Hey everybody! Hope everybody had an ace Bank Holiday weekend. Mine was spent watching Power Rangers: The Movie, then buggering off to Llandudno for a look round, and a few ales. It was fun. I’ve also been quite disturbingly busy on my blog, posting a few articles (which I didn’t plan on, but meh). So, for those people who went camping, diy’ing or simply had more important things to do this weekend, below are the three articles you’ve missed.
- Paypal Me Poison – Buy Me a Beer WordPress Plugin
- Buy Me a Beer Plugin, Welsh Rugbymen are Heroes, Welsh Footballers are Embarassing
- The GATR and Friends Guide To Creating Awesomely Ace Mybloglog Avatars
So, go and comment! Give your thoughts! Or just ignore them, either way’s good.
So, onto my today’s post, and the thought that this time next week, I’ll be in Lisbon – Portugal. I was excited a week ago, but now I’m more, scared. It’s my first time abroad (yes, I’m 23, it sucks), and I’m not really sure what to expect. It’s not really the flying is making me nervous. The only thing that’s striking me as unnerving about flying is taking something on the plane I shouldn’t do. I heard you couldn’t take aerosols (because of changes in pressure) , but I don’t want to take something like Toothpaste on the flight when you can’t. Any ideas?
Also, can you drink the water in Portugal?
But that’s a side concern, my major concern is the language barrier. And with good reason. Last night I watched Coupling, and it was the episode where Jeff tries and chats up an Israeli bird who speaks only Hebrew, and ends up asking her flat chested translator where her breasts are. It’s comedy genius – like Friends but British and funny.
Anyway, I’m not saying that I’ll pull an Israeli – for one I’d probably do some horribly distasteful joke like “Though I love the name Marnisha it’d be great if your name was Gaza, because right about now I’d say ‘Gaza…..strip!’”. Or indeed I’m not saying I’ll pull. What is more likely is regarding food: I fear I’d buy myself something, like, squid when in fact I only wanted a coffee. I’d get all shouty at the poor waitress and end up arrested. Or something along those lines.
It’s just I fear I’d hate the culture shock. Of course, I could love it. I just don’t feel as prepared as I should be.
Reply with something like “For fucks sake it’s only Portugal! You’re not going to Madagascar”.
The other thing that’s scaring me is this place. I’m not sure what to do with my 7-9 days where I won’t be blogging. I may – MAY – do guestblogging, but only if there is enough interest. Or I may do a competition (got an idea in my head anyway). If you are interested in Guestblogging here, please contact me. Cheers.
Comments: 16 Comments
Rhys Wynne, the author of this blog, is a 20 something web designer from Colwyn Bay. 
Bombs and knives are always bad things to take on an airplane. Also, knitting is out. Do take a packet of crisps though – they won’t explode, but they do amusingly inflate, and you can watch it happen as the plane’s altitude increases. Science in action! As for the language barrier, never been to Portugal itself, but most people (especially in a capital city) will speak some English, and failing that there is always pointing. Finally, the blog – keep a paper diary and retroactively update?
I just left a comment but it didn’t appear..if you’re moderating it cos it had a link in, I do apologise – please delete this drivel!
heh, try saying this
Ola, eu te vi do outro lado do quarto, e queria perguntar… você quer experimentar o meu pau? É muito grande e gostoso!!
AAAAHAHAHAHAHHAA!!!
Well, that’s brazilian portuguese, i know it’s different there, but not much.
Don’t worry about the culture or language barrier. It’s all good fun!! And just keep in the back of your mind that it is only temporary… you will eventually go home. So you need to make the most of it!
Just go and enjoy it. Most places have people who speak English but I always try and learn a bit of the lingo – buy a phrase book. You are going with your brother who has actually travelled a bit so you are in capable hands. I survived for a week in a tiny Czech village – yeah I had to eat alot of cabbage (The Czechs love their cabbage) but I managed to pick up enough Czech to get me by and I experienced the ‘real’ Czech republic and not the commercialised shite that Prague has semi become. Oh and don’t give a toss about this place when you are on holiday. It’s just a blog – amazingly there is actually more to life than blogging!
Rhys: I’d love to know what that means
Jacob: Cheers for the link, It’s rather useful actually!
Celeste: But I CARE about this place!
you can take aerosoles – thats bollocks! You can take anything – and put it in yur suitcase but hand baggage is a minefield atm – I need to research it before I go to canada in 3 weeks (eee!) I’m not sure if they have the same rules as the US or not!
Handluggage – no liquids or sharp objects (duh!)
Language barrier – your going ti lisbon! Its a city – with thousands of tourists – they’ll ALL speak english!
Culture shock – their all perfectly normal people!!
Ahh the p word!! *shudders* I hate that word!
Get a lonley planet guide – their rerally good!
Well I’ve always had aerosols in my suitcase, its just that you’re not allowed them in your hand luggage as I suppose you could ignite them. The air pressure does change a little, but not hugely (the pressure outside the plane does, but they keep the inside fairly constant to stop all those pesky organs you’ve got in your torso from exploding out). Basically, as long as you use common sense (no drugs/bombs) things in your suitcase (which goes in the hold) can have anything in it. Hand luggage is much strickter and has been changing lots recently with all the terror threats, but over easter you could take a bag (like a rucksac) that has normal stuff like a jumper, magazines, pens etc that you might want on a flight. The one unusual thing which may now have been relaxed was that you can’t take a drink (even a bottle of water) through the check in (the place where only people with tickets can go), but then if you bought water or whatever from a shop after then you could take it on the flight. Oh, and you’ll be asked if you packed your own bag or if anyone else could have put something in it without you realising. If your mum or whoever helped, don’t tell them, just say you did it – save the hassle
The care is bordering obsession though! ;o)
Even if everyone does speak English, I think people appreciate it if you try to speak a bit of the language, even if you get it wrong. Us Brits are pretty good at just expecting eveyone to speak English. As mentioned in an earlier post, ‘dos cervezas por favor’ is a good one to remember.
p.s. If portugese is like Spanish?!?! I just assumed it was-could be very wrong.
erm i used my dashboard translator to get this one for you. “meu nome é rhys. que eu gosto do sexo” which means “my name is rhys. i like sex.”… you’re welcome.
Does a guest blogger have to pretend to be you? that sounds tricky
Rule no. 1 with being abroad: the point is the key. Go to a store with pre-made sandwiches; even if theyre behind the counter just point and nod/dont nod and they get the gist pretty rapidly. The classic one finger up to the one finger pointing at the beer tap also works a treat. Its the noisy bar trick over here, without the noise. They dont presume you want a half, thank fuck. We’ll be fine
Some words that might be helpful here in Portugal:
English – Portuguese
Thank You – Obrigado
Good Morning – Bom dia
Good Afternoon – Boa tarde
Good Night – Boa Noite
Hello – Olá
How are you? – Como está?
Help me, Save-me – Ajude-me
Fire – Fogo
Police – PolÃcia
Don’t Kill me, please – Não me mate, por favor
Kidnapped – Raptado
Burglar РLadṛo
Busted – Preso
Raped – Violado
I’m hungry – Tenho fome
Give-me food РD̻em-me comida
If you are really worried about what you can take on the plane, perhaps the website for the airport or airline you are using will have some in-depth guidelines. These things change so often it is difficult to go by word-of-mouth. I hope you have a great trip!!!
You’ll have an ace time I am sure. Lisbon is pretty central for tourists so I am sure they won’t mind if you screw up some pronounciation here and there. I know from living in Spain a few years back that local people really do appreciate it when you at least try to speak their language as it shows you’re not one of the group who insist that everyone should speak *their* language and all the rest should go to hell.
I think the water is ok to drink over there but the bottled water is so cheap and available it’s almost as easy as just turning on the tap and always a safe bet if you’re a little unsure about the local water.
Now just get yourself over there and yourself a fun time. There are lots of local lagers to test out which should always add to the fun
There will so many internet cafe’s in Portugal that will be open 24 hour. You will definately be able to blog.
As for plane travel, in Japan now you can’t take any liquids in hand luggage, except small bottles of shampoo/body wash in a clear zip lock bag. But you can take as much as you like in your checked bag. Be careful with food, my friend got tracked down in an Taiwanese airport for trying to import an orange. Those sniffer dogs are well trained!