here from SoCal over 10 years ago. I agree with you that Iberian Portuguese sounds like Russian! That´s exactly what I thought when I first came here. I was a fluent Spanish speaker when I arrived here.I had quite the learning curve training my ear and that´s with the experience of learning four other languages. In terms of cycling in Portugal: I will not because the majority of the drivers are disrespectful from my experience (high speed, tailgating, overtaking other cars around blind corners and endandering others). From my experience, most of this "style" of driving is happening in the large cities like Lisbon and Porto but also on the main motorways. The countryside is more relaxed but there are still a few psycho drivers who seem to think they are the only one on the rode. As an American moving to Portugal, customers service levels in Portugal are a complete shock. It´s improving but you´re right, there will be people that will tell you off and be completely rude. "Customer service" for some doesn´t exist in their awareness or vocabulary. Having said all that I still struggle with the sh** customer service experiences and the journey of finding quality service professionals. It´s also a slow pace, but I can fix that by traveling elsewhere. In terms of mindset and the optimism level. I would agree there is lots of pessimism and the "that´s impossible" but if you look hard enough you will find Portuguese that have an appreciation for change, innovation and quality just like many Americans. Every place has its pros and cons. I want to end all of this by emphasizing the things I love about living in Portugal. For the taxes I pay, I actually get something for it. Decent public health care. It's not perfect but it saved my life from a life threatening illness. The quality of food and wine is high. You can eat organic (bio) and not break the bank. Geographically, at least where I live...there is a lot to enjoy. It feels like an uncrowded California with access to surfing, mountain biking, hiking, kitesurfing, wine tasting and more! The amount of sunshine is excellent. The cost of living although rising like the rest of the world is relatively affordable outside of the major cities like Lisbon and Porto (Where the rents and inflation have skyrocketed). Give me a ping when you´re in Sintra!
@@JeOrtiz1Yes, as a well-travelled Cuban born US citizen, Iberian Portuguese was as foreign to my ear as Russian and the signage/spelling indecipherable as well. Of course if staying longer than a couple of weeks I would focus on immersing myself…
@@fuchurZeroYes it does. You have the internet at your disposal. Multiple videos explaining why portugese sounds like russian exist. Go look them up instead of leaving ignorant comments.
My husband and I retired to Portugal from the US in April of this year. We love the slower pace. We currently rent in Lisbon because of the central location. We have been able to travel to the north and south to try to figure out where we will end up. We love the food, the Portuguese people and lifestyle here.
@@ricardogomes4523 we recently rented a small apartment in Lagos for a year starting in January 2024. I doubt we will be able to buy down south because of the cost.
I only have limited experience thus far, but from what I’ve seen, you’re pretty much spot on. But the bottom line, even with all those ‘minuses’, Portugal has a whole bunch of ‘pluses’ that far outweigh them. I know I’m not going to be shot at, the people are warm and genuine, there are no pharmaceutical ads all over TV, and pretty much nobody cares what your politics are or if you’re gay, straight, or otherwise. That stuff is the reason I’m heading to Portugal. I feel like I can breathe there.
@@bendover-bz4bc yes, Portugal is conservative, it is a catholic country and deep roots, but dont confuse it with something like Russia. Gay people are not harassed but are expected to keep their life private as everybody else. Yet there are public gay places, bars in the main cities and gay beaches in some beach towns. Also same for politics, even if people deslike politicians,there is not that divide, that you see in online discussions, which has no ground in real life, may be almost wholly fueled and maintained by political parties and bots.
@@pedropedro8153 As a portuguese living in Porto, i agree and i'd ad that it's getting better. Generally people are getting more open minded and acceptance is becoming the norm. Slowly, but we'll get there! Unless Chega becomes a major political force...
@@CarlosCruz_cc lá se vai a ideia de que: 'and pretty much nobody cares what your politics are'! They don't understand & can't read in portuguese! kkkkk
Thank you for your honesty. So many TH-camrs feel like they have to sell the country they are living in. So they make ridiculously skewed videos. That only show you the fantasy version of the country. Then you get there and the reality leaves you unpleasantly surprised and let down. Finally an honest TH-camr!! I will subscribe just for your honesty. Also you didn't do it in a way to denigrate Portugal. You were kind but honest. I appreciate that.
@@timetosee9251 I'm Portuguese and, as such, quite sincere and frontal. That was not a strange response, it was a sh*ty one. We also have stupid people in Portugal. We just don't give a rat's as* about them. ;)
@@timetosee9251 commenter below your original comment meant that Dave does earn an income from his videos. You mentioned he was honest and didnt do it to degrade PT. In fact, Dave probably did it for the thousands of Americans who are moving (or interested in moving) to PT. Give them the "real experience"...as there are many Americans who moved during covid and are moving back because of some of the reasons he listed.
I agree with you people are able to be highly critical of the US because we publicize what goes on here, while other countries keep quiet or downplay issues in their own country. The truth is there unpleasant people all over the world, it personally bothers me foreigners that have lived in the US and greatly benefited trash it to other countries.
I moved to Portugal during the pandemic. It’s beautiful, people are kind, and food is pretty good. However, it didn’t feel like home no matter how hard I tried. I crossed over into Spain and it’s now my forever home. It clicked really quickly.
Hey Dave. Congratulations for your video. Your Portuguese accent is fantastic :). I am Portuguese, originally from Porto but living in Switzerland for the past decade. There are a couple of things you've mentioned in your video that i may have additional input: 1 - the American Entrepreneur vs Conservative Portuguese approach: see it like this - Portuguese see themselves in endless loops of recession since the late 90s. With job instability, its not uncommon to have an approach of "better 1 bird in your hand than 2 birds flying". I must say I once met an American, while traveling in Jordan. He was thinking about coming to Portugal and start a sports performance increase coach business. i frankly told him he would have a hard time doing so - therefore i also called him a dreamer :) - my reasoning was... Portuguese either are broke and will not be able to afford your businesses or they are already professional athletes and have a team of coaches from their club. maybe i was also old fashion?? :D 2 - the real estate person you've mentioned - basically by discussing the issue with her colleague, in her eyes, you handed over her commission to someone else, even if it was not your fault. the issue with real estate agents is that they have low salaries and the majority of their income comes from business they settle themselves, not within a team -nevertheless - highly unpolite and not Portuguese standard welcoming grade, in my opinion. i would have reported her to be honest. 3 -Lack of Professionalism - YES!!! It Drives me nuts. mostly the lack of reliability. And you are spot on, some business are family owned and then you have whoever from the family that needed a job on customer service without a clue of what they are doing, really stressful for locals as well. 4 - Slow Pace - yes, specially in the south. However - the world didn't end, right?? :) Workweek is 40 hr or less in the public sector. Make your hours and enjoy life as much as you can. One last comment - i did have an issue with Americans smiling all the time while talking - it was something i had to get used to as normal but for us - we laugh when something is funny, otherwise its just a "resting bitch" face for the remaining part of the day. However, we are not displeased in general, its just different.. Anyways, enjoy your stay and if you need tips for Porto, I am at your service :)
It's funny, I've been to the US and the one thing I noticed first is that whenever you go into a store or restaurant, whatever, is the employees smiling and greeting you. That doesn't happen here (in general), but that doesn't annoy me at all (cause I'm not smiley either, I'm an introvert and don't engage easily with people).
I am Portuguese who lived 20 years in the UK having returned to Portugal in the early nineties. I totally agree with all that you have said in this video. Most of my Portuguese friends who have lived abroad have expressed similar frustrations. The real frustration, however, is that things don’t seem to have changed much over the past 30 years.
Do you think we'll see change in the next 30 years with the old timer, old way of thinking "getting out of the way", making way for the new generation + native Portuguese who moved abroad and have returned (bringing their open mindedness and experiences and wisdom back with them) + the ambitious immigrants to make an impact?
I think having lived in Europe 13 years Portugal for three that some of the Portuguese issues are structural. Denmark Germany and Switzerland prior residences all have their issues with bureaucracy but Portugal takes it to a kafkaesqe level. Petty corruption keeps people employed at SEF, DMV etc that would have not made it past their first 90 days performance review at.any multinational. Private services can get away with poor services because there is no possibility of quick redress by the legal system. A contractor makes a 8500 USD mistake for a 45.00 filing fee you can without an attorney file in small claims court and plead your case. Our newer condominiums outdoor paint peeled all of in one year because of no sealant, no fungicide, with very thin coverage of the paint. We approved a special assessment because we knew regress if possible would likely only be seen by our heirs and would cost more in legal fees.Portugal lacks significant investment capital. Would you want to invest millions where legal regress is so difficult! I would end by saying there is a cultural passivity that translates to a lack of political engagement. You could call this an inability to talk truth to power, or if you think it's problematic now it used to be worse point of view. You still see people over 65 walking with their head down like one used to see in the former DDR in Germany. There is also a soft hands calloused hands dynamic that plays out in the Lussophere. Advanced education is quite good, but for those not wanting that it is six years of primary and they can leave Schoo. There is not the German speaking emphasis on vocational education, one of the reason the showers drained the wrong way. That 2 percent gradient has been known since Roman times.
I was hoping with all the new immigrants would help the vote to help changes for the better. The political party that would to change things should address the immigrant communities by producing some of their political material in English because unfortunately the immigrants won't know enough Portuguese to understand political speech. Google translate works well for written stuff but not quite for verbal debates. (I'm just saying if they were savvy..they would produce materials to get the immigrants involved in the vote. Not trying to say that all material should always be produced in multiple languages.
Things not changing much may, in a way, be an asset. What is called development in rich countries is not necessarily for the better. There is a lot to say in favor of a slower more balanced pace of life rather than chasing stock markets or working all hours for buying a bigger car.
@@maryr7593 DO you know something???... Immigrants don't vote. Only portuguese citizens have the right to vote in the national elections. And portuguese is the official language, it will always be. If you want translations you'll have to do it yourself or pay someone who does. And another thing: I'm portuguese and I've lived in UK and France. They didn't translate anything to portuguese either while I lived there. It was up to me to understand their language.
Canadian happily living in Portugal..my first scouting trip the agent was late.. did not notify me and I had to physically find him... then he took me to none of the houses I had planned to see ... one house was destroyed by mould which this agent treid to say the black was because the owner did not know how to use the fireplace... absolute waste of time.. next I booked an airbnb the host was a real estate agent he was wonderful... a fabulous experience.. Dario Jesus Remax Sao Martinho.. I live in Nazare.. I love the brutal honesty of the people.. I love the elders of Nazare.. I fall asleep listening to the waves wake to a iew of the ocean...
I'm Portuguese and my girlfriend is Thai. One of the things she really made me aware of, during her visits here, is the indecent state of most public (and even private - as in cafes and restaurants) bathrooms! I am genuinely ashamed of this and I'm surprised at how unaware I was of this problem, considering I am a well-traveled person and I've experienced both extremes, in this respect. I've been in public bathrooms that make you feel like you could live there, ( in Las Vegas, Dubai, and Bangkok). Also, I've been in top-notch places like the "Café de Paris" downtown in Tunis, the capital of Tunisia, and when I had to use the bathroom downstairs it felt like I was descending into some scatological nightmare, including the presence of a "Quasimodo" character who hosed down the "stalls" before you could use them. It's not THAT bad in Portugal, but public bathrooms are definitely something we need to improve immensely if we want to accommodate tourists and expats from other cultures.
It is so interesting that you bring up this topic - an unusual topic for sure. When I was in Portugal in the 1988 I found myself really needing a toilet while visiting Nazare for the day. The only public toilet I found was so unacceptable that even in my desperate need I could not bring myself to use it. I ended up suffering greatly while waiting for the bus to take me back to the town I was staying in, and the room I was renting. And now you seem to indicate that not much has changed all these years later.
This is one of the best videos I've seen describing Portugal and delivering info to US citizens that may not understand/know. I live in a small town in MI and was happy that you talked about water temps. That gives us a good comparison of being in the water there. One particular aspect you covered regarding trying to hire someone to get work done really hit home. In the small, coastal MI town where we live we have had the same experience. In one example we needed a retaining wall and 3 different builders came out, accessed the situation, measured and said they would get back to us. Not one did. We tried reaching out but crickets. So maybe that is becoming a more universal problem? In the end we built the wall ourselves. It looks great.
Hi Dave, I'm a regular visitor to Portugal (from Ireland) and I have a little bit of the lingo. I think your assessment is spot on. I would add however that I find the Portuguese to be very friendly, and, I adore old Portuguese buildings and love narrow back alleys, steep cobbled streets and lots of steps. Then again, I'm just a traveller here and not a resident.
as a portuguese i agree with most of what you said, and gave some good laughs. generally speaking i got used to it and find ways to avoid what bothers me the most. nevertheless, i would like to add some context: 1st - we were not attacked during the ww2 as most other europeans countries, so we did not have to rebuild nothing, thus no upgrading in the urban structures/planning, so we have lack of bike and walking paths and super narrow streets just proper for the XIX century. 🤣 2nd - we have a serious lack of people working in several areas (for example, everything related to break back man labour, be it for home reno or other similar areas) thus to avoid getting white hair earlier, we usually call people that were advised us from other friends/relatives BUT even like that, in no way we can avoid to deal with tremendous delays - those workers/companies have always someone that knocks on their door that is incredible needy, know them better than us, offer them a better payment, etc, so indeed, we need to add always a huge margin to the deadlines when managing properly our expectations, lol 3rd - in most touristic services, retail, and in the construction field, atm we dont have a lot of portuguese people working in the country, but instead people from our ex-colonies that are arriving massively since last 2 years - good portuguese professionals from those areas (specially from the construction sector that has a shortage of man labour all over the europe) prefer to work on northern countries where are way better paid. finally, i would like to apologize for that rude real estate agent. we are not like that at all. we are nice and polite - born and raised in portugal people. if something like that had happened to me, i would fill a complain about her to the company she was representing. is is totally inexcusable.
Just curious, filing a complaint...does that mean writing in the complaint book that is located at the business? Can you write in English as I doubt Dave's Portuguese is good enough to write a complaint.
@@maryr7593 Yes, all businesses are required by law to have a complaints' book, that has a seal by the local council and cannot be tampered with. Yes, you can write your compaint in English. For better effect, after writing in the "Livro de Reclamaçoes" also write a letter to the business headquarters and copy to the local Camara to make sure the issue will be dealt with. In case of estate agents, there is a trade that regulates them, but I can't remember the name.
@@donnacosta5633 I was curious if filing a complaint against business (whatever business) meant the same as the Livro de Reclamações. US has something called Better Business Bureau in each state...where you can register your complaint, but it just records a complaint so others can see. If you want state investigation, there's a separate place "consumer protection agency". Also one that files complaints about professionals with a license (MD, RN, or skilled trades (plumbing, electricity, etc), lawyer, etc). I wasn't sure if when someone says you should file a complaint, if they mean there is a separate govt agency that takes these complaints and investigates the issue. Some of the agencies, I listed are just a place to record such complaints so others know ...beware, this is what they tried to charge me, etc. Thanks, I understood what you said about filing with regulating govt org.
I'm from the Netherlands. I have been visiting Portugal frequently since 2015 for longer periods of time, because I do like the country, the people and the culture. Especially the quality of life, compared to my own country. I can relate to the informative content of your video. Nicely done. Thanks!
I've always had my best experiences far and away from the tourist route. As an artist, I've had no problems meeting locals and getting access to locals only venues and opportunities. I'm ashamed when ever I see American tourists expecting to be served at every moment. Respect the people and the cities you visit and accept it for what it is. tourists are scammed for a reason.
@@irenleorr5539 Absolutely not! 99% or more of people are amazing, lovely, actually interested in getting to know the culture, and nice to locals and workers. However, the world is a big place, and sometimes there will be "special" people, who think that they are the center of the world, are extremely rude, and unfair in the way that they treat locals and workers (that's not just tourists by the way, there are obviously local people who are like that as well). I live in Sintra, we get thousands of tourists every day, so I do come across some of those people from time to time. I can give you a very specific example, that happened a few weeks ago. I was going up to the Pena Palace, it's one of the most visited monuments in the whole of Portugal, and to access it, there is only one old and winding road. Traffic was stuck, and not moving. I get out of the car, and walk up the road to find out what is happening. What I found was that there was an angry tourist, who stopped his car in a place where you can't park, on a dangerous corner, and therefore a jam packed tourist bus could not get through. The bus had to stop, and had no room to manoeuvre, and the traffic jam behind it was growing by the second. The angry tourist refused to move his car out of the way, and we are talking about less than 10 feet out of the way literally. He was of course expecting the bus to move out of the way, even when the bus had dozens of people in it, most of them standing because there were not enough seats, while his excellence was by himself in the drivers seat. When I tried to calmly talk to him, he started shouting at me, saying that the bus had to move out of the way, and that he would refuse to move. I kept trying to put some sense in his small head, always politely, and calmly. There was no aggressiveness from my end, but plenty from his. After 5-10 minutes someone else arrived, matching his level of aggressiveness and rudeness. It was not nice at all, tempers flared. He finally moved his car out of the way. To conclude, most people are amazing, I work as a tour guide, and absolutely love what I do, and have never and never will scam people. However, like I said on my first comment, "tourist are scammed for a reason" is a honest, true, and I may add unfortunate quote. Just like you find horrible tourists, you also find horrible "tour guides" (I do not consider them tour guides, some don't even speak Portuguese and make up lies and fake history). Just like the example I gave, I'm sure people can give examples of bad experiences they have had with tourism workers. Those are obviously exceptions, most tourists are cool and most tourism professionals are cool. That is the rule, for which there are, there have been, and there will be many exceptions.
As a portuguese myself, you put very well the downsides of the country. Specially the entrepreneurship and the lack of professionalism things. They're basically what made me move.
@@Gabriel-pk8lw This seems to happen alot. Portuguese ppl who may not have left PT seem to take the criticisms personally. It's when you have lived elsewhere can you appreciate/criticize your home country. But regardless there is always someone who takes it too personally (as if you were criticizing them). They may have targeted you because they didn't read all other comments and yours appeared visible to them. Also viewing other vis and b grp comments, PT living in Lisbon and Porto feel like they are being pushed out of their cities by the foreigners coming in able to pay higher prices. I've seen some negative comments from Portuguese saying dont come, we don't want you, etc...and these comments were on real estate vids.
Dave, I am a U.S. citizen of Açorean descent currently living in Açores and I agree with your list and could certainly add to it 😅 But obviously, there are issues anywhere you live. People who move from their home country to another to escape certain problems will only encounter new, fun, challenges. I am really happy to see you mention entrepreneurship. That was one of the saddest realities I have seen of living here-the lack of hope, optimism, and hustle…particularly from the younger generation. Now I know why, but it is still quite sad to see and definitely something I would generalize as an American trait.
I’m Portuguese, and your description of Portugal is spot on. 👏🏻 Regarding the cold sea, it’s a bit like S. Francisco. The deep cold water of the Atlantic comes up to the surface in the coast facing west, so it’s always pretty cold. And there are often powerful waves. Once you get used to that water temperature, diving into the waves gives you a great boost of energy.
Regarding customer service: probably the worst in the world… However, there are some ways to improve your experience, here is my tip. It only works when you become a regular customer (that is, go there at least 2 times 😉). Engage with the personnel, ask their name and they’ll your name. Tell a bit about you and ask them simple things like how long they work there, make a compliment to something you genuinely like (like that gorgeous pastry 😋). Chat a bit and don’t be afraid to ask personal questions like “have you family?” and so on. People are generally open and will not take this like an intrusion, quite the contrary. You are showing that you are interested in them, and that is seen positively. Pay attention to also give some information about yourself to them. Next time you come there greet them person when you arrive (bom dia Sr. António, está bom?). Sit down and see how your service experience will change. You’ll become almost part of the family, people will be so much more friendly , the service will be much faster. Try it out. Don’t be afraid if you are still not proficient in Portuguese, in general people will make the effort to try to understand you.
It's funny I'm from Latvia and I was in Lagos and it was +30 outside and I went into the ocean and i was like - ok, the water is maybe a bit colder than I would expect but not that different from the Baltic most of the summer season. But I looked around and I saw all the people just sunbathing and almost nobody in the ocean... Depends on the perspective I think, in our latitude we do not get really warm water in the sea for a long time, so we take what we get.
Good job, Dave. I'm brazilian and I am moving to Portugal next month so I've been watching a lot of videos about Portugal over the last months. I'm sure I will also suffer some sort of "cultural shock," but not as much as an American. Although language differences may be a minor problem, getting used to the local habits may take a while. But it would be the same if I moved from a big metro area to a small countryside town in Brazil or for an American also doing the same within the US. I think anyone moving to another town or country must understand that they are the "intruders" and must respect local culture and habits and try to fit in.
I have heard that Brazilians suffer discrimination in PT...fyi. The Portuguese can understand the Brazilian accent because of Brazilian telenovelas....but depending upon where you go and your experience with European accent. I am American, learned Portuguese 30+ yrs ago in US and in Lisbon...so when I went back to states, many of my classmates went to Brazil, teacher had to translate a lot. Also I have interacted with Brazilians in the states, they are very surprised with my accent and some said it was like their grandmother speaking. Most of the time I get the very confused look when I would speak to them...not sure if that is because of the shock of someone speaking Portuguese in Wisconsin or if it was my American European accent....perhaps both.
@@Quidproquo1143 I think all migrants may suffer discrimination. Discrimination and prejudice are consequence of some local people that got annoyed by some things some migrants might have done and instead of judgng that individual behaviour they tend to generalize it for the whole country or region the migrant came from. And all migrants are subject to misbehave (in the eyes of locals) because they come from a different culture, with different habits and usually don't speak or understand the local language. That's a door wide open to misundertandings. If one brazilian does something absolutely normal in Brazil but off limits in the US (like walking around holding a bottle of beer), it's likely that the local community will see all brazilians as rule brakers.
@@maryr7593se ele anda pelo TH-cam, certamente já viu milhares de vídeos de brasileiros falando horrores de Portugal e dos portugueses. Na ignorância não virá.
I visited Portugal in April. I didn't know much about it and decided to go 8 days before I went. I LOVED it, especially Lisbon. I went to Porto but I liked Lisbon more. I can't wait to go again!
We have a property under contract in Portugal and will retire and move full time next year. The biggest adjustment is how long it takes to get things done. Everything moves at its own pace and there is no way to speed things up so best to learn to sit back and go with the flow. It's August and everyone is on vacation in Portugal so not much is getting accomplished. Working on learning the language (with Anita) to help insure a good transition but it sure is a stinker to get the hang of! We like old things from buildings to furniture so the old look of things is a good fit. Excited to shop for vintage and antiques when we get there. New furniture and interiors are all ultra modern and not a good fit for us. We are trying to be realistic about the adjustments to be made and what to expect. Looking forward to coming back to beautiful Portugal in 6 weeks or so for our closing!
I went to an antique store. Beautifully set up in the showroom. Incredibly overpriced. I found a small half table to put against a wall... this store priced it at 150 euros. Too rich for me. I kept looking around and asked for some wood carving chisels. They wanted 400 euros for 12 chisels bc 'these have wooden handles'. Too expensive for me. I went to Porto to another antique store, and I found the exact same half table for 17 euros! I had taken pictures and proved this to several friends. I stand out as a foreigner and I believe prices were inflated. I had a mover quote me 'American and Brazilian prices'... I told him I wanted portuguese prices. I used another mover who charged me 1/2 of what the other guy wanted. 😐😑
As an American who's family is from Portugal, travelled to Portugal many times as a kid and plan on living there someday, I emphatically beg my fellow Americans to strike Portugal off your "trendy" list. What you describe as "old fashioned" is the culture that I grew up around, it's what I love. Don't make another culture part of your hipster trend and then move there and drive up prices, go somewhere that you already have roots.
Thanks for another great video. The thing that scares me most about living in Portugal is dampness and mold. I have experienced this when living in Japan and it was a nightmare.
We live with that every single day in Puerto Rico. It's a very moist, humid and tropical island. Even when you pick up a sheet of typing paper, it's limpy.
@@bartstewart8644 Yes, but your utility bill reflects that. I live in another country where the average person supposedly has a $40 utility bill, mine is always over $100 because I use a dehumidifiers.
I wanted to say my husband and I love exploring in Portugal /we have our home in Gaia and love it there. The people we meet are friendly and do speak English. We made some friends there and love the restaurants. we have our favourite ones and the owners know us cause we frequent them many times. Thanks for sharing your video and looking forward to more of them. Michele
Thank you for having such a nuanced and realistic opinion of your experience here, especially since a lot of it we portuguese also struggle with! And since you went to Gêres I would love to see your take on a city like Póvoa de Varzim or even Vila do Conde! If you plan to go there sometime try to take a week between the 24 - 28 of June because that's when they have the festivities of S. João & S. Pedro and they are two cities that you can visit on foot since they are side-by-side!
Dave, I so enjoyed your informative video. What intrigues the most is how a boy from Michigan, who swam in Lake Tahoe and understands the cold, ended up in Portugal and what occupation sustains your livelihood there. Thank you again, Del
Those were some surreal stories ahaha I am sorry for all the bad shite! But I believe you nailed everything! Better put than a Portuguese himself ahahah Honestly I am just happy that you are getting so integrated that you start to realize this aspects of the Portuguese culture :) I hope you keep talking about the good the bad and the ugly, you make amazing videos Dave!!
I fell in love with Lisbon and am planning to move there one day seasonally. This video is accurate and the only thing I wanted to add is how slippery the cobblestone walks are! I’m a runner, pretty fit but the cobblestone streets especially when it rains , omg, better not leave without insurance!! Love this, and give me the inspiration to find a way to live/work from there soon.
I do really appreciate your honest opinion of Portugal. I have been watching many Videos and listening to many opinions about their experiences in Portugal as Expats; your experiences are very close to what others have related. We are planning on retiring in Europe and have not visited Portugal, yet; we will visit Portugal and follow your guidance on what to see and avoid is very valuable. Thank you Dave for the Valuable info.
I'm Dutch and I like Portugal and I still remember it fondly. I have worked there for approx. half an year on the airport in the second half of the eighties. I remember the wines, the red Douro wines and the Vihno Verde (young greenish white wine). I remember the fado music, the restaurants in Lisbon with fado musicians; the beaches in Praia de Rocha; Sintra with the old Royal Palace and many other historical places. Occasionally I still listen to the Fado music and it is a nice contrast to the bachata in the Dominican Republic, where I live now.
I am Portuguese. As I have just retired, I sold my apartment in Lisbon last year and bought a house in the countryside. Both real estate agents were fabulous! They were always available, very friendly and accommodating. The girl that helped to sell my apartment in Lisbon even went with me when I signed the deed for my new house! I have only good things to say about them and their real estate agencies!
I’ve lived in Portugal nearly 3 years, India for five years and various other SE Asian countries for shorter terms. Portugal reminds me very much of India, my car has been at the shop 4 months now, for parts, the difference between here and India is that in India someone would know someone that knew someone and boom, problem solved, in Portugal there aren’t the work arounds there are in India, after all the motto is., nothing is impossible and it’s true. None the less, it’s a beautiful country with beautiful people, adapt or die, or leave…
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 we share several common phonological features, i myself, born, raised and living in portugal, think often that russians are speaking portuguese if the distance is long enough.
Your videos are so helpful. My husband and I ( Americans) are considering a move to Portugal, and are coming this September to tour the country by rental car for three weeks. I feel better prepared to embrace all Portugal and it's people have to offer thanks to your channel! Obrigado!
Because you are a female, you would say Obrigada. The gender of word depends upon who is speaking the words. So an ex: you, female, say Obrigada; your husband, male, says obrigado.
@@maryr7593 As you say, it is more correct for a woman to say "obrigada" and for a man to say "obrigado". However, in colloquial Portuguese conversation women often say "obrigado" and nobody cares about it. It is not a strict rule.
@@maryr7593 respondemos a uma mulher: obrigada. E a um homem: obrigado. É assim. Não é pq se é mulher q se diz obrigada, e pq se é homem se diz obrigado lol
Hi Dave, I'm portuguese and have to say that I like watching your videos because they show an outsider's view of portuguese life, that's most of the time pretty accurate. I've lived abroad for a long time and now, having returned to Portugal, I tend to see things very differently and just had to get re-used to some things. One thing that you said once made me laugh a lot, the fact that in Portugal public services mostly NEVER answer the phone, and that just drives me crazy as hell!!! Wish you the best and hope you can still enjoy this beautiful but crazy country.
I hate answering the phone and door. My favorite flower is lavender. I love cold water so much so that I moved to New England in America, some years ago. I move like a turtle. I have a love for chillies and capsicums I was asked if I had Portuguese origin or Brazilian all of my life (I denied it) Did a DNA test and come to find out I am part Portuguese🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🙆🐢🐢🐢🐢 I too take my time like a snail and I speak my mind. I would love to live in Portugal!
The problem with moisture it's the lack of proper ventilation systems ( vapor and condensation ). Most houses don't have it and the ones recently built in this century have insufficient/passive systems ( usually only in the bathrooms ). Also the lack of proper wall insulation without any vapor/moisture membrane makes things worst during the winter months where moisture is more prevalent or it's worst due to the temperature differences between the air and walls inside versus outside air. Salt present in the walls could be related with the finishing of the wall during construction, which are common to be made of a mixture between cement and sand. The sand present in this mixture could be contaminated from the source or the place where it was stored ( no properly cleaned, processed or stored ). If you live near the seashore you can also suffer from this after construction especially if the wall is not properly painted for several years and you have small/micro cracks in the cement where water and moisture were accumulated. In US most of places with this levels of humidity have central dehumidifiers, central ventilation and even if you rent some places, like in Florida, you need to have those systems online 24/7 ( even if they don't have the same level of wall insulation compared to the north regions ). Anyhow current construction codes in Portugal force new commercial buildings, like big offices, shopping malls or hotels they all have better ventilation systems. New homes, perhaps at the high end, you can find this systems but I don't think construction code demands it. My country is several decades behind the rest of central/north Europe and US, specially if we talk about ERV or HRV units. In Portugal most people will advise you just to buy an AC unit which just raises the temperature to make your relative humidity comfortable and can condensate some of the moisture but at the expense of a lot of electricity. If we start talking about the high limescale level in potable water, which are common in the south region of Portugal, the existence of equipment to treat it, its another topic people here don't know anything about it. I hope Americans living in Portugal can share their knowledge about this topics and convince Portuguese property owners to improve their houses.
Normal as ruas foram feitas no tempo das carroças puxados por burros,cavalos e bois e quando apareceram os automóveis as cidades, vilas ,aldeias já existiam
Aqui nos Estados Unidos eles copiam tudo: eles tem a Veneza americana, Epcot. E ainda tem a cara de pau de falar que em Portugal ( ou em toda a Europa) tudo é muito velho. Que gente estúpida! Quem vai à Europa quer ver o velho, ou poderiam ir para a Austrália, Canada, US, Brasil, etc…
When it comes to the lack of ambition and the old buildings, I totally agree with you, Dave, and these issues bother me too. When it comes to the ocean, though, I think you're focusing on the coastline upward Lisbon, when in fact most beaches downward are so much warmer and flatter. In fact, thousands of people come every year just to spend their vacations by these beaches in the Algarve, for example.
Isn't there an inheritance law in PT that makes it difficult to sell or renovate if all parties that inherited the property don't agree. Can you give any information on this?
Good, honest video. I'm from France, and I've been living in southern Italy for about six months now. Although I have no intention of moving to Portugal (except for a short period hopefully to photograph the country), I was interested to see how you perceive a southern European country. I have similar experiences to those you described. Some places, like Potenza in Basilicata, are covered in ugly graffiti (or rather tags) that makes the city look like a bad Jackson Pollock painting. Often you will encounter an unimaginable numbers of stray dogs (it's sad to see) and on the sides of the roads you will see garbage bags being thrown away and never cleaned up by the public services. This is especially noticeable when driving in certain parts of Sicily or on the outskirts of large cities like Rome or Naples. Of course, France is known for its complicated and slow administration (red tapes). But that of Italy has nothing to envy. However, like you, I have nothing but praise for the people of my host country. These people are frank, easy-going and simply adorable. A French writer once said that an Italian was a Frenchman in a good mood… I agree. I don't think I'll settle in Italy forever, because it's not my country and I'll never feel part of it entirely. And then the utilities, healthcare, shops in rural places etc are not on the level of those found in France, so why retire anywhere else?… I am a travel photographer currently traveling around Italy and hopefully some other parts of the World. I have a profile on Instagram where I document my travel if interested.
I cannot tell you how long I've waited for a video like this! I'm not from the US but The Bahamas, so still North America. Much of what you say really resonates with me from how you've interacted with the people to the language. I do disagree about the point of the Portuguese being direct though. I think it's more nuanced than that. If they don't know you very well then you'll be met with just a light touch of pleasantries but they tend to maintan some distance from strangers. They are reserved. Learning some Portuguese will take you a LONG way as the Portuguese, unsuprisingly, prefer to speak to you in Portuguese. Overall it's just any other country that has it's ups and downs.
I have to say that you are very welcome to Portugal if you want of course because I think you are making a effort to adapt to environment without losing your essence!
Great video. I believe if you want to move to Portugal, you have to be in the proper mindset. This video does a great job of explaining that. If you're expecting Disneyland, probably it's best you just spend your money going to Disneyland. Chances are, you may be disappointed there too...
I'm Portuguese and I agree with everything you said. But I always felt like an expat in my own country. The lack of professionalism and the small (and big) corruption are driving me crazy. Good luck.
Excellent video just right on! Brazilian here, São Paulo native. I’ve been to Portugal, familiar w Portuguese and living in the U.S forever! Couldn’t be more genuine! Good job!
Hey, I noticed you do not have an intro yet. I am also an American expat living in Portugal and along with my husband we have an animation studio. We are trying to get off the ground and I thought that we would be a perfect fit to deliver you a fun intro/outro =) I really enjoy your video and honesty and wish you continued success!
Oh, I loved your video so honest and not abrasive. I am Portuguese living abroad in the US since I was 18 and I have a younger son who is a professional who has much of the Portuguese personality and wants to move to Portugal and I just forward this video to him because I’ve been trying to tell him it’s not all what it seems to be and you just hit on the nail all the difficulties in a very straightforward and honest way, so thank you so much for your video.
I completely agree with you... I'm Brazilian grew up in São Paulo and I've lived here in Portugal for almost 5 years and the picture you took of Portugal is totally correct.
I was in Portugal for 3 months a from November 2022 through February 2023 and even though that’s a short time (I was just seeing what I could see around Sintra near Lisbon), I agree with your description. Of course, visiting there and living t😊here are two different situations. I found Portugal to be interesting in its own way, but the narrow winding roads were generally not safe for walking, though I walked them anyway. I was used to the graffiti after visiting Italy at another time. And you are so right that speaking Portuguese would be essential if you want to live there. I was lucky that my Airbnb host was a wonderful and friendly woman, who spoke very good English, who took me to many places I never would have gone to alone. And you are so right about the moisture which is everywhere no matter how dry you try to keep the house, even with a dehumidifier running every day. But I did enjoy my time in Portugal with all it’s interesting and beautiful features!
Oh may good, do you have to speak portuguese in Portugal? are we crazy? what do the portuguese think they are to speak portuguese in their own country?
First, you're a very good speaker. I was impressed by how you described your experiences and perspective. I'm not American but lived in your country for years and I think the points and advice you provide apply to most anyone wanting to live in Portugal. Fantastic video!
You’re not only honest with your insight but also gentle and diplomatic - I loved Portuguese food and landscapes but noticed that professional services, infrastructure, basic courtesy and overall standards were pretty lacking overall. While I was there, it was cheap-ish but prices seemed to be creeping upwards to a point where there was minimal bang for your buck.
Dave, thank you for your very video it's very well done. My wife and I moved here about 2 1/2 years ago from California. It has been a challenging transition at times, but well worth it in the long run. I would agree with most of what you said, but maybe a few exceptions, but as a former leadership coach and consultant, I've always said to my clients every strengths has an attached weakness and vice versa. That is definitely true of Portugal and the Portuguese. The switch came for me, and it took a little bit of time. Honestly was to let go of all my American expectations about pretty much everything. At least for me, and I think it's probably true of most Americans. If you hold on Ito those expectations you will be irritated and disappointed at most of the time. I just changed my view of what customer services when I first came to Portugal. My expectation of customer service was efficiency.. Now my expectation of Portuguese customer services relationship. I used to go to the pharmacy and be irritated that the pharmacist was talking to the person in front of me for 45 minutes about nothing to do with medicine. Now I am that guy having a conversation with my pharmacist about Formula One, riding motorcycles, riding my bicycle. What kind of wine he likes, that is the Portuguese way and when she lean into it, it's pretty wonderful. We live in the historic part of Oporto and it's very beautiful and we love it. The only drawback now, is yes, all the tourists. What we have found found that works best, is that we frequent businesses and restaurants run by mom and Pop owners and we just consistently go there for whatever we need and over the months we have become friends and the tone of our relationship has changed considerably. We do not own a car, and have no plans on purchasing one. Honestly, the idea of driving around Oporto and particularly trying to find parking seems pretty insane. And the public transportation, we find to be fantastic. As far as home purchase goes we've had a similar experience. Original plan was to buy a place and renovated and we were retired and the idea of that just increasingly sounded overwhelming and I have a construction background. we do have friends that purchased a 2 story empty warehouse in our converting it. they have found it requires 24/7 constant supervision if things are going to be done correctly and in a timely manner. We have changed our plans and are buying brand-new construction on the Gaia side of the river looking back at Porto with a major builder in Portugal. For us, that process has been much more professional and we have evidence of their expertise and timely construction from other projects that we have looked at. Your bike riding experience is interesting to me because I am a dedicated cyclist. I ride a 30KM ride at least 5 times a week, and that has been challenging.. For me the only way I have found that that works,. I cycle early in the morning, I across the Louis I bridge, go down river to the ocean and near the ocean begins a dedicated two-lane biking trail. Bike trail is very nice, very well maintained. Here is the only challenge with the bike trail. and I still have not figured out why this is. next to the bike trail is a least a 2 m wide walking Trail. Many Portuguese, and I've noticed is almost consistently, no matter how big the group they walk shoulder to shoulder, so that's four across six across eight across. No how many people is in the group did they walk shoulder shoulder all the way across including the bike Trail and when they see me coming they will not get out of the way. this used irritate me. now he just stop get off my bike and stand there and they will be grudgingly walk around me around me. Otherwise I have to go off the trail in the bushes.. All that to say, I think Portugal, particularly Porto is one of those wonderful places to live in the world and particularly it's easy access to the rest of Europe and Portugal. It's not for everyone, but if you adjust your expectations, it is absolutely the best place to live.
If the customer service was great, the buildings were new, transportation was efficient, then it wouldn't be Portugal, it would be the USA. And North Americans wouldn't be moving in.
As a portuguese, I back you on all you said. Many of the things you have pointed out are among the reasons why I have moved abroad. But yes, unfortunately is all true. Portugal lives on the shadow of the "has all to be a great place to live" idea and that is it, them who ever tells that, seats down and waits for someone to start doing something and, the minute someone starts doing something, that person is demotivated to the bones with all sort of procrastinations from which very few manage to be able to emerge from...and nothing gets done. When is not this, is the corruption that exists at all levels of the society. The example you gave of the state agency staff, that I would say is simply and pure malpractice and incompetence due to "I am not doing the job I like and my work environment is so nasty that I have my colleagues stealing my clients from me because I am too lazy to be competent enough to keep my clients details behind safe doors": is far too common anywhere in Portugal. But you have nice people too, people that do their work in the most helpful manner they can and you and any foreigner have the advantage that the portuguese really likes to be a bit more helpful to people that are from abroad: the in your face exception will be if you present yourself as being too full of yourself, better than everyone else, I am so loaded I can buy your company as many times as I want attitude: at this point anything and everything will take you waaaayyyy longer and will be as expensive as the person in that office with whom you dealing with can make it to be and the person will spread the word to as many of the people that you may have to also deal with which will do the same to you, with no remorse whatsoever. So, yeh... welcome to Portugal, a country full of nice people that can became very nasty in one wrong flip of a coin :D I hope you enjoy your stay ;)
I am a German living in France for over 30 years now. I love Portugal and have been in studying Portuguese, also spent 3 month in summer class at the University in Lisbon. Fully agree with all of your points.
The ALFA PENDULAR Is Actually Amazing!!! Also, The Train That Runs Along The Stunning LISBON COAST From Cais Do Sodre, Lisbon To CASCAIS Is a Fabulous Train (My Local Home...As a Nomad In Europe For Last Few Years) But I Agree With You, Generally, About The Other Points You Raise. For Me, They All Make PORTUGAL a Fabulous, FUN, HAPPY PLACE! Their Quality Of Life, Work/Life Balance & Fresh Market Farm To Table Produce All = Very Healthy Lifestyle!!!💙
Dave, I love your videos. As a Portuguese Canadian with plans to move to Loulé in 2024, your videos give me insight on what to expect once there. In the process of buying a property there, I have already experience the slow pace of getting things done, whether it’s the bank, the attorney, the builder, etc… after spending my entire life in Canada, I wasn’t expecting the bureaucracy… I will take your advice and try to slow down and chill… keep the videos coming and maybe one day I’ll buy you a Sagres or a Super Bock!😊
We have found that getting to know a couple of local business folks very important and as we became better acqainted, they were so helpful to even go with us to medical, internet, electric offices and advocate for us. Language barrier is probably the biggest issue. Sometimes these Portuguese friends would find really good reputable service businesses for us. The further you venture away from the cities, the more problematic communication becomes. Tranquillo and smile!
Brutally honest and direct sounds heavenly to me! I am a transplant to the American south, and I still haven't gotten used to how passive-aggressive people here can be, or how little being treated "nicely" can actually mean in terms of whether or not you are actually liked. 🙁
Honest opinions are good. The only real way is to go and see for yourself. Thanks for sharing important things to know. Especially liked the input about Idealists. Keep making and sharing these videos. We'll get to check it out in less than 90 days!!!!
I have been living in Lisbon for 6 months and agree with everything you said in the video! Thanks for the honesty and love the part about the Portuguese being authentic which is a rare commodity in the USA
Hi Dave, I’m German, living in Portugal. I think you got it quite right! Just the being so direct part surprised me 😅, because I had to learn a lot of not being so direct😂… I don’t find people direct at all. Which sometimes anoys me a lot, because I prefer people saying what they think.
The issue with the real state agents is that then win by commission. By talking to a different person, it means that the new woman is going to get the deal, and not the first one you talked to, that is why she got upset. But that is an issue between them, that should not come out to the customer. People often mix personal conflicts and issues with work and that is ugly and obviously nonprofessional.
Good job on a tricky subject. Im from UK, just moved to PT, bought the house, had major work done, ride an e-bike, trying to speak the language etc, etc. We were careful to appoint one, trusted real estate agent and all enquiries went through him. Result. We were also very fortunate to choose an excellent builder, very fluent in English and Portuguese. Result. On the ebike, occasional attacks on the road by loose dogs can be thwarted with hair spray (no mutt wants that up his nostrils). We have now moved permanently to Portugal, embrace the culture, avoid ex-pat merry-go-rounds, accept that things are done very differently here and have competent people hired to deal with the bureaucratic minefield. OK that costs more but hassle factor is so much less. Its a quality of life thing. And Portugal certainly has that. Our only regret: why the hell did we not do this sooner!!
Uber drivers are my best friends to practice my Portuguese.. they really are helpful and I like to help their English too! Love your videos.. I study PT every day when I am not there, and studying in US
You are right about almost everything, or even everything. However, I have some advice for US citizens who want to come and live here: if you want to transform Portugal in your own way, please don't come. If you want to come live our way, as ridiculous and anoying as it is, welcome. Leave your religion, politics and other US idiosyncrasies at the airport and embrace our ways.
Such pathetic advice. Portugal has a lot to gain with other Western cultures. The opportunities for improvement are endless. Embrace change, don't be old.
No thank you, we already have neoliberalism here in Europe thanks to the U.S, if you want to change, change your country which is in desperate need. Thanks in advance.@@CuriousKidzAI
Mas o que é que os marroquinos transformaram em Portugal? Nenhum tem possibilidade financeira para tal. Já os Americanos alteram os mercados todos, o mercado imobiliário por exemplo é um dos mais afetados. Interessante ser-se racista, vai mas é pá 'Mérica 🤡
Sounds a little like island life! Iʻll be visiting next year in the fall and will keep listening to your videos Dave. Such a detailed and respectful view of Portugal- your now home. Thank you!
Things have definitely changed in the US. Americans used to be known for being direct and honest. There are no more niceties or politeness. Now they're just plain rude, loud, self-centered and mean. And I'm American so I know how bad it really is.
i am portuguese lived abroad ( Japan , brazil and Germany) for ages and your video reflects exactly what we have been through on our returning, 😮well done!
This video is invaluable, in my honest opinion. Really helpful for someone researching different countries in the EU to potentially immigrate to. Thank you, Dave. 😊
I think that's why it's so attractive about Portugal, laid back, kind, helpful, relaxed people, respectful. The simple life is wonderful. From BC Canada
Excellent as ever. As an "ex-pat" living in Italy many of your observations ring very true here too! P.S. Your brief clip of "Rome" with the amphitheatre is actually Verona.
Hi, I am portuguese living in Lisbon and I think you made a great job with this video. The only thing I disagree is that stupid women calling 3 days later...she was stupid and incompetent, and also, it's not acceptable to "steel" a client from a colleague, so the guy was also not decent ....anyway, there are a lot of stupid, incompetent people here and you made a great analisys of portuguese society. But we also gave the idea that there are good things here, and thats really true too. I have the feeling that we, and some other europeans maybe, have been mistreating american turists because i often see american podcasters or in some other contexts calling themselves " stupid american turists" and I am sorry for that. It's just rude and I feel achimed. Do not encourage that and rebel...❤
Eu vivo em Portugal desde que nasci, e sou luso-americano. Comparando com os E.U.A. temos na mesma quantidade coisas boas e coisas más, diferentes entre si. E apesar de sermos um país antigo, mas com história. Não destruímos tudo por onde passamos.
Como assim "não destruímos tudo por onde passamos?". O legado colonial de Portugal em suas colônias no Brasil, Moçambique, e Angola é sangrento! Muito conveniente de sua parte esquecer-se do genocídio indígena no Brasil, da escravidão, da prática da "derrama" em suas colônias.
@@raisatainan amigo, queres comparar USA com PT? E eu sei. Vocês brasileiros queixam-se bastante do passado, que foram os portugueses que deixaram o Brasil na merda. Mas não meus caros, vocês estão completamente corrompidos e nem conseguem viver no vosso país, por causa de vocês. Essas retórica de burro sem cérebro já ficou lá atrás.
First of all, you have done a very good job, explaining things in a very concise and clear way. Second, the premise of this video is absolutely brilliant, because you are absolutely correct there are dozens and dozens of videos talking about all the good things about Portugal. Only. I am originally from Europe, and from a very old town, and after living in the United States for a while, I had a chance to go back and travel through Italy, and I found it to be very much what you describing about Portugal. Speaking of more rural areas especially. I guess the bottom line to all of this is, if you come from United States be ready to change some of your opinions and expectations, and let go of many things that you've got used to very much. Keep an open mind that is ready to change and accept. This is not worse than America. It is different. And if you are ready for different - then ONWARD!
I'm a Brazilian living in Portugal and I agree with the video. There are other problems that probably don't affect you, for example, low wages. When you are not an IT professional, salaries are ridiculously low and the possibilities for growth are also low. There is not enough study or experience to enable you to earn enough to live in peace. Being single and having a good life is definitely not an option in Portugal. Here, people either get married and split the bills, or they're always anxious to see if they're going to handle everything.
Almost a whole generation between the ages of 30 & 50 have migrated out of Portugal to other EU countries, specially during the financial crisis. I think this is the real reason why there's such a shortage of skilled workers like electricians, plumbers, construction workers of all sorts. The ones that are still living in Portugal are probably overwhelmed with work. Loved your video and you're 100% spot on! Im Portuguese (living in Germany) and i used to struggle with the same things. I also agree with the lack of entrepreneurship and a creative mentality. To be honest, our educational system wasn't designed to enable creative minds. Even if you're working for a company, thinking out of the box, being creative and pro-active will get you into trouble. Bosses don't want to hear about your incredible ideas to improve things and theyll let you know you're being paid to follow instructions and that's it. This has always been a problem for me in Portugal. Funny enough is that im currently living in Germany and the mentality is exactly the same.
Interesting. I work for German company and they've been nothing but supportive and amazed by ideas on how to improve things, and I've been getting all the freedom to implement it.
Claro! Los alemanes también son cuadrados😂 su cabeza es cuadrada y dura. Los portugueses parecen distintos , yo soy española y los veo como muy aburridos y melancólicos a nuestros hermanos y vecinos portugueses😅😊
Some expats in PT who sent their children to public school say that the teachers always except late assignments as if teaching the young ones to expect that nothing has a timeline and it can be fudged. Also I heard a podcast by American author Richard Zilmer (ugh last name brain fart). Anyway he's been living in Porto since 1990. He commented on teaching classes at University of Porto and being completely shocked when absolutely no student would participate in a discussion on a particular topic...as if there had been no teaching or assignments about critical thinking. I understand educational systems are different...but it coincides with what you said. Many ppl are surprised there is no DIY or 'makers' environment in PT ...which also seems to correspond to what you said.
![[MV] A leap of faith...ความเชื่อใจครั้งสุดท้าย (From "Petrichor the series")](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/U1piZH2CNXA/mqdefault.jpg)
To all the outsiders coming in, please know that as hard as it is for you start a new life here, is it incredibly hard for us portuguese to do the same in our country as the government and some people take advantage of the fact foreigners usually have more money to spend than we do. It is extremely hard for most young people to buy or even rent as the prices have skyrocketed in the past few years and it only seems to get worse the more people get to know and love Portugal. By all means, we love receiving people and welcoming you, we love that you love our country as much as we do, but please be kind to us as some of us feel we are being pushed out and given no choice but to move to another country as we can’t keep up with the prices here ❤
It seems to be the same issue in every country. I think its actually property being brought and owned by large American real estate companies
This happens here in America. We have a huge homeless problem because people run out of money and can't keep a roof over their heads.
The rich push us out just like you are being pushed out. It is happening everywhere and I am not sure what the answer is.
The only thing I can come up with is that there are still these beautiful villages with stone houses in Portugal and Italy that were abandoned by the people who lived there for better economic opportunities in the major cities.
I did read about an abandoned village in Spain where a group people moved there and fixed up the houses and the businesses. They started with the bakery and took it from there.
I don't know if this is even a possibility in Portugal. I don't want to see the Portuguese priced out of their own country.
@@Peace-d6r in NYC (where I'm from and still live - for now) our understanding is that properties here are being bought by overseas investors who either want a safe place to store their money or want a place to escape to if necessary. New housing is built that is called "affordable" because it is in the range of 100-130 percent of the adjusted median income (AMI) is well out of the price range of people whose income is in the 40-80% AMI range. People come here from out of town and share apartments that are not made for the number of people who live here. Finally a new law was enacted that started today that prevents people from renting out their apartments for less than 30 days. People would get an apartment and then AirBnB it for much more than the rent while they lived somewhere else. Unfortunately people are being priced out everywhere, so at least I - a not wealthy NYer - have both compassion and understanding for the Portuguese people.
What country would a Portuguese person move to that might be cheaper to live??
@@thurstonhowelllll948 there are many countries; the question is whether or not a Portuguese person would *want* to move to certain countries where cost is the only criteria.
Interestingly, what Americans have difficulty with is exactly what I like about Portugal. I am from Finland and I have lived in many different European countries and in Portugal I found what I was looking for. The people, which is the most important thing, in Portugal are genuine, honest, helpful, open and at the same time sensitive in a good way, which I think is a nice combination. Many tourists take it for granted that they will be served and they complain when everything is not perfect or goes the way they want. When you show that you care, maybe even want to help and don't take things for granted, in my experience the Portuguese receive you as if you were a family member. In much of the world, selfishness, superiority, materialism, efficiency and superficiality are so present, but in Portugal I found something completely different. The people are just as genuine, caring and friendly even though they are very poor by our standards. Although I walk at night in poor areas, I feel safe, which is something I value greatly. I really hope that those of us who come to Portugal know how to adapt to them and not expect the opposite.
People make the place
Well said! People who are kind and generous and genuine respond to those who act likewise.
So rare your atitude in people moving here...
sendo finlandês como sabes escrever português? só não gostei da frase, que "somos muito pobres"nós não nos consideramos coitadinhos, nem pobrezinhos...não repitas isso, tá?
@@cjnge6828 O finlandês escreveu em inglês, és daltónico ? Se percebes inglês, o que ele escreveu foi que pelos padrões da Finlândia poderemos ser considerados pobres, o que é a pura verdade. Também é verdade que tem metade da população e quase quatro vezes a área de Portugal, o que também explica a maior riqueza per capita, tanta floresta para tão pouca gente ...
I'm Portuguese, live in the US and I feel that you were able to put into words in a very honest and nice way the reality of Portugal. Good job!🥰
Same here. I'm from Pt and live in the US for 23 years now. I'm returning tho, and I'm a bit afraid of the culture shock 😅... but if Dave can handle it, I guess why not me. Dave is ABSOLUTELY right about pt, now imagine how it was back 20 years ago!
I’m curious if you and the other native Portuguese commenter (living now in the U.S.) would mind commenting on the motivation for moving to the States and whether you feel like the U.S. has been able to fulfill those wishes
@@fotiniwaltonmore money, we are not treated as slaves by our bosses. Work culture is really bad in Portugal. We pay heavy taxes in Portugal because we are still paying the for German bank’s incompetence as well as our politicians lack of integrity.
I'm Portuguese and I live in the US too
I have lived and worked in the USA, had the privilege to travel and visit various states. Have reached the conclusion that I rather live in place that is full of problems, not in wonderland. As you we say 'quem não está bem que se mude'.
I'm Portuguese born in Mozambique. Lived in Africa for 53 years.
Now living in Portugal for 12 years. After Johannesburg, SA I'm enjoying the laid back pace and relative peace. I don't need to look over my shoulder constantly to see if I'm been targeted as a potential victim of crime.
In South Africa, I lived under constant threat and high levels of stress & PTSD
Glad to see our Portuguese people are finding their way back home from countries that despise them for contributing to their growth and treating them with dignity
@@nancyamaral5620 Portuguese expat in US. This is a bit one-sided. I lived and worked in Lesotho for two years and spent time in SA over the two years ('76-'78) .. an incredibly beautiful country that reminds me so much of CA. Anyway, this was during the wars of independence of various countries but mainly Angola, Guinea, and Mozambique. I can understand the centuries of bitterness of all European / American interference. Africans may have (many had reason) to hate the colonizers and I assume that some of the bitterness remains. The Portuguese (along with the Belgians) were pretty cruel and it's said/written they were the worse. I wanted to visit Mozambique during this time (a foolish thing to try in retrospect) but couldn't for I had an American passport which, of course, stated I was born in Portugal. So, most of the riches due to 'growth' were sent back to Portugal and as for 'dignity' ... not as I heard there and have read subsequently. I am glad that after Salazar died and a new time for Portugal .. in particular led by the young, progressives .. began to try and help the people they .. we ... used for some many centuries.
I feel like that, hearing the United States 🫣
I'm originally from Denmark and lived in California for many years. I now live in Portugal. I would say one really nice unexpected thing is that I feel so much calmer in Portugal. There is no putting energy into trying to push to make something happen when you're at a business. It's just not going to happen the way it would in the U.S. So, you might as well just go and have a coffee at a nice cafe and chill....
Nevertheless Portuguese natives are all stressed out
Appreciate this!
sure go relax. oh, about that deal? sorry it was taken by a competitor lol.
Open your eyes and have a look at how Portuguese people are living. Your reality is a total fairy tale that could basically happen anywhere in the world, it has nothing to do with "Portugal".
Snakker du fremdeles dansk ? 😉🙋♀️jeg er norsk. Elsker Danmark, vært mange mange ganger. Også vært i Portugal for mange år siden. Så vakkert der, men fattig land den gangen. Jeg bor i Norge. Ville heller bodd 1.Danmark 2. Portugal aldri i USA.
USA har blitt Crazy. More peaceful in both Portugal and Scandinavia😊
Maybe the thing to remember is that Portugal is not the US.
Exactly. Just like here CA San Diego is not like Humboldt County. (Much prefer Humboldt County)
Obviously
Hey Dave, sorry to hear that you got confused between a digital rendering and a real photo. that must've been tough. Bro, you have no idea the entitlement and myopic american view i'm so ashamed to see continued. you think you can't get an innovative, entrepreneurial team together for your business ideas? Are they shitty? Because I've been starting my networking pre-move and I'm thrilled at the aspects. Lisbon hosts one of the biggest tech conferences in the world. and you think they are too slow to catch onto your fire idea? GTFO. The beaches are cold? You live in Micihagn or whatever flyover state with the lake effect, coated in 15' of snow. aight bro. And you feel soooooo unsafe because you got your ass beat in porto being a drunk aggresive asshole with locals- who you clearly denote are 'immigrants'. but you're not an immigrant... you're AN EXPAT!! Is being generally disliked something you've encountered elsewhere? Remember the golden rule to moving abroad, wherever you go, there you are. And Dave, I doubt location will solve this for you. Look inward.
That description of our waters is what makes our fish so good...cold waters so fish has to have a bit more fat in it, and the strong waters make the fish stronger and meatier.... Great video once again!
its just america is located far further south than europe. portugal is on the same latitude as new york
@@zhufortheimpaler4041not really, it's actually related to de oceanic streams, Portugal's cold waters are due to the north african atlantic stream that feeds cold water from the depths of the ocean that flows north from the mauritanian coast up to the north of the iberian peninsula, there it mixes with the warm gulf stream that flows eastwards, thus the water is usually warmer in the gulf of biscay than in Portugal.
Not only do they have to survive the harsher marine environment, now they have to survive getting fished for their delicious flesh by us too
I also would like to add that young people have better opportunities to socialise in Portugal- the beaches are full, the coffee shops are cheap which attract people from all generations and walks of life. People talk to each other, go to restaurants-they actually know a little bit about what good food is, children are fed the same food as the adults. The influence of the fast food chains is not as pervasive.
I live in a beautiful English village but everyone is indoors. Even young people! I know Portugal is in a different social and economical cycle from England but nem muito ao mar nem muito a terra. Wealthy countries have a lot to learn from countries like Portugal. Too much fast food, netflix, computer games, amazon deliveries, spreadsheets to measure inputs and output does not create a happy, creative, healthy society.
You are rigth!!!
Well said!!
Sounds like my neighborhood and kitchen, there is community, morality and swaths of freedom to be had in every US state at this point in time, even in the blue states outside of the densely populated blue cities
Boa sorte Madalena.. Caso queiras, espero que voltes um dia, e que os preços impossíveis que esta moda de Portugal entre os estrangeiros ricos não torne impossível um dia comprar casa cá..
Muito obrigada e tudo de bom para si. Sim, eu pago impostos aqui em Inglaterra e trabalho bastante. Com muito gosto, acrescento. Tenho receio que essa moda continue... espero que nao. Portugal tem uma alma grande e generosa mas tem que haver limites.
Spot on Dave. As a Portuguese American, I couldn't agree more, but anyone can adapt to snails' pace. There are quite a few areas in the US that are equally just as bad if not worse. As with anything, there are tradeoffs. We recently bought a modern villa in Madeira and we need to get some renovation work done there. Being an island, you have to add the snail's pace + limited supply chain + island time + extra patience to get anything done, but, the overall experience has been priceless because it has reminded us that the world does not revolve around our expectations. 😅
I love Madeira. Only thing is... It's too hilly. Will probably settle for the second best... The Ahhhlgarrrve (as Dave pronounces it). 😊
just go to the Madeira Home Depot 😂
Great vlog! Having lived in Portugal for almost 3 years now, I can say with confidence that real estate agents and firms, in general do not work together to share commissions and actually fight each other, to the detriment of buyers. Regarding the snail pace, it is a huge adjustement for most americans, especially those coming from big cities, but it helps tremendously to speak portuguese, even a little bit, because the locals will greatly appreciate the effort. But if they start to speak in english, don't feel bad because most of them just want to practice their english 😂
I don't believe everyone can adjust (or wants to!). For example, I know Madeira would not be for me because I don't want to live on an island (I visited Madeira - it is beautiful - just not for me). Every place isn't for everyone, and that's okay! On the other hand, being from a large city in the northeastern US, I am used to everything not being brand new. In my neighborhood, the people who want to live in new buildings are generally not from my city, but are from other parts of the country where they are used to new everything. Everyone has their preferences; the important thing is to know what suits you so that you don't move and have an awful experience that could have been avoided.
Yup..same in Italy. They don't have 50 thousand contractors for every trade to call for an estimate. Lol. No. You have a few that are overbusy and you wait.
Dave, long time watcher, first time commenter. My family and I just moved to Tavira a week ago. We are from the US, but one of the things we notice is that, since we are from the southern states, South Carolina specifically, and from a region called the LowCountry, but colloquially also known as the “SlowCountry”, the difficulty and slowness of getting things done here in Portugal hasn’t been any different than what we were used to back in the American South. Sometimes actually better here frankly. I guess it is all perspective. We are very happy so far, but that I think is due in large part to great content creators like yourself allowing us to have a true realistic view of what to expect. Keep it up. Will definitely get you a Sagres or Super Bock if we ever meet or you are down here in Tavira.
I currently reside in SC. I am considering a move to Portugal as well. I will do my 1st scouting trip next year.
As a 54 years old native portuguese, i am pleased to say that you have chosen one of the best places in Portugal to live.
Tavira is a wonderful little town, you have miles and miles of the best beaches we have to offer, the weather is good all year.
I can recomend that you go to Cacela Velha, which is about 6 miles from Tavira. It has a lovely view, a beautiful old church (my sister got married there), and you have a nice restaurant right next to it called Casa Velha.
Hope you enjoy our country!
Hi Dave. Every American wanting to live in Portugal should read this book "A Cottage in Portugal" from Richard Hewitt. The book is about the adventures and chalenges of an American in the Portuguese bureaucratic system renovating a house. Im Portuguese and highly recomend it. Loved the book.
I'm portuguese from Lisbon and... yeah, they should read it, i also have the book, both of them!
@user-fk2yk8gg8jno.
OMG! I read that book way back in the late 90s after my first visit to Portugal! It made me want to move here right away. It took me until 2022 to get here, but I have that book on my bookshelf! And now I’m putting together stories of my own that resemble the experiences that couple had with the quirks of Portugal which I love with all my heart!
Lol that sounds depressing
I'm a Korean living in the U.S. and feel so much that American bureaucracy is so bad... Portugal's cheap & great food are attractive but I guess gotta try it a bit before fully committing
I'm Spanish and I can say that once you visit Portugal you begin to fall in love with it. In no time you are infatuated with all the beauty that they have. It's one of the best countrys in the world despite all the cons. Love you P.❤
¡Gracias MV! ¡Portugal también ama a España!
Gracias querido. Besos. 💖
Also a Spanish girl here, and I totally agree! I love Portugal and I wish I could live there ❤
Dave, thanks for the video. I’m Portuguese myself and lived in the US for 15 years until I decided to move back home. All of these points are spot on but I think the most stressful points would be professionalism and the lack of ambition by many companies. I guess it’s a European thing where relationships are more important than company goals as a whole. In life we can’t everything but I think Portugal as a whole, vale a pena ;) BTW congrats on the accent!
"I guess it’s a European thing where relationships are more important than company goals as a whole". More accurate would be to say it's a southerners' thing all around the world. I live in central Europe and businesses are closer to US than to Portugal.
@@Myko_Life So, are you also an expat ?
@@Maria-js9ou Nope. But I see this trend that the more south you go, the more laid back people are.
@@Myko_Life I agree with that, the further south the more laid back people are. My question is due to the fact that you have a name from Eastern Europe, and since you say that you live in central Europe, I thought you were an expat
@@Myko_Lifewhy do you think that happens?
I enjoyed your video- thank you.
I am Portuguese , living in England since I was 25. I am now 43. My husband is English so I think I have a good grasp of both countries. Compared with England, service in Portugal is excellent. Honestly... we go back many times to Portugal and I do feel that the service we get there is very good. People are generous and they actually want to help.
I also would like to point out that Portuguese people work hard, the pace may be slower but unlike traditionally wealthier countries people actually need to work, in often what I would call very physical jobs, in order to provide for their families.
We always drive to Portugal from England - that allows us to explore the country and stay in different areas. Portuguese driving is fine! Yes, you always find the odd selfish/emotional driver but in general driving is good. Driving styles in England can be very passive aggressive. In Portugal, way less so.
Portugal is doing really well when it comes to Electric car charging. The infrastructure is way better than in Spain. All service stations in motorways have EV chargers. Small towns have EV chargers! We did not have one single problem driving our electric car in Portugal. The move away from oil is very obvious in Portugal. You go Portugal!!
restaurants
With all it's faults, I am very proud to be Portuguese. I hope the grit and resilience I see in Portugal is not lost.
It is a beautiful thing.
Very sad that EVs are catching on in Portugal, they are not green
Agree it’s 100% better than the UK. I moved to the UK via Argentina and the US and spent a lot of time in both Spain and Portugal. Slow is better for me anyway. The UK is mostly just rude.
Portugal has a better infrastructure for EVs because they make sense in Portugal, you can travel from Lisbon to Oporto in one EV charge and from Lisbon you can reach most of the country without the hassle of having to deviate and wait for an hour to charge your car. In Spain that's not possible, distances are bigger and major cities are not reachable between them in one charge, making EVs impractical for travelling in Spain.
I'm an expat and live in the UK. Eventually I would like to move to another country with a cheaper cost of living. What interesting countries do you think exist besides Portugal?
We retired to Portugal 16 months ago and couldn’t be happier. Nice people, good food and good weather really help overcome the challenges you’ve accurately described. The language and slow response to service calls are the worst, but we have no plans to return to the US anytime soon
Yes, Portugal can be good under certain conditions. I did my college study abroad in Portugal in 1990-91. Bureaucracy, slowness, etc was a problem then too but the internet nor email existed then. Half of the ppl didn't have telephones in their houses because it was too expensive to get installed, and that wasn't even counting monthly service fee, local or long distance minutes. Dealing with bureaucracy of the university, getting a transportation monthly pass (with photo)...barcodes didn't exist then either, renting a room month to month was hard enough with a paperback dictionary. If ppl don't have to deal with service providers (plumbers, etc), cars/driving, and you are a retired person who might be having issues illing the time..then Portugal could be a good fit.
But in US, after businesses decided that every encounter could be an 'experience'....ie) customer service on steroids.. As well as for every one business in a city there are usually a couple of competitors who are willing to do anything to get your business. Not having ppl show up or on time is rare unless they are dumb enough to try to use the freeway during rush hour, or they have problems. (In this situation, I was actually charged for the time they sat in traffic...which I thought completely unfair since there are frontage roads to avoid the freeway...but the company wouldn't budge on the charge.) The can-do, as soon as possible spirit of US...will make it difficult for anyone used to the conveniences of 'instantaneous' response ...to go somewhere where they feel like they've gone back in time.
How is the language learning going? Taken a class yet? I had had 3 yrs of college Portuguese before I went. I was completely literate...could speak full sentences, could write essays, could speak with a European accent and knew European grammar...but though I could understand my college instructors and other students, it took me 6 months to understand anything that was spoken to or around me. WTH...wasn't expecting that. Turned out that half my classmates were in the same boat but many of them left after 5 months.. (Guess I had the opposite of an immigrant's child...they typically know how to speak/understand but can't read or write correctly (unless their parents spoke exactly grammatically correct..most parents don't and so when one goes to school, you have to unlearn your spoken grammar. Sigh!)
I forgot to say that I enjoyed my year abroad and could understand everything by the time I left. I loved having affordable available transportation to get to most tourist places of the country...except Tras-os-Montes (Bragança area) and Castelo Branco. Made many friendships and had good experiences.
@@maryr7593European grammar? What's that?
@@thomasbarchen European Portuguese is a bit different than Brazilian Portuguese. Portuguese people are more familiar with Brazilian Portuguese because they have soap opera like tv shows. Brazilians might be less informed about the grammar of European Portuguese. I don't know how many tv shows were produced in Portugal and exported to Brazil. Just like British English vs American English..there are differences in words, spellings, and ways of saying things. Many foreigners arrive in US having learned British English and are surprised that Americans don't know these English words. (Well that was experience in 1999-2003....so before internet became mainstream, before we could view tv shows from other countries, before youtube, etc. Example: a student neighbor originally from Switzerland in a college town asked to borrow a spammer. I was at a loss. His dictionary german to English was of no help to me. I asked what you use it for, what does it look like...drawing pictures, hand gestures and it was a wrench. Grr...either wrench or screw driver....cant recall off hand.)
You are in the honeymoon phase.
If you are a foreigner and come to portugal, PLEASE do not only stay in Lisbon or Porto, there are beautiful things awaiting in the rest of the country
For example?
@@ges4206 Gerês, Aveiro, Coimbra, Nazaré, São Martinho do Porto....
Trying telling that to the Americans. They think Portugal is only Lisbon, Porto and the Algarve!
@@perolagrande That also happens when people visit the US, they only go to Vegas, NYC, LA. Very few people visit small towns in the Mid-West.
Are there areas where there is land enough for a garden? I'd like to grow my own vegetables. Thank you
I have lived in several countries (and travelled to many, many more. I am not a spring chicken 😂). The hardest part about living abroad is aligning our expectations with reality. The first three months are adventurous, the next three confusing, the following year arduous and then you start to get an idea of where you are. Most people (would be ex pats) I have encountered have returned within three years. Business ex pats often return because their spouse cannot handle the situation, often isolated due to lack of language fluency. The hardest part can be trying to navigate bureaucracy. Moreover, the locals have their own lives and most don’t need people running in and out of them. Real friendships are hard work that bear slow ripening fruit. I have become fluent in several languages, but I always look for ex pats. They make life a bit easier, answering questions and listening to you gripe until they tell you off about not making enough effort! I had thought about trying Portugal, too, but at my age, I think I will stick to vacations (I live in Continental Europe). At any rate, I would do it again and recommend that people try it. Just do your research and homework, so you (think you) know what you are getting into. It will all happen differently, of course, but that is your story to tell.
That’s what I’m worried about. We are planning on retiring in Hungary in a few years. I’m was born and raised in Hungary, my husband is US born. He is also set in his ways while I can live on a top of an ice float if need be. We will see I guess
Hi Dave, I´ve moved here from SoCal over 10 years ago. I agree with you that Iberian Portuguese sounds like Russian! That´s exactly what I thought when I first came here. I was a fluent Spanish speaker when I arrived here.I had quite the learning curve training my ear and that´s with the experience of learning four other languages. In terms of cycling in Portugal: I will not because the majority of the drivers are disrespectful from my experience (high speed, tailgating, overtaking other cars around blind corners and endandering others). From my experience, most of this "style" of driving is happening in the large cities like Lisbon and Porto but also on the main motorways. The countryside is more relaxed but there are still a few psycho drivers who seem to think they are the only one on the rode. As an American moving to Portugal, customers service levels in Portugal are a complete shock. It´s improving but you´re right, there will be people that will tell you off and be completely rude. "Customer service" for some doesn´t exist in their awareness or vocabulary. Having said all that I still struggle with the sh** customer service experiences and the journey of finding quality service professionals. It´s also a slow pace, but I can fix that by traveling elsewhere. In terms of mindset and the optimism level. I would agree there is lots of pessimism and the "that´s impossible" but if you look hard enough you will find Portuguese that have an appreciation for change, innovation and quality just like many Americans. Every place has its pros and cons. I want to end all of this by emphasizing the things I love about living in Portugal.
For the taxes I pay, I actually get something for it. Decent public health care. It's not perfect but it saved my life from a life threatening illness. The quality of food and wine is high. You can eat organic (bio) and not break the bank. Geographically, at least where I live...there is a lot to enjoy. It feels like an uncrowded California with access to surfing, mountain biking, hiking, kitesurfing, wine tasting and more! The amount of sunshine is excellent. The cost of living although rising like the rest of the world is relatively affordable outside of the major cities like Lisbon and Porto (Where the rents and inflation have skyrocketed).
Give me a ping when you´re in Sintra!
Portuguese sounds like Russian? Really? To none English speakers Americans sounds more monotone.
@@JeOrtiz1Yes, as a well-travelled Cuban born US citizen, Iberian Portuguese was as foreign to my ear as Russian and the signage/spelling indecipherable as well.
Of course if staying longer than a couple of weeks I would focus on immersing myself…
@@eugeniebreida1583portuguese sounds nothing like russian, wtaf
@@fuchurZeroYes it does. You have the internet at your disposal. Multiple videos explaining why portugese sounds like russian exist. Go look them up instead of leaving ignorant comments.
@@RK-cj4oc no, I have been to Portugal this autumn and it doesnt sound at all like russian
My husband and I retired to Portugal from the US in April of this year. We love the slower pace. We currently rent in Lisbon because of the central location. We have been able to travel to the north and south to try to figure out where we will end up. We love the food, the Portuguese people and lifestyle here.
Maybe the city Guimarães or Braga in the north of Portugal.
@@ricardogomes4523 we recently rented a small apartment in Lagos for a year starting in January 2024. I doubt we will be able to buy down south because of the cost.
@@carp6448 How much are rents (approx. range) for 1 bedroom apartments?
Lisbon, my hometown, is considered so fast paced compared to the rest of the country hahaha
I can vouch for Porto and Aveiro
I only have limited experience thus far, but from what I’ve seen, you’re pretty much spot on. But the bottom line, even with all those ‘minuses’, Portugal has a whole bunch of ‘pluses’ that far outweigh them. I know I’m not going to be shot at, the people are warm and genuine, there are no pharmaceutical ads all over TV, and pretty much nobody cares what your politics are or if you’re gay, straight, or otherwise. That stuff is the reason I’m heading to Portugal. I feel like I can breathe there.
I heard that Portugal is very conservative
@@bendover-bz4bc yes, Portugal is conservative, it is a catholic country and deep roots, but dont confuse it with something like Russia. Gay people are not harassed but are expected to keep their life private as everybody else. Yet there are public gay places, bars in the main cities and gay beaches in some beach towns. Also same for politics, even if people deslike politicians,there is not that divide, that you see in online discussions, which has no ground in real life, may be almost wholly fueled and maintained by political parties and bots.
@@pedropedro8153 As a portuguese living in Porto, i agree and i'd ad that it's getting better. Generally people are getting more open minded and acceptance is becoming the norm. Slowly, but we'll get there!
Unless Chega becomes a major political force...
@@CarlosCruz_cc lá se vai a ideia de que: 'and pretty much nobody cares what your politics are'! They don't understand & can't read in portuguese! kkkkk
Thank you for your honesty. So many TH-camrs feel like they have to sell the country they are living in. So they make ridiculously skewed videos. That only show you the fantasy version of the country. Then you get there and the reality leaves you unpleasantly surprised and let down. Finally an honest TH-camr!! I will subscribe just for your honesty. Also you didn't do it in a way to denigrate Portugal. You were kind but honest. I appreciate that.
Bla, bla, bla everyone has to do something for a living!
@isabelinhagomes9076 what a strange response. Whatever, have a pleasant day.
@@timetosee9251 I'm Portuguese and, as such, quite sincere and frontal. That was not a strange response, it was a sh*ty one. We also have stupid people in Portugal. We just don't give a rat's as* about them. ;)
@@timetosee9251 commenter below your original comment meant that Dave does earn an income from his videos. You mentioned he was honest and didnt do it to degrade PT. In fact, Dave probably did it for the thousands of Americans who are moving (or interested in moving) to PT. Give them the "real experience"...as there are many Americans who moved during covid and are moving back because of some of the reasons he listed.
I agree with you people are able to be highly critical of the US because we publicize what goes on here, while other countries keep quiet or downplay issues in their own country. The truth is there unpleasant people all over the world, it personally bothers me foreigners that have lived in the US and greatly benefited trash it to other countries.
I moved to Portugal during the pandemic. It’s beautiful, people are kind, and food is pretty good. However, it didn’t feel like home no matter how hard I tried. I crossed over into Spain and it’s now my forever home. It clicked really quickly.
What part in Spain?
Interesting.... what is it that's different in Spain?
I was looking into Fatima but now you peaked my interest in Spain. What part of Spain??
Me encanta España.
I moved from Spain to Portugal and love it here.
Hey Dave. Congratulations for your video. Your Portuguese accent is fantastic :). I am Portuguese, originally from Porto but living in Switzerland for the past decade. There are a couple of things you've mentioned in your video that i may have additional input:
1 - the American Entrepreneur vs Conservative Portuguese approach: see it like this - Portuguese see themselves in endless loops of recession since the late 90s. With job instability, its not uncommon to have an approach of "better 1 bird in your hand than 2 birds flying". I must say I once met an American, while traveling in Jordan. He was thinking about coming to Portugal and start a sports performance increase coach business. i frankly told him he would have a hard time doing so - therefore i also called him a dreamer :) - my reasoning was... Portuguese either are broke and will not be able to afford your businesses or they are already professional athletes and have a team of coaches from their club. maybe i was also old fashion?? :D
2 - the real estate person you've mentioned - basically by discussing the issue with her colleague, in her eyes, you handed over her commission to someone else, even if it was not your fault. the issue with real estate agents is that they have low salaries and the majority of their income comes from business they settle themselves, not within a team -nevertheless - highly unpolite and not Portuguese standard welcoming grade, in my opinion. i would have reported her to be honest.
3 -Lack of Professionalism - YES!!! It Drives me nuts. mostly the lack of reliability. And you are spot on, some business are family owned and then you have whoever from the family that needed a job on customer service without a clue of what they are doing, really stressful for locals as well.
4 - Slow Pace - yes, specially in the south. However - the world didn't end, right?? :) Workweek is 40 hr or less in the public sector. Make your hours and enjoy life as much as you can.
One last comment - i did have an issue with Americans smiling all the time while talking - it was something i had to get used to as normal but for us - we laugh when something is funny, otherwise its just a "resting bitch" face for the remaining part of the day. However, we are not displeased in general, its just different..
Anyways, enjoy your stay and if you need tips for Porto, I am at your service :)
American here. I am not smiley and my kid often asks if I am ok. It’s just my face, I say. This is what I look like.
It's funny, I've been to the US and the one thing I noticed first is that whenever you go into a store or restaurant, whatever, is the employees smiling and greeting you. That doesn't happen here (in general), but that doesn't annoy me at all (cause I'm not smiley either, I'm an introvert and don't engage easily with people).
3 -Lack of Professionalism - talk for yourself ok?
Porto, Porto, Porto, Porrrrrrrtooo! Go Dragoes!!! I have a flat in Gaia, that I'll retire to in a few years.
I am Portuguese who lived 20 years in the UK having returned to Portugal in the early nineties. I totally agree with all that you have said in this video. Most of my Portuguese friends who have lived abroad have expressed similar frustrations. The real frustration, however, is that things don’t seem to have changed much over the past 30 years.
Do you think we'll see change in the next 30 years with the old timer, old way of thinking "getting out of the way", making way for the new generation + native Portuguese who moved abroad and have returned (bringing their open mindedness and experiences and wisdom back with them) + the ambitious immigrants to make an impact?
I think having lived in Europe 13 years Portugal for three that some of the Portuguese issues are structural. Denmark Germany and Switzerland prior residences all have their issues with bureaucracy but Portugal takes it to a kafkaesqe level. Petty corruption keeps people employed at SEF, DMV etc that would have not made it past their first 90 days performance review at.any multinational. Private services can get away with poor services because there is no possibility of quick redress by the legal system. A contractor makes a 8500 USD mistake for a 45.00 filing fee you can without an attorney file in small claims court and plead your case. Our newer condominiums outdoor paint peeled all of in one year because of no sealant, no fungicide, with very thin coverage of the paint. We approved a special assessment because we knew regress if possible would likely only be seen by our heirs and would cost more in legal fees.Portugal lacks significant investment capital. Would you want to invest millions where legal regress is so difficult!
I would end by saying there is a cultural passivity that translates to a lack of political engagement. You could call this an inability to talk truth to power, or if you think it's problematic now it used to be worse point of view. You still see people over 65 walking with their head down like one used to see in the former DDR in Germany.
There is also a soft hands calloused hands dynamic that plays out in the Lussophere. Advanced education is quite good, but for those not wanting that it is six years of primary and they can leave Schoo. There is not the German speaking emphasis on vocational education, one of the reason the showers drained the wrong way. That 2 percent gradient has been known since Roman times.
I was hoping with all the new immigrants would help the vote to help changes for the better. The political party that would to change things should address the immigrant communities by producing some of their political material in English because unfortunately the immigrants won't know enough Portuguese to understand political speech. Google translate works well for written stuff but not quite for verbal debates. (I'm just saying if they were savvy..they would produce materials to get the immigrants involved in the vote. Not trying to say that all material should always be produced in multiple languages.
Things not changing much may, in a way, be an asset. What is called development in rich countries is not necessarily for the better. There is a lot to say in favor of a slower more balanced pace of life rather than chasing stock markets or working all hours for buying a bigger car.
@@maryr7593 DO you know something???... Immigrants don't vote. Only portuguese citizens have the right to vote in the national elections. And portuguese is the official language, it will always be. If you want translations you'll have to do it yourself or pay someone who does.
And another thing: I'm portuguese and I've lived in UK and France. They didn't translate anything to portuguese either while I lived there. It was up to me to understand their language.
Canadian happily living in Portugal..my first scouting trip the agent was late.. did not notify me and I had to physically find him... then he took me to none of the houses I had planned to see ... one house was destroyed by mould which this agent treid to say the black was because the owner did not know how to use the fireplace... absolute waste of time.. next I booked an airbnb the host was a real estate agent he was wonderful... a fabulous experience.. Dario Jesus Remax Sao Martinho.. I live in Nazare.. I love the brutal honesty of the people.. I love the elders of Nazare.. I fall asleep listening to the waves wake to a iew of the ocean...
I'm Portuguese and my girlfriend is Thai. One of the things she really made me aware of, during her visits here, is the indecent state of most public (and even private - as in cafes and restaurants) bathrooms! I am genuinely ashamed of this and I'm surprised at how unaware I was of this problem, considering I am a well-traveled person and I've experienced both extremes, in this respect. I've been in public bathrooms that make you feel like you could live there, ( in Las Vegas, Dubai, and Bangkok). Also, I've been in top-notch places like the "Café de Paris" downtown in Tunis, the capital of Tunisia, and when I had to use the bathroom downstairs it felt like I was descending into some scatological nightmare, including the presence of a "Quasimodo" character who hosed down the "stalls" before you could use them. It's not THAT bad in Portugal, but public bathrooms are definitely something we need to improve immensely if we want to accommodate tourists and expats from other cultures.
It is so interesting that you bring up this topic - an unusual topic for sure. When I was in Portugal in the 1988 I found myself really needing a toilet while visiting Nazare for the day. The only public toilet I found was so unacceptable that even in my desperate need I could not bring myself to use it. I ended up suffering greatly while waiting for the bus to take me back to the town I was staying in, and the room I was renting. And now you seem to indicate that not much has changed all these years later.
This is one of the best videos I've seen describing Portugal and delivering info to US citizens that may not understand/know. I live in a small town in MI and was happy that you talked about water temps. That gives us a good comparison of being in the water there. One particular aspect you covered regarding trying to hire someone to get work done really hit home. In the small, coastal MI town where we live we have had the same experience. In one example we needed a retaining wall and 3 different builders came out, accessed the situation, measured and said they would get back to us. Not one did. We tried reaching out but crickets. So maybe that is becoming a more universal problem? In the end we built the wall ourselves. It looks great.
Hi Dave, I'm a regular visitor to Portugal (from Ireland) and I have a little bit of the lingo. I think your assessment is spot on. I would add however that I find the Portuguese to be very friendly, and, I adore old Portuguese buildings and love narrow back alleys, steep cobbled streets and lots of steps. Then again, I'm just a traveller here and not a resident.
as a portuguese i agree with most of what you said, and gave some good laughs. generally speaking i got used to it and find ways to avoid what bothers me the most.
nevertheless, i would like to add some context:
1st - we were not attacked during the ww2 as most other europeans countries, so we did not have to rebuild nothing, thus no upgrading in the urban structures/planning, so we have lack of bike and walking paths and super narrow streets just proper for the XIX century. 🤣
2nd - we have a serious lack of people working in several areas (for example, everything related to break back man labour, be it for home reno or other similar areas) thus to avoid getting white hair earlier, we usually call people that were advised us from other friends/relatives BUT even like that, in no way we can avoid to deal with tremendous delays - those workers/companies have always someone that knocks on their door that is incredible needy, know them better than us, offer them a better payment, etc, so indeed, we need to add always a huge margin to the deadlines when managing properly our expectations, lol
3rd - in most touristic services, retail, and in the construction field, atm we dont have a lot of portuguese people working in the country, but instead people from our ex-colonies that are arriving massively since last 2 years - good portuguese professionals from those areas (specially from the construction sector that has a shortage of man labour all over the europe) prefer to work on northern countries where are way better paid.
finally, i would like to apologize for that rude real estate agent. we are not like that at all. we are nice and polite - born and raised in portugal people. if something like that had happened to me, i would fill a complain about her to the company she was representing. is is totally inexcusable.
All the Portuguese people I met while hiking around were very kind to me. It was my favorite country to visit, looking back.
Just curious, filing a complaint...does that mean writing in the complaint book that is located at the business? Can you write in English as I doubt Dave's Portuguese is good enough to write a complaint.
@@maryr7593 Yes, all businesses are required by law to have a complaints' book, that has a seal by the local council and cannot be tampered with. Yes, you can write your compaint in English.
For better effect, after writing in the "Livro de Reclamaçoes" also write a letter to the business headquarters and copy to the local Camara to make sure the issue will be dealt with.
In case of estate agents, there is a trade that regulates them, but I can't remember the name.
@@donnacosta5633 I was curious if filing a complaint against business (whatever business) meant the same as the Livro de Reclamações. US has something called Better Business Bureau in each state...where you can register your complaint, but it just records a complaint so others can see. If you want state investigation, there's a separate place "consumer protection agency". Also one that files complaints about professionals with a license (MD, RN, or skilled trades (plumbing, electricity, etc), lawyer, etc). I wasn't sure if when someone says you should file a complaint, if they mean there is a separate govt agency that takes these complaints and investigates the issue. Some of the agencies, I listed are just a place to record such complaints so others know ...beware, this is what they tried to charge me, etc. Thanks, I understood what you said about filing with regulating govt org.
@@maryr7593it always worked for us. They do address your issue...🥊
I'm from the Netherlands. I have been visiting Portugal frequently since 2015 for longer periods of time, because I do like the country, the people and the culture. Especially the quality of life, compared to my own country. I can relate to the informative content of your video. Nicely done. Thanks!
I've always had my best experiences far and away from the tourist route. As an artist, I've had no problems meeting locals and getting access to locals only venues and opportunities. I'm ashamed when ever I see American tourists expecting to be served at every moment. Respect the people and the cities you visit and accept it for what it is. tourists are scammed for a reason.
Im Portuguese the service is terrible.
@@sportinguista09
Em quê ?...
"tourists are scammed for a reason" is a great honest and true quote.
Do you think that all tourists are disrespectful by default?
@@irenleorr5539 Absolutely not! 99% or more of people are amazing, lovely, actually interested in getting to know the culture, and nice to locals and workers. However, the world is a big place, and sometimes there will be "special" people, who think that they are the center of the world, are extremely rude, and unfair in the way that they treat locals and workers (that's not just tourists by the way, there are obviously local people who are like that as well). I live in Sintra, we get thousands of tourists every day, so I do come across some of those people from time to time. I can give you a very specific example, that happened a few weeks ago.
I was going up to the Pena Palace, it's one of the most visited monuments in the whole of Portugal, and to access it, there is only one old and winding road. Traffic was stuck, and not moving. I get out of the car, and walk up the road to find out what is happening. What I found was that there was an angry tourist, who stopped his car in a place where you can't park, on a dangerous corner, and therefore a jam packed tourist bus could not get through. The bus had to stop, and had no room to manoeuvre, and the traffic jam behind it was growing by the second. The angry tourist refused to move his car out of the way, and we are talking about less than 10 feet out of the way literally. He was of course expecting the bus to move out of the way, even when the bus had dozens of people in it, most of them standing because there were not enough seats, while his excellence was by himself in the drivers seat. When I tried to calmly talk to him, he started shouting at me, saying that the bus had to move out of the way, and that he would refuse to move. I kept trying to put some sense in his small head, always politely, and calmly. There was no aggressiveness from my end, but plenty from his. After 5-10 minutes someone else arrived, matching his level of aggressiveness and rudeness. It was not nice at all, tempers flared. He finally moved his car out of the way.
To conclude, most people are amazing, I work as a tour guide, and absolutely love what I do, and have never and never will scam people. However, like I said on my first comment, "tourist are scammed for a reason" is a honest, true, and I may add unfortunate quote. Just like you find horrible tourists, you also find horrible "tour guides" (I do not consider them tour guides, some don't even speak Portuguese and make up lies and fake history). Just like the example I gave, I'm sure people can give examples of bad experiences they have had with tourism workers. Those are obviously exceptions, most tourists are cool and most tourism professionals are cool. That is the rule, for which there are, there have been, and there will be many exceptions.
As a portuguese myself, you put very well the downsides of the country. Specially the entrepreneurship and the lack of professionalism things. They're basically what made me move.
Glad you have moved. Stay where you are.
@@isabelinhagomes9076 ok, por alguma razão em específico?
@@isabelinhagomes9076 Comentário infeliz.
@@joaocosta3374 Posso saber a razão para uma opinião tão forte sobre mim?
@@Gabriel-pk8lw This seems to happen alot. Portuguese ppl who may not have left PT seem to take the criticisms personally. It's when you have lived elsewhere can you appreciate/criticize your home country. But regardless there is always someone who takes it too personally (as if you were criticizing them). They may have targeted you because they didn't read all other comments and yours appeared visible to them. Also viewing other vis and b grp comments, PT living in Lisbon and Porto feel like they are being pushed out of their cities by the foreigners coming in able to pay higher prices. I've seen some negative comments from Portuguese saying dont come, we don't want you, etc...and these comments were on real estate vids.
Dave, I am a U.S. citizen of Açorean descent currently living in Açores and I agree with your list and could certainly add to it 😅 But obviously, there are issues anywhere you live. People who move from their home country to another to escape certain problems will only encounter new, fun, challenges. I am really happy to see you mention entrepreneurship. That was one of the saddest realities I have seen of living here-the lack of hope, optimism, and hustle…particularly from the younger generation. Now I know why, but it is still quite sad to see and definitely something I would generalize as an American trait.
I’m Portuguese, and your description of Portugal is spot on. 👏🏻
Regarding the cold sea, it’s a bit like S. Francisco. The deep cold water of the Atlantic comes up to the surface in the coast facing west, so it’s always pretty cold. And there are often powerful waves. Once you get used to that water temperature, diving into the waves gives you a great boost of energy.
Regarding customer service: probably the worst in the world…
However, there are some ways to improve your experience, here is my tip. It only works when you become a regular customer (that is, go there at least 2 times 😉). Engage with the personnel, ask their name and they’ll your name. Tell a bit about you and ask them simple things like how long they work there, make a compliment to something you genuinely like (like that gorgeous pastry 😋). Chat a bit and don’t be afraid to ask personal questions like “have you family?” and so on. People are generally open and will not take this like an intrusion, quite the contrary. You are showing that you are interested in them, and that is seen positively. Pay attention to also give some information about yourself to them.
Next time you come there greet them person when you arrive (bom dia Sr. António, está bom?). Sit down and see how your service experience will change. You’ll become almost part of the family, people will be so much more friendly , the service will be much faster.
Try it out. Don’t be afraid if you are still not proficient in Portuguese, in general people will make the effort to try to understand you.
I'm from Ireland and I love swimming in Portugal! 😊
@@MrCasulu The customer service in Norway is terrible as well, and no one can handle a Constructive criticism either. It is very annoying!
@@MrCasuluworst customer service in the world? You haven't travelled young enough
It's funny I'm from Latvia and I was in Lagos and it was +30 outside and I went into the ocean and i was like - ok, the water is maybe a bit colder than I would expect but not that different from the Baltic most of the summer season. But I looked around and I saw all the people just sunbathing and almost nobody in the ocean... Depends on the perspective I think, in our latitude we do not get really warm water in the sea for a long time, so we take what we get.
Good job, Dave. I'm brazilian and I am moving to Portugal next month so I've been watching a lot of videos about Portugal over the last months. I'm sure I will also suffer some sort of "cultural shock," but not as much as an American.
Although language differences may be a minor problem, getting used to the local habits may take a while. But it would be the same if I moved from a big metro area to a small countryside town in Brazil or for an American also doing the same within the US.
I think anyone moving to another town or country must understand that they are the "intruders" and must respect local culture and habits and try to fit in.
I have heard that Brazilians suffer discrimination in PT...fyi. The Portuguese can understand the Brazilian accent because of Brazilian telenovelas....but depending upon where you go and your experience with European accent. I am American, learned Portuguese 30+ yrs ago in US and in Lisbon...so when I went back to states, many of my classmates went to Brazil, teacher had to translate a lot. Also I have interacted with Brazilians in the states, they are very surprised with my accent and some said it was like their grandmother speaking. Most of the time I get the very confused look when I would speak to them...not sure if that is because of the shock of someone speaking Portuguese in Wisconsin or if it was my American European accent....perhaps both.
@@maryr7593 I've heard that Brazilians suffer discrimination in US... fyi.
@@Quidproquo1143 that's awful.
@@Quidproquo1143 I think all migrants may suffer discrimination. Discrimination and prejudice are consequence of some local people that got annoyed by some things some migrants might have done and instead of judgng that individual behaviour they tend to generalize it for the whole country or region the migrant came from. And all migrants are subject to misbehave (in the eyes of locals) because they come from a different culture, with different habits and usually don't speak or understand the local language. That's a door wide open to misundertandings. If one brazilian does something absolutely normal in Brazil but off limits in the US (like walking around holding a bottle of beer), it's likely that the local community will see all brazilians as rule brakers.
@@maryr7593se ele anda pelo TH-cam, certamente já viu milhares de vídeos de brasileiros falando horrores de Portugal e dos portugueses. Na ignorância não virá.
I visited Portugal in April. I didn't know much about it and decided to go 8 days before I went. I LOVED it, especially Lisbon. I went to Porto but I liked Lisbon more. I can't wait to go again!
We have a property under contract in Portugal and will retire and move full time next year. The biggest adjustment is how long it takes to get things done. Everything moves at its own pace and there is no way to speed things up so best to learn to sit back and go with the flow. It's August and everyone is on vacation in Portugal so not much is getting accomplished. Working on learning the language (with Anita) to help insure a good transition but it sure is a stinker to get the hang of! We like old things from buildings to furniture so the old look of things is a good fit. Excited to shop for vintage and antiques when we get there. New furniture and interiors are all ultra modern and not a good fit for us. We are trying to be realistic about the adjustments to be made and what to expect. Looking forward to coming back to beautiful Portugal in 6 weeks or so for our closing!
If you like antiques, there are some incredible places to pick up real gems. Enjoy!
If you have any favorites you'd like to share I sure would appreciate it!
I went to an antique store. Beautifully set up in the showroom. Incredibly overpriced. I found a small half table to put against a wall... this store priced it at 150 euros. Too rich for me. I kept looking around and asked for some wood carving chisels. They wanted 400 euros for 12 chisels bc 'these have wooden handles'. Too expensive for me. I went to Porto to another antique store, and I found the exact same half table for 17 euros! I had taken pictures and proved this to several friends. I stand out as a foreigner and I believe prices were inflated. I had a mover quote me 'American and Brazilian prices'... I told him I wanted portuguese prices. I used another mover who charged me 1/2 of what the other guy wanted. 😐😑
As an American who's family is from Portugal, travelled to Portugal many times as a kid and plan on living there someday, I emphatically beg my fellow Americans to strike Portugal off your "trendy" list. What you describe as "old fashioned" is the culture that I grew up around, it's what I love. Don't make another culture part of your hipster trend and then move there and drive up prices, go somewhere that you already have roots.
Thanks for another great video. The thing that scares me most about living in Portugal is dampness and mold. I have experienced this when living in Japan and it was a nightmare.
We live with that every single day in Puerto Rico. It's a very moist, humid and tropical island. Even when you pick up a sheet of typing paper, it's limpy.
Would dehumidifiers do any good?
It's not everywhere or in every house!
@@bartstewart8644 Clear! And it is absolutely recommended if you do not want to invest in insulation.
@@bartstewart8644 Yes, but your utility bill reflects that. I live in another country where the average person supposedly has a $40 utility bill, mine is always over $100 because I use a dehumidifiers.
I wanted to say my husband and I love exploring in Portugal /we have our home in Gaia and love it there. The people we meet are friendly and do speak English. We made some friends there and love the restaurants. we have our favourite ones and the owners know us cause we frequent them many times. Thanks for sharing your video and looking forward to more of them. Michele
Thank you for having such a nuanced and realistic opinion of your experience here, especially since a lot of it we portuguese also struggle with! And since you went to Gêres I would love to see your take on a city like Póvoa de Varzim or even Vila do Conde! If you plan to go there sometime try to take a week between the 24 - 28 of June because that's when they have the festivities of S. João & S. Pedro and they are two cities that you can visit on foot since they are side-by-side!
Dave, I so enjoyed your informative video. What intrigues the most is how a boy from Michigan, who swam in Lake Tahoe and understands the cold, ended up in Portugal and what occupation sustains your livelihood there. Thank you again, Del
Those were some surreal stories ahaha I am sorry for all the bad shite! But I believe you nailed everything! Better put than a Portuguese himself ahahah
Honestly I am just happy that you are getting so integrated that you start to realize this aspects of the Portuguese culture :) I hope you keep talking about the good the bad and the ugly, you make amazing videos Dave!!
I fell in love with Lisbon and am planning to move there one day seasonally. This video is accurate and the only thing I wanted to add is how slippery the cobblestone walks are! I’m a runner, pretty fit but the cobblestone streets especially when it rains , omg, better not leave without insurance!! Love this, and give me the inspiration to find a way to live/work from there soon.
I do really appreciate your honest opinion of Portugal. I have been watching many Videos and listening to many opinions about their experiences in Portugal as Expats; your experiences are very close to what others have related. We are planning on retiring in Europe and have not visited Portugal, yet; we will visit Portugal and follow your guidance on what to see and avoid is very valuable. Thank you Dave for the Valuable info.
Glad you are not planning to move here. Dave, is not giving the full picture, it is even worst. That is the reason why, so many 'expats' live here.
@@joaocosta3374Boa 😂
I'm Dutch and I like Portugal and I still remember it fondly. I have worked there for approx. half an year on the airport in the second half of the eighties. I remember the wines, the red Douro wines and the Vihno Verde (young greenish white wine). I remember the fado music, the restaurants in Lisbon with fado musicians; the beaches in Praia de Rocha; Sintra with the old Royal Palace and many other historical places. Occasionally I still listen to the Fado music and it is a nice contrast to the bachata in the Dominican Republic, where I live now.
It's much different now than the 80s. Liked it better visiting then.
I am Portuguese. As I have just retired, I sold my apartment in Lisbon last year and bought a house in the countryside. Both real estate agents were fabulous! They were always available, very friendly and accommodating. The girl that helped to sell my apartment in Lisbon even went with me when I signed the deed for my new house! I have only good things to say about them and their real estate agencies!
Thx for sharing your experience!! Could you share the Agency and people so we can support their well run business? Abrigado!!!
@@davidleong6606I have tried to reply to you several times but my post keeps disappearing. I don’t know what is happening.
I’ve lived in Portugal nearly 3 years, India for five years and various other SE Asian countries for shorter terms. Portugal reminds me very much of India, my car has been at the shop 4 months now, for parts, the difference between here and India is that in India someone would know someone that knew someone and boom, problem solved, in Portugal there aren’t the work arounds there are in India, after all the motto is., nothing is impossible and it’s true. None the less, it’s a beautiful country with beautiful people, adapt or die, or leave…
My brother and sister were visiting me here and they asked me innocently, "why a lot of people in Portugal speak Russian?" 😁
i'm not surprised, the americans are very ignorant
Such a stupid thing to say and shows a complete lack of language understanding!
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
we share several common phonological features, i myself, born, raised and living in portugal, think often that russians are speaking portuguese if the distance is long enough.
@@TyMark lol
@@TyMark me as fluent in russian got the same thinking on hearing italian in Italy xD (that they actually speak russian)
Your videos are so helpful. My husband and I ( Americans) are considering a move to Portugal, and are coming this September to tour the country by rental car for three weeks. I feel better prepared to embrace all Portugal and it's people have to offer thanks to your channel! Obrigado!
Because you are a female, you would say Obrigada. The gender of word depends upon who is speaking the words. So an ex: you, female, say Obrigada; your husband, male, says obrigado.
@@maryr7593 As you say, it is more correct for a woman to say "obrigada" and for a man to say "obrigado". However, in colloquial Portuguese conversation women often say "obrigado" and nobody cares about it. It is not a strict rule.
@@maryr7593 respondemos a uma mulher: obrigada. E a um homem: obrigado. É assim. Não é pq se é mulher q se diz obrigada, e pq se é homem se diz obrigado lol
Hi Dave, I'm portuguese and have to say that I like watching your videos because they show an outsider's view of portuguese life, that's most of the time pretty accurate. I've lived abroad for a long time and now, having returned to Portugal, I tend to see things very differently and just had to get re-used to some things. One thing that you said once made me laugh a lot, the fact that in Portugal public services mostly NEVER answer the phone, and that just drives me crazy as hell!!! Wish you the best and hope you can still enjoy this beautiful but crazy country.
I hate answering the phone and door.
My favorite flower is lavender.
I love cold water so much so that I moved to New England in America, some years ago.
I move like a turtle.
I have a love for chillies and capsicums
I was asked if I had Portuguese origin or Brazilian all of my life (I denied it)
Did a DNA test and come to find out I am part Portuguese🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🙆🐢🐢🐢🐢
I too take my time like a snail and I speak my mind.
I would love to live in Portugal!
Ha not just in Portugal
The problem with moisture it's the lack of proper ventilation systems ( vapor and condensation ). Most houses don't have it and the ones recently built in this century have insufficient/passive systems ( usually only in the bathrooms ). Also the lack of proper wall insulation without any vapor/moisture membrane makes things worst during the winter months where moisture is more prevalent or it's worst due to the temperature differences between the air and walls inside versus outside air. Salt present in the walls could be related with the finishing of the wall during construction, which are common to be made of a mixture between cement and sand. The sand present in this mixture could be contaminated from the source or the place where it was stored ( no properly cleaned, processed or stored ). If you live near the seashore you can also suffer from this after construction especially if the wall is not properly painted for several years and you have small/micro cracks in the cement where water and moisture were accumulated. In US most of places with this levels of humidity have central dehumidifiers, central ventilation and even if you rent some places, like in Florida, you need to have those systems online 24/7 ( even if they don't have the same level of wall insulation compared to the north regions ). Anyhow current construction codes in Portugal force new commercial buildings, like big offices, shopping malls or hotels they all have better ventilation systems. New homes, perhaps at the high end, you can find this systems but I don't think construction code demands it. My country is several decades behind the rest of central/north Europe and US, specially if we talk about ERV or HRV units. In Portugal most people will advise you just to buy an AC unit which just raises the temperature to make your relative humidity comfortable and can condensate some of the moisture but at the expense of a lot of electricity. If we start talking about the high limescale level in potable water, which are common in the south region of Portugal, the existence of equipment to treat it, its another topic people here don't know anything about it. I hope Americans living in Portugal can share their knowledge about this topics and convince Portuguese property owners to improve their houses.
Normal as ruas foram feitas no tempo das carroças puxados por burros,cavalos e bois e quando apareceram os automóveis as cidades, vilas ,aldeias já existiam
Aqui nos Estados Unidos eles copiam tudo: eles tem a Veneza americana, Epcot. E ainda tem a cara de pau de falar que em Portugal ( ou em toda a Europa) tudo é muito velho. Que gente estúpida! Quem vai à Europa quer ver o velho, ou poderiam ir para a Austrália, Canada, US, Brasil, etc…
When it comes to the lack of ambition and the old buildings, I totally agree with you, Dave, and these issues bother me too. When it comes to the ocean, though, I think you're focusing on the coastline upward Lisbon, when in fact most beaches downward are so much warmer and flatter. In fact, thousands of people come every year just to spend their vacations by these beaches in the Algarve, for example.
Isn't there an inheritance law in PT that makes it difficult to sell or renovate if all parties that inherited the property don't agree. Can you give any information on this?
Good, honest video.
I'm from France, and I've been living in southern Italy for about six months now. Although I have no intention of moving to Portugal (except for a short period hopefully to photograph the country), I was interested to see how you perceive a southern European country. I have similar experiences to those you described. Some places, like Potenza in Basilicata, are covered in ugly graffiti (or rather tags) that makes the city look like a bad Jackson Pollock painting. Often you will encounter an unimaginable numbers of stray dogs (it's sad to see) and on the sides of the roads you will see garbage bags being thrown away and never cleaned up by the public services. This is especially noticeable when driving in certain parts of Sicily or on the outskirts of large cities like Rome or Naples.
Of course, France is known for its complicated and slow administration (red tapes). But that of Italy has nothing to envy. However, like you, I have nothing but praise for the people of my host country. These people are frank, easy-going and simply adorable. A French writer once said that an Italian was a Frenchman in a good mood… I agree.
I don't think I'll settle in Italy forever, because it's not my country and I'll never feel part of it entirely. And then the utilities, healthcare, shops in rural places etc are not on the level of those found in France, so why retire anywhere else?… I am a travel photographer currently traveling around Italy and hopefully some other parts of the World. I have a profile on Instagram where I document my travel if interested.
Don't go to Portugal, it's a trap. You get caught up in the calm life and friendliness of these people.
You might consider posting on TH-cam. I , for one, would be interested in your travels.
I cannot tell you how long I've waited for a video like this! I'm not from the US but The Bahamas, so still North America. Much of what you say really resonates with me from how you've interacted with the people to the language. I do disagree about the point of the Portuguese being direct though. I think it's more nuanced than that. If they don't know you very well then you'll be met with just a light touch of pleasantries but they tend to maintan some distance from strangers. They are reserved. Learning some Portuguese will take you a LONG way as the Portuguese, unsuprisingly, prefer to speak to you in Portuguese. Overall it's just any other country that has it's ups and downs.
I have to say that you are very welcome to Portugal if you want of course because I think you are making a effort to adapt to environment without losing your essence!
Great video. I believe if you want to move to Portugal, you have to be in the proper mindset. This video does a great job of explaining that. If you're expecting Disneyland, probably it's best you just spend your money going to Disneyland. Chances are, you may be disappointed there too...
I'm Portuguese and I agree with everything you said. But I always felt like an expat in my own country. The lack of professionalism and the small (and big) corruption are driving me crazy. Good luck.
Excellent video just right on! Brazilian here, São Paulo native. I’ve been to Portugal, familiar w Portuguese and living in the U.S forever! Couldn’t be more genuine! Good job!
Hey, I noticed you do not have an intro yet. I am also an American expat living in Portugal and along with my husband we have an animation studio. We are trying to get off the ground and I thought that we would be a perfect fit to deliver you a fun intro/outro =) I really enjoy your video and honesty and wish you continued success!
People skip intros and outros now.
but creators keep using them.... @@LilyGazou
Oh, I loved your video so honest and not abrasive. I am Portuguese living abroad in the US since I was 18 and I have a younger son who is a professional who has much of the Portuguese personality and wants to move to Portugal and I just forward this video to him because I’ve been trying to tell him it’s not all what it seems to be and you just hit on the nail all the difficulties in a very straightforward and honest way, so thank you so much for your video.
I was in Portugal 30 years ago and listening to you, sounds like nothing have changed!!!!
I was there 30 yrs ago as well and I have since learned nothing really has changed in the points he refers to.
I completely agree with you... I'm Brazilian grew up in São Paulo and I've lived here in Portugal for almost 5 years and the picture you took of Portugal is totally correct.
I was in Portugal for 3 months a from November 2022 through February 2023 and even though that’s a short time (I was just seeing what I could see around Sintra near Lisbon), I agree with your description. Of course, visiting there and living t😊here are two different situations. I found Portugal to be interesting in its own way, but the narrow winding roads were generally not safe for walking, though I walked them anyway. I was used to the graffiti after visiting Italy at another time. And you are so right that speaking Portuguese would be essential if you want to live there. I was lucky that my Airbnb host was a wonderful and friendly woman, who spoke very good English, who took me to many places I never would have gone to alone. And you are so right about the moisture which is everywhere no matter how dry you try to keep the house, even with a dehumidifier running every day. But I did enjoy my time in Portugal with all it’s interesting and beautiful features!
Oh may good, do you have to speak portuguese in Portugal? are we crazy? what do the portuguese think they are to speak portuguese in their own country?
Portuguese here from Porto who spent 12 years abroad, and loved getting your perspective of things. Absolutely spot on on everything ❤
First, you're a very good speaker. I was impressed by how you described your experiences and perspective. I'm not American but lived in your country for years and I think the points and advice you provide apply to most anyone wanting to live in Portugal. Fantastic video!
You’re not only honest with your insight but also gentle and diplomatic - I loved Portuguese food and landscapes but noticed that professional services, infrastructure, basic courtesy and overall standards were pretty lacking overall. While I was there, it was cheap-ish but prices seemed to be creeping upwards to a point where there was minimal bang for your buck.
Dave, thank you for your very video it's very well done. My wife and I moved here about 2 1/2 years ago from California. It has been a challenging transition at times, but well worth it in the long run. I would agree with most of what you said, but maybe a few exceptions, but as a former leadership coach and consultant, I've always said to my clients every strengths has an attached weakness and vice versa. That is definitely true of Portugal and the Portuguese. The switch came for me, and it took a little bit of time. Honestly was to let go of all my American expectations about pretty much everything. At least for me, and I think it's probably true of most Americans. If you hold on Ito those expectations you will be irritated and disappointed at most of the time. I just changed my view of what customer services when I first came to Portugal. My expectation of customer service was efficiency.. Now my expectation of Portuguese customer services relationship. I used to go to the pharmacy and be irritated that the pharmacist was talking to the person in front of me for 45 minutes about nothing to do with medicine. Now I am that guy having a conversation with my pharmacist about Formula One, riding motorcycles, riding my bicycle. What kind of wine he likes, that is the Portuguese way and when she lean into it, it's pretty wonderful.
We live in the historic part of Oporto and it's very beautiful and we love it. The only drawback now, is yes, all the tourists. What we have found found that works best, is that we frequent businesses and restaurants run by mom and Pop owners and we just consistently go there for whatever we need and over the months we have become friends and the tone of our relationship has changed considerably.
We do not own a car, and have no plans on purchasing one. Honestly, the idea of driving around Oporto and particularly trying to find parking seems pretty insane. And the public transportation, we find to be fantastic.
As far as home purchase goes we've had a similar experience. Original plan was to buy a place and renovated and we were retired and the idea of that just increasingly sounded overwhelming and I have a construction background. we do have friends that purchased a 2 story empty warehouse in our converting it. they have found it requires 24/7 constant supervision if things are going to be done correctly and in a timely manner. We have changed our plans and are buying brand-new construction on the Gaia side of the river looking back at Porto with a major builder in Portugal. For us, that process has been much more professional and we have evidence of their expertise and timely construction from other projects that we have looked at.
Your bike riding experience is interesting to me because I am a dedicated cyclist. I ride a 30KM ride at least 5 times a week, and that has been challenging.. For me the only way I have found that that works,. I cycle early in the morning, I across the Louis I bridge, go down river to the ocean and near the ocean begins a dedicated two-lane biking trail. Bike trail is very nice, very well maintained. Here is the only challenge with the bike trail. and I still have not figured out why this is. next to the bike trail is a least a 2 m wide walking Trail. Many Portuguese, and I've noticed is almost consistently, no matter how big the group they walk shoulder to shoulder, so that's four across six across eight across. No how many people is in the group did they walk shoulder shoulder all the way across including the bike Trail and when they see me coming they will not get out of the way. this used irritate me. now he just stop get off my bike and stand there and they will be grudgingly walk around me around me. Otherwise I have to go off the trail in the bushes..
All that to say, I think Portugal, particularly Porto is one of those wonderful places to live in the world and particularly it's easy access to the rest of Europe and Portugal. It's not for everyone, but if you adjust your expectations, it is absolutely the best place to live.
You're becoming a little bit portuguese yourself. You've been brutally honest and direct, in this video.
If the customer service was great, the buildings were new, transportation was efficient, then it wouldn't be Portugal, it would be the USA. And North Americans wouldn't be moving in.
I'm Portuguese. I love your video. It is very true. Thanks for coming and living life in my country. ❤
As a portuguese, I back you on all you said. Many of the things you have pointed out are among the reasons why I have moved abroad. But yes, unfortunately is all true. Portugal lives on the shadow of the "has all to be a great place to live" idea and that is it, them who ever tells that, seats down and waits for someone to start doing something and, the minute someone starts doing something, that person is demotivated to the bones with all sort of procrastinations from which very few manage to be able to emerge from...and nothing gets done. When is not this, is the corruption that exists at all levels of the society.
The example you gave of the state agency staff, that I would say is simply and pure malpractice and incompetence due to "I am not doing the job I like and my work environment is so nasty that I have my colleagues stealing my clients from me because I am too lazy to be competent enough to keep my clients details behind safe doors": is far too common anywhere in Portugal.
But you have nice people too, people that do their work in the most helpful manner they can and you and any foreigner have the advantage that the portuguese really likes to be a bit more helpful to people that are from abroad: the in your face exception will be if you present yourself as being too full of yourself, better than everyone else, I am so loaded I can buy your company as many times as I want attitude: at this point anything and everything will take you waaaayyyy longer and will be as expensive as the person in that office with whom you dealing with can make it to be and the person will spread the word to as many of the people that you may have to also deal with which will do the same to you, with no remorse whatsoever.
So, yeh... welcome to Portugal, a country full of nice people that can became very nasty in one wrong flip of a coin :D I hope you enjoy your stay ;)
I am a German living in France for over 30 years now. I love Portugal and have been in studying Portuguese, also spent 3 month in summer class at the University in Lisbon. Fully agree with all of your points.
The ALFA PENDULAR Is Actually Amazing!!! Also, The Train That Runs Along The Stunning LISBON COAST From Cais Do Sodre, Lisbon To CASCAIS Is a Fabulous Train (My Local Home...As a Nomad In Europe For Last Few Years) But I Agree With You, Generally, About The Other Points You Raise. For Me, They All Make PORTUGAL a Fabulous, FUN, HAPPY PLACE! Their Quality Of Life, Work/Life Balance & Fresh Market Farm To Table Produce All = Very Healthy Lifestyle!!!💙
Dave, I love your videos. As a Portuguese Canadian with plans to move to Loulé in 2024, your videos give me insight on what to expect once there. In the process of buying a property there, I have already experience the slow pace of getting things done, whether it’s the bank, the attorney, the builder, etc… after spending my entire life in Canada, I wasn’t expecting the bureaucracy… I will take your advice and try to slow down and chill… keep the videos coming and maybe one day I’ll buy you a Sagres or a Super Bock!😊
Heya! What do you want to leave Canada for Portugal?
We have found that getting to know a couple of local business folks very important and as we became better acqainted, they were so helpful to even go with us to medical, internet, electric offices and advocate for us. Language barrier is probably the biggest issue. Sometimes these Portuguese friends would find really good reputable service businesses for us. The further you venture away from the cities, the more problematic communication becomes. Tranquillo and smile!
Brutally honest and direct sounds heavenly to me! I am a transplant to the American south, and I still haven't gotten used to how passive-aggressive people here can be, or how little being treated "nicely" can actually mean in terms of whether or not you are actually liked. 🙁
Honest opinions are good. The only real way is to go and see for yourself. Thanks for sharing important things to know. Especially liked the input about Idealists. Keep making and sharing these videos. We'll get to check it out in less than 90 days!!!!
I have been living in Lisbon for 6 months and agree with everything you said in the video! Thanks for the honesty and love the part about the Portuguese being authentic which is a rare commodity in the USA
Hi Dave, I’m German, living in Portugal. I think you got it quite right! Just the being so direct part surprised me 😅, because I had to learn a lot of not being so direct😂… I don’t find people direct at all. Which sometimes anoys me a lot, because I prefer people saying what they think.
The issue with the real state agents is that then win by commission. By talking to a different person, it means that the new woman is going to get the deal, and not the first one you talked to, that is why she got upset. But that is an issue between them, that should not come out to the customer. People often mix personal conflicts and issues with work and that is ugly and obviously nonprofessional.
Good job on a tricky subject. Im from UK, just moved to PT, bought the house, had major work done, ride an e-bike, trying to speak the language etc, etc. We were careful to appoint one, trusted real estate agent and all enquiries went through him. Result. We were also very fortunate to choose an excellent builder, very fluent in English and Portuguese. Result. On the ebike, occasional attacks on the road by loose dogs can be thwarted with hair spray (no mutt wants that up his nostrils). We have now moved permanently to Portugal, embrace the culture, avoid ex-pat merry-go-rounds, accept that things are done very differently here and have competent people hired to deal with the bureaucratic minefield. OK that costs more but hassle factor is so much less. Its a quality of life thing. And Portugal certainly has that. Our only regret: why the hell did we not do this sooner!!
Uber drivers are my best friends to practice my Portuguese.. they really are helpful and I like to help their English too! Love your videos.. I study PT every day when I am not there, and studying in US
We've lived here in the Lisbon area for seven months, now (originally from TX). Everything you said here definitely resonates. Well done.
You are right about almost everything, or even everything.
However, I have some advice for US citizens who want to come and live here: if you want to transform Portugal in your own way, please don't come. If you want to come live our way, as ridiculous and anoying as it is, welcome. Leave your religion, politics and other US idiosyncrasies at the airport and embrace our ways.
Exatamente !
@user-fk2yk8gg8j 🤔🙂
Such pathetic advice.
Portugal has a lot to gain with other Western cultures. The opportunities for improvement are endless. Embrace change, don't be old.
No thank you, we already have neoliberalism here in Europe thanks to the U.S, if you want to change, change your country which is in desperate need. Thanks in advance.@@CuriousKidzAI
Mas o que é que os marroquinos transformaram em Portugal? Nenhum tem possibilidade financeira para tal. Já os Americanos alteram os mercados todos, o mercado imobiliário por exemplo é um dos mais afetados. Interessante ser-se racista, vai mas é pá 'Mérica 🤡
Sounds a little like island life! Iʻll be visiting next year in the fall and will keep listening to your videos Dave. Such a detailed and respectful view of Portugal- your now home. Thank you!
Things have definitely changed in the US. Americans used to be known for being direct and honest. There are no more niceties or politeness. Now they're just plain rude, loud, self-centered and mean. And I'm American so I know how bad it really is.
i am portuguese lived abroad ( Japan , brazil and Germany) for ages and your video reflects exactly what we have been through on our returning, 😮well done!
This video is invaluable, in my honest opinion. Really helpful for someone researching different countries in the EU to potentially immigrate to. Thank you, Dave. 😊
Good to know . Thanks for the information🎉
I think that's why it's so attractive about Portugal, laid back, kind, helpful, relaxed people, respectful. The simple life is wonderful. From BC Canada
Portuguese is the most complicated Portuguese i have ever encountered! You are SO RIGHT - how can it be that they speak their own language?
Excellent as ever. As an "ex-pat" living in Italy many of your observations ring very true here too! P.S. Your brief clip of "Rome" with the amphitheatre is actually Verona.
Hi, I am portuguese living in Lisbon and I think you made a great job with this video. The only thing I disagree is that stupid women calling 3 days later...she was stupid and incompetent, and also, it's not acceptable to "steel" a client from a colleague, so the guy was also not decent ....anyway, there are a lot of stupid, incompetent people here and you made a great analisys of portuguese society. But we also gave the idea that there are good things here, and thats really true too. I have the feeling that we, and some other europeans maybe, have been mistreating american turists because i often see american podcasters or in some other contexts calling themselves " stupid american turists" and I am sorry for that. It's just rude and I feel achimed. Do not encourage that and rebel...❤
Eu vivo em Portugal desde que nasci, e sou luso-americano. Comparando com os E.U.A. temos na mesma quantidade coisas boas e coisas más, diferentes entre si.
E apesar de sermos um país antigo, mas com história. Não destruímos tudo por onde passamos.
Como assim "não destruímos tudo por onde passamos?". O legado colonial de Portugal em suas colônias no Brasil, Moçambique, e Angola é sangrento! Muito conveniente de sua parte esquecer-se do genocídio indígena no Brasil, da escravidão, da prática da "derrama" em suas colônias.
@@raisatainan amigo, queres comparar USA com PT? E eu sei. Vocês brasileiros queixam-se bastante do passado, que foram os portugueses que deixaram o Brasil na merda. Mas não meus caros, vocês estão completamente corrompidos e nem conseguem viver no vosso país, por causa de vocês. Essas retórica de burro sem cérebro já ficou lá atrás.
First of all, you have done a very good job, explaining things in a very concise and clear way.
Second, the premise of this video is absolutely brilliant, because you are absolutely correct there are dozens and dozens of videos talking about all the good things about Portugal. Only.
I am originally from Europe, and from a very old town, and after living in the United States for a while, I had a chance to go back and travel through Italy, and I found it to be very much what you describing about Portugal.
Speaking of more rural areas especially.
I guess the bottom line to all of this is, if you come from United States be ready to change some of your opinions and expectations, and let go of many things that you've got used to very much. Keep an open mind that is ready to change and accept. This is not worse than America. It is different. And if you are ready for different - then ONWARD!
I loved Portugal, it’s a beautiful country with extremely kind people.
I'm a Brazilian living in Portugal and I agree with the video. There are other problems that probably don't affect you, for example, low wages. When you are not an IT professional, salaries are ridiculously low and the possibilities for growth are also low. There is not enough study or experience to enable you to earn enough to live in peace. Being single and having a good life is definitely not an option in Portugal. Here, people either get married and split the bills, or they're always anxious to see if they're going to handle everything.
Puxa! Verdade! Eu como portuguesa e que gosta de estar só, é isso sem tirar nem pôr!
Almost a whole generation between the ages of 30 & 50 have migrated out of Portugal to other EU countries, specially during the financial crisis. I think this is the real reason why there's such a shortage of skilled workers like electricians, plumbers, construction workers of all sorts. The ones that are still living in Portugal are probably overwhelmed with work.
Loved your video and you're 100% spot on! Im Portuguese (living in Germany) and i used to struggle with the same things.
I also agree with the lack of entrepreneurship and a creative mentality. To be honest, our educational system wasn't designed to enable creative minds.
Even if you're working for a company, thinking out of the box, being creative and pro-active will get you into trouble. Bosses don't want to hear about your incredible ideas to improve things and theyll let you know you're being paid to follow instructions and that's it. This has always been a problem for me in Portugal.
Funny enough is that im currently living in Germany and the mentality is exactly the same.
A forma mais fácil de resolver o problema é fugir de Portugal e criticar à distância.
A difícil é ficar aqui e lutar para que as coisas mudem.
Interesting. I work for German company and they've been nothing but supportive and amazed by ideas on how to improve things, and I've been getting all the freedom to implement it.
Claro! Los alemanes también son cuadrados😂 su cabeza es cuadrada y dura. Los portugueses parecen distintos , yo soy española y los veo como muy aburridos y melancólicos a nuestros hermanos y vecinos portugueses😅😊
Some expats in PT who sent their children to public school say that the teachers always except late assignments as if teaching the young ones to expect that nothing has a timeline and it can be fudged. Also I heard a podcast by American author Richard Zilmer (ugh last name brain fart). Anyway he's been living in Porto since 1990. He commented on teaching classes at University of Porto and being completely shocked when absolutely no student would participate in a discussion on a particular topic...as if there had been no teaching or assignments about critical thinking. I understand educational systems are different...but it coincides with what you said. Many ppl are surprised there is no DIY or 'makers' environment in PT ...which also seems to correspond to what you said.
Where do the majority of PT live in DE? Might be visiting DE next year, dont speak German but speak Portuguese. :-)