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You couldn't be more wrong. Tipping is essential in the Algarve and as a long tradition. In the 80's and 90's people in restaurants, bars and hotels would make more money in tips than their wage. After adopting the european currency that changed but even today in the restaurants and hotels, people serving customers can earn annually around 2 to 4 monthly wages in tops adding to there regular wage. So, no! DON'T STOP TIPPING.
@@bcool9272no he’s not wrong. And if you would have actually listened to the video that’s EXACTLY what he said about Algarve. I don’t want Americans here making tipping a standard. Take that shit back to yankee land
People do tip in Portugal, and there's nothing against doing it. The difference is that here you must EARN or DESERVE your tip, by doing your job especially well, or as you say, above and beyond. But Portuguese people do tip - sometimes generously - if they are happy with the service they just had. So, don't think you are changing the culture by tipping. If you are happy with your service, tip. If you are not, don't. That's the difference.
Exactly....whats the point to tip if you hated the service 😂😅....even if you are on the usa... Jennifer Lopez hated to tip...even if She enjoyed the meal!!!!😅
Tipping is an american habit and you often find it in americanised cultures. You often simply don't tip here. I am against tipping in general and most of the people I know also avoid tipping. It's quite a political discussion though and a fun one to have imo
In restaurants, tipping is costumary, but usually its just a "keep the change" thing. So if thw bill is 18,75, you pay 20€ and leave the change at the table
About the tipping culture, the problem of tourists doing it here is not that they're "changing the culture", it's that by doing so you're telling the restaurant manager that they can pay the waiters less because you (the customer) are paying more, and that's a problem. It's not up to the good-hearted customers to pay a worker's salary; it's up to their boss.
Mexican here. My wife is from Porto and wants to move back. Currently waiting on my citizenship. I Lived in San Diego and know Baja style Mexican food well. Portugal had TONS of seafood and I look forward to seeing what I can source when I move there and maybe open a small Ensenada style taqueria… All depends on if I can source what I need to get the flavors and quality I require to do it.
What you said in the section about professionalism in Portugal is completely true, but especially with construction work companies. You have to almost stalk them constantly to get the job done. My brother is renovating his house and the people either say they're showing up but they don't, or they do show up but only work for 3 hours out of the whole day. It drives people insane, it's so infuriating. And when they do show up, they even give suggestions on how you can improve this and that and we're like "Yeah, I would pay you for it, but are you actually gonna show up to do it?" 💀
The problem is that those people are full of work, but they almost never say no to any work that appears. This means that they end up accepting 200 or 300 % of what they could realistically do and end up doing 150%. No excuse here and it is only natural for people to have certain opinions about them. The problem is worsen by the fact that there is not enough people to work on those jobs. Why? That is a question with complex answer. But i think that most people in the field will have different opinion depending mainly if you are an employee or an employer.
hey, what about a contractor who starts the job, leave all his tools on site and..just vanish? I called him 3 days later and dude just told he "do not worry (really?) my cousin from elsewhere came over and I took him to Algarve ..lol
Portugal (Lisbon, Sesimbra) beautiful. My experience visiting Portugal has been humbling and eye-opening. In my opinion, if you’re considering moving to Portugal, learn the language (at least the basics) and customs. Trying to conduct business or get services done in a timely manner here is challenging; patience is required. My advice to anyone contemplating moving to Portugal is to visit and spend at least a month in the country before making a final decision
Hi, sesimbra it's not in lisbon, it's in setubal, another district, it does belong to the metropolitan area of Lisbon but is not Lisbon But I totally agree about needing patience to burocracies haha I hope you liked our country!
As a supermarket cashier in Portugal, the elderly people talking about the weather and the prices it so real. If I don't have anyone behind them I'm more than happy to have a conversation but if there's a big line I get so frustrated because I can't simply tell them to go away I have to nod and smile and ignore the glares that the customers in line are giving me! As if it's my fault, I'm actually really quick with scanning groceries 😭😭
I’m half Portuguese, half Kiwi and 32! I’ve lived in New Zealand most of my life and want to live in Portugal to learn the language and my culture ❤! But I’m a bit nervous and don’t know where to start! Thanks for the videos, they are giving me a bit of confidence to give it a go!😊
I recommend Covilhã! This is where I live and here there are almost no severe crimes being commited and prices are really cheap here! And yes, a tip from a portuguese!
Don't bother. It's a shitehole. New Zealand may be a little proto police state these days and a shadow of its former self, but its's still a darn sight more civilized and sane than Portugal is.
Não, não és Português de todo quando concordas com palhaços ricos como este gajo que vem praqui viver à nossa conta, os que pensam que a dependência extrema do turismo (que entra para a balança das exportações) é algo bom, são o problema da nossa nação, são os que votam PS, como tu o deves ter feito para estares aqui todo alegre a consumir este lixo de conteúdo.
I'm Portuguese, my girlfriend is soon to move here and she is from Michigan, your channel has been a very nice window for her into things I don't realize here. As the professionals you mentioned, 100%, it is what it is unfortunately. My best advice is to find someone who had some service similar to yours and knows "a guy", befriend that guy, keep that guy, don't let that guy go ever, tip that guy.
We lived in southern Germany when I was young, and my older teenaged sisters could walk home from a friend's house at 10:30pm ore even midnight in perfect safety. I really miss that!
NO, Portugal is NOT a 'safe' country. That is a myth that is perpetuated by far too many expats and Portuguese themselves. If you mean that it has a relatively low 'violent crime rate, then that has some truth, BUT even that is rising significantly, especially in Lisbon and Porto. Violent crime is undoubtedly going up in Portugal. Even so, true safety encompasses much more than that. Let me illuminate the delusional: You are NOT 'safe' when your 81-year-old mother has been assaulted by a neighbour and it takes the police more than an hour to pitch up and take a statement, only for no charges or anything being possible because they say 'there were no witnesses to what happened!'. You are NOT 'safe' when the judicial system of a country is at near-collapse and completely dysfunctional, as the Portuguese government recently admitted. You are NOT safe when government agencies that should protect citizen rights are dysfunctional or don't work at all. You are NOT 'safe' when the criminal and civil laws of a country are overwhelmingly badly written, illogical or downright ludicrous - or cannot be enforced due to complete inertia by the police and courts alike. That is Portugal today - a lawless, corrupt banana republic masquerading as a 'safe' country. It is not safe if you ever get in trouble or need the law to work. Any person who comes from a country, however flawed, where at least they can count on logical laws, courts that work and police they can count on should be aware: Portugal does NOT offer you that. So, no, sorry, but you're not that safe in a country like that.
Another great video, Dave! I have to say, your commentary on toilets is spot on. I'm so glad that someone said the quiet part out loud. After almost 2 years in Portugal, I thought that I had maybe developed some sort of disfunction. Good to realize the it's not just me. Smooth move, my friend! (sorry, I couldn't help myself) 🤪
I have to be honest. I have lived in Portugal all my life and never seen those kind of toilets ahah, so I am quite surprise to see that some people have encountered them. I live in Lisbon and I have went to the South and North Center of Portugal many times and never seen a toilet like that ahah, maybe you guys were unlucky? xD I really don't know
Quick comment on the iPhone price example. In Portugal (whole Europe) the price you quoted includes the tax. You need to add sales tax to the US price, which in many places is 10% and more.
I enjoy your videos , honesty and perspectives greatly. I've been in Porto for 4.5 months now after visiting Portugal three times before. One comment regarding tipping is that when my partner and I eat out, I have very carefully watched the native Portuguese in nontourists areas and have never obselved any tipping in the everyday confeterias and pasteleries, etc. Even in the higher end restuarants where they bring the check on a tray or a container, I've not observed tipping some people describe (the 5% or one or two euros). It's a shame when Americans insist on imposing our tipping culture in Portugal. I believe tipping here causes more harm than good.
the tipping culture here in the US has drastically changed since CV19. Now even some fast food places expect tips. However wages for service staff is not the same as professional servers in EURO. Another change that is sad to see at least in my city is the lack of servers here in the US. Not sure where they all went since CV19 but many restaurants are struggling just to find staff. And grocery stores are now getting closer to what you described in Portugal. Fewer cashiers and much longer lives.
I stopped tipping more than 5-10% unless I receive great or extraordinary service. It’s gone way out of hand in the USA all the digital payment devices starting at 20% tip usually for nothing. Scooping me an ice cream isn’t a tip-able event! LOL The servers, cooks, etc generally get something wrong at all but the best restaurants so I don’t feel the need to tip. Let the server go back to the kitchen and complain to the cook that got my order wrong or let the waiter figure out that they rung up my ticket incorrectly, etc.
They’re struggling to find staff because fewer people are willing to work for poverty wages, and I’m all for it-the hope that we can continue to exploit people and sell them the American Dream at the same needs to die a quicker death but hopefully it’s on the way
It mostly is because here in European countries the tax is already included in the price you pay, while the USA is one of the very rare countries around the world where the tax isn’t included in the price and the tipping is mandatory to pay the tax.
Having lived in Italy for many years (now in US) I can assure you (1) many (not all) cultural differences are the same as in Portugal, and (2) when your visit USA you will experience REVERSE CULTURE shock! I travel often between Europe and USA, so I experience reverse culture EVERY DAY. It doesn’t go away-just have to adjust my expectations. Great video. 👍🏻
About tips, no one usually expects/ demands tips. Usually, we might give just to round some bill, depending on the occasion and if the service is really good. If I’m in an upbeat downtown restaurant and the service was perfect, the bill is 38.50 and I’m paying cash, I give 40, and say: “keep the change”. Otherwise, if the service is not good or just average, then no tip whatsoever. We do have a tipping culture, as a way to recognise a premium service. But not as a “standard to all” tipping mechanism. The employees accept the tip and you gain respect from giving, especially if you are a regular customer. Next time, he will attend you even better. This is what tips in Portugal serve for.
Yes, and even not being religious as an adult, I still follow such values. There are good values there, even being a lesbian vegan feminist etc such as me. 😁💖
In southern europe there's a strong sense of community, the concept of individualism doesn't really exist, so, there's like a hierarchy of respect, something similar to disabled elders, elders, disabled women, pregnant women, women, disabled men, kids, and finally men in general
In Brazil, if you are with a child, pregnant, over 60 years old or have any disability, you will always have priority to sit, to be served, generally every place has special queues, I was surprised when I grew up and saw that it wasn't like that in many countries
Just one more comment, and then I'll go: in spite of some inaccuracies, I really, really like your videos, Dave. I think you're really nice, and intelligent, because you know that different people do things differently, and you expect AND appreciate that. Good for you! And, of course, as any other Portuguese, I really like you liking to live here! 😄
I've only lived in Porto for 6 months but I laughed out loud at some of these. The toilets...omg. And I could do without seeing a man peeing on the stairs next to my apartment ever again. I agree about the accessibility, I actually saw a rally downtown with about 20 people in wheelchairs one day and have seen 3 people when I was out and about in wheelchairs but that is it. This is one of the things the US gets right. One thing I've noticed in addition to family time is that older couples walk together and talk more. They seem to enjoy each other's company and are interested in conversation. It's heartening to see this and it seems cultural because it is so common in my neighborhood in Porto.
I am Portuguese. Just to say that I liked your video, as it is mostly correct. Some of the “bad” things you mentioned, I don’t like them also. I am 60 years old I have experienced a lot of changes (for good) in this great small country. I have hope that those little “bad” things are going to be corrected over time. We count on you that come abroad, to help! Please be very welcome!
So happy you addressed the toilets. My solution is placing two TP sheets on the back sloping towards the water which makes a slide. That minimizes or eliminates the brush use.
Traveling to Lisbon and Porto this month. Been watching your videos for several months. Thanks for all the info. Nice write up in Business Insider. We’re from Reno too.
I have lived my whole life in the US but just recently moved with my entire family to the Azores . We’ve been here 1 year and everything you listed gave me a good laugh. Still getting used to living on island but we wouldn’t trade it for anything . Plus having all of Europe at our finger tips is amazing, once our company is stable we have plans to travel and explore all of its entirety.💜 definitely subscribing 🤝🏼
Thank you, Dave 😂 I laugh so much because of this video. It is so true and as a portuguese person I find it funny that you got the message right. I love the way you describe things here, especially the slow pace in life 😂 you can be in an hurry and some old person is talking about their life, their family, the weather, the prices, all of it. Poor people, they don't have anyone to talk to and most of the time is a nice way to get in touch with each other. That is one of the reasons people in Portugal know each other 😉 at first it can sound a bit nosy since they are talking about their life but then you get used to it and find some friends because of it! As for the slow services you have been experiencing, I am so sorry. Unfortunately, Portuguese people don't have the same clock as British people have 😅 you will find it to be a bit upsetting as much as I do. People do not get the concept of "on time" in some places in Portugal but be assured there are some places that are starting to understand it. As for Portugal bring pricy in every kind of scenario you might think of, due to the low wages, some people can't afford a lot of things that foreigners can. I remember in university I had a Brazilian colleague that had a new apple phone and she was telling me how expensive it is in Portugal, however that does not actually bother us because we find reason price objects to be better since they live longer. If you know that I mean. As for driving, don't get me start on that... Some people don't know the concept of speed limit, parking or even respect manners I suppose. Don't be upset it is not worth your time 😅 even if you try, some people won't listen unfortunately. O the other hand, we have 4 meals: breakfast (pequeno almoço), lunch (almoço), lanche (you do not have it in America) and dinner (jantar). Normally you will have lunch between 12-15h. As for lanche, which is a type of brunch if I can compare, is between 16-18h. At lanche you will find a variety of things to eat, as you mentioned you can get pastel de nata but you can also eat sandwiches, French toasts, toasts, some sweets or some salty pastries. This is a light course for you to not die in between meals 😂 As you have mentioned you have a restrict schedule in America, so you will eat dinner earlier than us. Due to the fact that we don't get out of work before 18h or even 19h, it is usual to eat dinner between 19h-22h. Dave, you can try to eat small meals between big meals such as breakfast and lunch, lunch and lanche or even lunch and dinner. This "lanche" meal is in Portuguese culture so you won't find it anywhere else, that is why you should start to get used to the fact that you have a light lanche before dinner 😉 Last thing I want to mention, as you live by, you won't pay so much attention to elderly woman being on the balcony 😂 as a matter of fact, they are just spending time while their family aren't at home, sometimes they chat with nearby neighbours equally as the ones in the supermarket, or in the pharmacy. I hope you get used to some things the good ones specially and have fun learning more about our culture 😁
Those old ladies are perfect to practice your Portuguese with! They have plenty of time, are interested in everything, are patient with your language efforts, and will help you improve. They are lovely free teachers!!
Dave, I have lived in Portugal (ex UK not USA) for 18 years now and I congratulate you on the best and most accurate video on the basic differences. Next release, you might want to add the additional costs in buying and selling property here as opposed to other Countries. My last move (as I downsized here in the Algarve), cost me over 20k (when selliing) in Capital Gains and then over 10k in Purchase Tax. Things like IMI (like UK Council Tax) are much lower here than most other Countries I think. On a 350K property I only pay 360 euros per year for all local services.
Peeing in public as a woman or kid can also happen. If there's nothing around... 🤷♀️ And friends are for occasions so out girlfriends will help covering for us haha 😂
Great points, Dave. The Portuguese use minha senhora or meu senhor, which is very respectful. The benefit of living in a small is that you're forced to learn language. Your accent sounds good. Parabens!
Speaking of tipping and taxes… no wonder (portuguese) people don’t tip in Portugal, the taxes are usually 23%, not your average American 8%. It’s also important to remember how *low* the salaries are in Portugal. In rural NY a part-time job (20h/w) in 2 weeks pays me the same as a full month, full time (40h/w) in Portugal. (Same type of job.) That’s basically 4 times more.
We tip, usually only in services like restaurants or other places with more personal service and not just like a kiosk or clothing store. We also don't tip in %. If you want to tip big use a bill, it all depends. If you're just stopping for a cup of coffee and pastel de nata you wouldn't tip 10€, but you might tip 1 or 2€ if you feel like its going towards good service. Also restaurants have each their own code on how to handle tips internally, either they go in a pot and split evenly to all staff, or they allow waiters to keep the full tip.
Em Portugal não é obrigatório dar gorgeta,voçê quando compra o bilhete ao motorista do transporte publico dá gorgeta ao motorista,claro que não dá. Ou só dá nos Restaurantes,não é obrigado a dar toçê dá porque quer.
Yeah (I'm Portuguese) in Portugal you can't just have a gun laying around in your car/pocket. The people who have guns are the police and licensed hunters, and those can only use them in certain areas
Visiting family in Portugal last year (2022), I was surprised just how much coffee they drink. And not the weak stuff, no the Portuguese go straight to espressos as their source of coffee. You won’t really see them drinking lattes, cuppaccinos, flat whites etc. Every day we ended up having around 4 shots of espresso: 1) with our breakfast, 2) downstairs at the local cafe, 3) with lunch or out & about, 4) with dinner. By day 5 I had to say no to all offers of coffee.
Hehehe sorry I presumed 😅 only because I only saw ppl drinking expressos at the cafes and my uncle & aunt only drank expresso. Apparently the Italians only drink lattes, cuppaccinos, etc until 11am. Is it the same in Portugal?
There’s a guy who came twice to my home and it’s almost 6 months and my AC still broken😂. Once I went to a restaurant and I was at the line waiting for a table. Then owner came at the door, required attention and said: “it’s over. I’m closing. I got the money I needed for today.”
This video made me laugh a lot. Just saying something regarding the "senhoras", family or the respect for elders. It's definitely not exclusive to Portugal, it's pretty common in southern europe. Well, it's also pretty common in latin america. Maybe the weather has something to do with it. EDIT: Still about family, and something that I've seen in more than one occasion, and I love seeing it, foreigners getting pretty uncomfortable, certainly it already happened to Dave, which is, today you meet someone new, chances are that tomorrow at the nearest café you'll meet the parents, brothers, nephews, the dog, the uncles that have been living in Venezuela for the last 40 years but for some reason they decided to visit that exact day. It happened to me more than once as a tourist in Spain, and I love it since we do the same
12:04 here in portugal our prices are lower for foreingners for the same reason we tend to hold on to material goods for longer: Our salaries are too low to aford extra expenses of good quality/newer. We can afford to pay our necessities like rent, food, water but the money that we have for other things is too little in comparison to other developed countries.
Many of these points show how small levels os corruption are just ingrained in the culture in Portugal (as in Brazil I would add). I bet it's quite different from the US in that sense
Good point, I think he’s referring to the massive gun violence and violent crime problem we have in the USA. More in the cities but still it scares me. And im a lifelong New Yorker we don’t scare easily.
@@andrewsussman2202 I agree. I think being an American living in another country and talking about America and politics requires more responsibility and clarity, especially when people are so polarized and edgy. Safe from gun shooting, yes, safe from car accidents maybe no.
A nice trivia people never saw it coming is that Portugal is a massive new cellphone consumers. In the early 00's till the mid 10's, portugal was the testbed for new models in europe. If it did well in Portugal, it would do well in the rest of the EU. Portuguese People change phones in average every 1.2 years I even met the Nokia Marketing Director when I was doing a internship, while Nokia was shooting itself with the Microsoft OS they used.
Well put together Dave. Just a few things: Lisbon IS the most expensive capitol city in Europe. I think you will find that the prices for the products are roughly the same across Europe and yes, it’s a ruddy rip off compared to the US. As for the driving over here, lol, not so long ago the average death toll per 100km of road in Europe was 1 to 2, but here in Portugal it was 11 to 12! By the way, just like you, I live here too, for the past 45 years, I am English though lol.
Lisbon is considered one of the most expensive cities not because of the total cost of living compared with other cities, but it's calculated taking in account the average wage versus house cost, food pricing and other stuff. The minimum wage (760€) is very low in comparison with other European countries, even the average is low because a huge percentage of the population only earn the minimum wage.
Oh man! Parking in Nazare was next level dude. I had to park my car in the new make shift overflow parking that the city (I'm assuming it was the city) constructed for tourist season. It was just nuts. And then almost overnight, there was space to park my car on the same block as my apartment, just in the last week, like nothing happened. Cray!
About the pee, I finally went back after nearly two decades and noticed it was actually better! And whereas there used to be dog shit everywhere, now I hardly saw any. Even littering is getting better.
My husband and i retired here about 2 years ago and love it. Your right though about some of the cultural adjustments to be made. We came expecting those, so it's been fine for us to just (generally) go with the flow. 😅 Our town is small, busy because of the beach really swells in the summer. Nice conttrast though. Keep up the good work Dave. It's both educational and entertaining!
Hi, tipping always as a rule may be an escuse to business owners to reduce employees salary. But if the service is very good, of course you should do it.
Tipping is normal and traditional in Portugal, and it is still a good habit that many people consider appropriate. What the Portuguese do not consider appropriate is that tipping is mandatory, an amount previously posted, or taxed. So, please, tip the restaurant employee, the taxi driver, the driver who delivered the food to your home, if you feel happy and can see someone smiling at you.
I am portuguese and I love your videos :) By the way, Did you know that we have been discussing the construction of the new airport for over 50 years? That's the portuguese way of postponing :D
Well, as a portuguese I also experience this culture shock xD Regarding services and professionalism, I never encountered those problems until I had to have contact with Architects and Construction companies. Depending on where you live, most of the services (except public ones) will show up or will be at your home 10/20min after you called to complain (tip: always complain!!!!!!!). But we are trully known for not being pontual at anything (blame the schools/universities - always arrive 15min late). Other tip for those that need to eat outside of the typical meal hours: shopping mall restaurants will serve you at any time! So if you are in a big city, just search for shopping malls and then find the food court and you can eat. Also most of the big groceries called "Pingo Doce" have a food court and those that don't (because they are smaller), normally have take-away and have a small zone with tables and microwaves for you to heat your food and sit down to eat it!
@@AnneAlready be aware that im not sure if the food court (with meals made on the spot) will be working outside meal time, but there is always take away meals - I normally buy them at the end of day (6pm) for my dinner (at 8/9pm).
I'm usually not on the side of bosses or big company owners, but maybe you should consider, Dave, that the reason there aren't as many cashiers in stores, even in big stores, like supermarket chains, is because employees aren't paid as miserably as in the US. Don't get me wrong, I think their pay is very low for our cost of life, and big companies can certainly afford to pay them more AND have more employees, and should do it! But, as low as the payment is, I don't know any cashier that needs to have two jobs (let alone three) just to pay for food and rent - as I'm told happens a lot in the US. Also, they can be SEATED while working (which is, to me, another incomprehensible thing about the US)!
There's a difference between toilets, there's a video on youtube that explains it and it's to do with clogging and stuff. I've never in my 21 years of life seen a clogged toilet.
I feel your pain Dave, as a Brit in Portugal we suffer similar frustrations but there is so much good that goes with it. I have a different situation to you because my wife is Portuguese but I still see her getting very frustrated with all of the same things, tradespersons, bureaucracy, prices and driving. Mind you her parking infuriates me. I spent more than 20 years in Africa so quite acclimatised to having to be patient, I am probably more so than my wife. I have heard it said many times, when going anywhere in Africa the first thing you have to pack is patience. It applies to Portugal as well. The additional tax on vehicles, ISV, is probably the most frustrating for me, this is what makes cars so much more expensive here. It still even applies to old/classic cars. I looked at importing a modern classic car from the UK recently, because it had a relatively large engine and high CO2 rating it was going to cost me 4 times as much to import it than to pay for it initially in the UK, crazy! I'm guessing you are not far away from Lisboa from what you say, I am further north in Aveiro and there are some regional differences but the challenges are similar all over, probably more accentuated in the rural areas but still present all over. Stick with it Dave, there is no doubt that learning the language will be a massive help even though there are many people both speak and want to speak English. I find it very hard though 🙃🤔
Lovely video, great culture shocks. Don't know if you made one before, but you could do one video just about food cultural shocks. Also thank you for the last one about the tipping, and asking people to stop tipping in excess in tourist places. We cannot afford that and we still deserve good service and unfortunately when your server expects a tip and sees a PT they don't try at all. And this isn't okay. Thank you for understanding this issue. Have a great day! Bom dia!
In regards to toilet design many countries in Europe follow the same design as you observed in Portugal. But as you said there are variants of the same design that are much worse, like in Sweden for example and the other countries you mentioned.
I've been living in Portugal for almost 10 years now and I think there are some things you said that aren't really true or at least I've never seen. 1. The toilets - never seen toilets like the ones u mentioned here in Portugal. Never. 2. There are no bidets in public restrooms that's for sure, but in any house I've ever been in there is at least one. 3. In 9+ plus years I've only seen people doing it outside like at least once and it was someone from my home country where its way more natural to do it (Angola). 4. Portugal economy I wouldnt say its the best and its leaders don't really care but normally large building have elevators that's for sure unless they are really old. 5. If u ever talked to someone from Amadora, a region in lisbon, you would know how many people walk around with guns or knife. The news every week have a different story with a tragedy of someone shooting at others, normally same family members. Now for the rest, you are on point, which is kinda sad 😂
I am Portuguese and in my opinion one of the most aggravating problems, is parking, People just park everywhere they feel like and in a lot of cases when they are called for, they get angry like if they are in the right. worse cases for me is when they bloc a door, a garage, a passage way, near the corners so heavy vehicle can't pass, the list goes one. Also in parking lots a big majority of people don't seen to know the purpose of the marks on the pavement and don't seem to be able to park within the lines and take always more than one parking spot.
To be fair, as a Portuguese, the culture of men pissing everyone is absolutely uncivilised. Unfortunately though it is fairly common in many places even outside Portugal. In Czech Republic for example it's so common people will just do it and talk about it so normally, even I who is regrettably used to it, was shocked.
Culture shock videos are the best, cause its things you've always dealt with, but never really payed any attention to , because it was normal... but then the culture shock video comes up about your country and you realise "hum, i guess we do that" funny stuff
Excellent information, not always what I want to hear, but excellent take on the Portuguese culture. I better bring a suitcase full of patience or get a big vial of Xanax😬
In Washington DC and Maryland, there was just a 16 yo girl shot dead in front of her high school, a teen boy shot dead walking home from school, another teen boy shot dead at a DC Metro station and two young men, who were cousins shot dead. This was just in the last two days, just in my area. I fear everyday for my family’s safety from gunfire.
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You couldn't be more wrong. Tipping is essential in the Algarve and as a long tradition. In the 80's and 90's people in restaurants, bars and hotels would make more money in tips than their wage. After adopting the european currency that changed but even today in the restaurants and hotels, people serving customers can earn annually around 2 to 4 monthly wages in tops adding to there regular wage. So, no!
DON'T STOP TIPPING.
@@bcool9272no he’s not wrong. And if you would have actually listened to the video that’s EXACTLY what he said about Algarve. I don’t want Americans here making tipping a standard. Take that shit back to yankee land
I signed up using the link and was still put into a waiting list
If you want to eat a good burrito or taco, visit "La Mexicanita" in Leiria
Dave, let's box each other? 3-2 minute rounds?
People do tip in Portugal, and there's nothing against doing it. The difference is that here you must EARN or DESERVE your tip, by doing your job especially well, or as you say, above and beyond. But Portuguese people do tip - sometimes generously - if they are happy with the service they just had. So, don't think you are changing the culture by tipping. If you are happy with your service, tip. If you are not, don't. That's the difference.
thats what i was going to comment! obrigado
Exactly....whats the point to tip if you hated the service 😂😅....even if you are on the usa... Jennifer Lopez hated to tip...even if She enjoyed the meal!!!!😅
that is very accurate, im portuguese and i tip if i think the service is well done. nothing more nothing less
Tipping is an american habit and you often find it in americanised cultures. You often simply don't tip here. I am against tipping in general and most of the people I know also avoid tipping. It's quite a political discussion though and a fun one to have imo
In restaurants, tipping is costumary, but usually its just a "keep the change" thing.
So if thw bill is 18,75, you pay 20€ and leave the change at the table
I am Portuguese, I'm 34 and I still get culture shocks within my own country. 😂❤
😂 😂Me too. 😂😂
I'm br and for me I'm just amazed with the similarities hahahhaha
Your country has been through a lot! Just as well the people who live there are so awesome.
😂😂😂😂😂😂
Same here! Lol. Honestly, I have to count to ten and breath deeply every time I’m there. Portugal is on a different time dimension 😂
About the tipping culture, the problem of tourists doing it here is not that they're "changing the culture", it's that by doing so you're telling the restaurant manager that they can pay the waiters less because you (the customer) are paying more, and that's a problem. It's not up to the good-hearted customers to pay a worker's salary; it's up to their boss.
Mexican here. My wife is from Porto and wants to move back. Currently waiting on my citizenship. I Lived in San Diego and know Baja style Mexican food well. Portugal had TONS of seafood and I look forward to seeing what I can source when I move there and maybe open a small Ensenada style taqueria… All depends on if I can source what I need to get the flavors and quality I require to do it.
I will grow your peppers! Mexican-American farmer and cook moving to Porto 😊
@@Wee_Catalyst orele!!!! That’s probably what I’d need if I can’t find Serrano and other peppers needed to get the taste. 😃
mexican with the american flag?? typical traitor
Let me know and I'll be there! Baja fish tacos all day!
You certainly can source the ingredients you need. We are finishing off our homemade shredded chicken enchiladas with homemade habanero salsa today.
What you said in the section about professionalism in Portugal is completely true, but especially with construction work companies. You have to almost stalk them constantly to get the job done. My brother is renovating his house and the people either say they're showing up but they don't, or they do show up but only work for 3 hours out of the whole day. It drives people insane, it's so infuriating. And when they do show up, they even give suggestions on how you can improve this and that and we're like "Yeah, I would pay you for it, but are you actually gonna show up to do it?" 💀
So true! LMFAO
The problem is that those people are full of work, but they almost never say no to any work that appears. This means that they end up accepting 200 or 300 % of what they could realistically do and end up doing 150%.
No excuse here and it is only natural for people to have certain opinions about them.
The problem is worsen by the fact that there is not enough people to work on those jobs.
Why? That is a question with complex answer. But i think that most people in the field will have different opinion depending mainly if you are an employee or an employer.
hey, what about a contractor who starts the job, leave all his tools on site and..just vanish? I called him 3 days later and dude just told he "do not worry (really?) my cousin from elsewhere came over and I took him to Algarve ..lol
@@luizgustavofarias6848
hahaha so true! Thank you for the wonderful comment Olivia!
Portugal (Lisbon, Sesimbra) beautiful. My experience visiting Portugal has been humbling and eye-opening. In my opinion, if you’re considering moving to Portugal, learn the language (at least the basics) and customs. Trying to conduct business or get services done in a timely manner here is challenging; patience is required. My advice to anyone contemplating moving to Portugal is to visit and spend at least a month in the country before making a final decision
Very unfortunately, yes.
Have some respect and put a reasonable effort into learning our language
Great comment! Thank you
Hi, sesimbra it's not in lisbon, it's in setubal, another district, it does belong to the metropolitan area of Lisbon but is not Lisbon
But I totally agree about needing patience to burocracies haha
I hope you liked our country!
Hey, I'm Portuguese, and my whole family and I always tip for anything that saves the food, if the service is good.
As a supermarket cashier in Portugal, the elderly people talking about the weather and the prices it so real. If I don't have anyone behind them I'm more than happy to have a conversation but if there's a big line I get so frustrated because I can't simply tell them to go away I have to nod and smile and ignore the glares that the customers in line are giving me! As if it's my fault, I'm actually really quick with scanning groceries 😭😭
I’m half Portuguese, half Kiwi and 32! I’ve lived in New Zealand most of my life and want to live in Portugal to learn the language and my culture ❤! But I’m a bit nervous and don’t know where to start! Thanks for the videos, they are giving me a bit of confidence to give it a go!😊
Thank you Gabriel! Appreciate the comment
Hi Gabriel, try to come to small cities like Oliveira do Hospital near by Coimbra and start from there!
I know Portuguese since is my native tongue (pt-br) and would like to help.
I recommend Covilhã! This is where I live and here there are almost no severe crimes being commited and prices are really cheap here! And yes, a tip from a portuguese!
Don't bother. It's a shitehole. New Zealand may be a little proto police state these days and a shadow of its former self, but its's still a darn sight more civilized and sane than Portugal is.
Portuguese citizen here. I have to agree with all that you said, especially the lack of professionalism from many companies. It drives me crazy too!!!
Não, não és Português de todo quando concordas com palhaços ricos como este gajo que vem praqui viver à nossa conta, os que pensam que a dependência extrema do turismo (que entra para a balança das exportações) é algo bom, são o problema da nossa nação, são os que votam PS, como tu o deves ter feito para estares aqui todo alegre a consumir este lixo de conteúdo.
I'm Portuguese, my girlfriend is soon to move here and she is from Michigan, your channel has been a very nice window for her into things I don't realize here.
As the professionals you mentioned, 100%, it is what it is unfortunately. My best advice is to find someone who had some service similar to yours and knows "a guy", befriend that guy, keep that guy, don't let that guy go ever, tip that guy.
We lived in southern Germany when I was young, and my older teenaged sisters could walk home from a friend's house at 10:30pm ore even midnight in perfect safety. I really miss that!
Portugal is one of the safest countries in the world. Any way is not just about safety...Portugal is beautiful beyond words.
@trave7644 i live in Lisbon's metropolitan area and the safety and beautifulness of places is subjective. Some places are not well kept
@trave7644 yes it's nice
NO, Portugal is NOT a 'safe' country. That is a myth that is perpetuated by far too many expats and Portuguese themselves. If you mean that it has a relatively low 'violent crime rate, then that has some truth, BUT even that is rising significantly, especially in Lisbon and Porto. Violent crime is undoubtedly going up in Portugal. Even so, true safety encompasses much more than that. Let me illuminate the delusional: You are NOT 'safe' when your 81-year-old mother has been assaulted by a neighbour and it takes the police more than an hour to pitch up and take a statement, only for no charges or anything being possible because they say 'there were no witnesses to what happened!'. You are NOT 'safe' when the judicial system of a country is at near-collapse and completely dysfunctional, as the Portuguese government recently admitted. You are NOT safe when government agencies that should protect citizen rights are dysfunctional or don't work at all. You are NOT 'safe' when the criminal and civil laws of a country are overwhelmingly badly written, illogical or downright ludicrous - or cannot be enforced due to complete inertia by the police and courts alike. That is Portugal today - a lawless, corrupt banana republic masquerading as a 'safe' country. It is not safe if you ever get in trouble or need the law to work. Any person who comes from a country, however flawed, where at least they can count on logical laws, courts that work and police they can count on should be aware: Portugal does NOT offer you that. So, no, sorry, but you're not that safe in a country like that.
What’s the best thing about Portugal 🇵🇹?
*almost zero crime* (compared to the rest of the world !! )
Thank the hard working and efficient GNR
The "clean bum bum" comment made me laugh. Hey Dave, I read the article about you in the business magazine. Nice piece. Keep up the great videos!
Some of the facts are true, some less so, but I had a few laughs while agreeing... keep on entertaining us, Portuguese, please
Thank you for the great comment!
Well done, as usual! And love your recent makeover! Also, this set with the plants and tiles, plus nice lighting - lovely!
Thanks!
Thank you Ms. Daphster 🙏🏻
Another great video, Dave! I have to say, your commentary on toilets is spot on. I'm so glad that someone said the quiet part out loud. After almost 2 years in Portugal, I thought that I had maybe developed some sort of disfunction. Good to realize the it's not just me. Smooth move, my friend! (sorry, I couldn't help myself) 🤪
I agree. Experienced the same issue and confusion the first two months after moving here. Now I've become a master toilet brush handler.
hahahaha I see what you did ther
@@daveinportugal 😂 Couldn't help myself. The Chicago way hasn't yet been completely washed out after 2 years plus in Portugal.
I have to be honest. I have lived in Portugal all my life and never seen those kind of toilets ahah, so I am quite surprise to see that some people have encountered them. I live in Lisbon and I have went to the South and North Center of Portugal many times and never seen a toilet like that ahah, maybe you guys were unlucky? xD I really don't know
Great show Dave. Always look forward to your commentary
You think you know what 'relaxed' means. Then you move to Portugal and realize you’ve been in overdrive your whole life!! 😅
Yeah, and that gets very tired very quickly.
Quick comment on the iPhone price example. In Portugal (whole Europe) the price you quoted includes the tax. You need to add sales tax to the US price, which in many places is 10% and more.
You also need to factor in the warranty. I believe we have up to three years now in Portugal. Add 2-years of AppleCare to the price in the US.
I enjoy your videos , honesty and perspectives greatly.
I've been in Porto for 4.5 months now after visiting Portugal three times before.
One comment regarding tipping is that when my partner and I eat out, I have very carefully watched the native Portuguese in nontourists areas and have never obselved any tipping in the everyday confeterias and pasteleries, etc. Even in the higher end restuarants where they bring the check on a tray or a container, I've not observed tipping some people describe (the 5% or one or two euros).
It's a shame when Americans insist on imposing our tipping culture in Portugal. I believe tipping here causes more harm than good.
A lot of the stuff you mentioned, like high gas prices, are common throughout Europe
the tipping culture here in the US has drastically changed since CV19. Now even some fast food places expect tips. However wages for service staff is not the same as professional servers in EURO. Another change that is sad to see at least in my city is the lack of servers here in the US. Not sure where they all went since CV19 but many restaurants are struggling just to find staff. And grocery stores are now getting closer to what you described in Portugal. Fewer cashiers and much longer lives.
I stopped tipping more than 5-10% unless I receive great or extraordinary service. It’s gone way out of hand in the USA all the digital payment devices starting at 20% tip usually for nothing. Scooping me an ice cream isn’t a tip-able event! LOL
The servers, cooks, etc generally get something wrong at all but the best restaurants so I don’t feel the need to tip. Let the server go back to the kitchen and complain to the cook that got my order wrong or let the waiter figure out that they rung up my ticket incorrectly, etc.
They’re struggling to find staff because fewer people are willing to work for poverty wages, and I’m all for it-the hope that we can continue to exploit people and sell them the American Dream at the same needs to die a quicker death but hopefully it’s on the way
It mostly is because here in European countries the tax is already included in the price you pay, while the USA is one of the very rare countries around the world where the tax isn’t included in the price and the tipping is mandatory to pay the tax.
Having lived in Italy for many years (now in US) I can assure you (1) many (not all) cultural differences are the same as in Portugal, and (2) when your visit USA you will experience REVERSE CULTURE shock! I travel often between Europe and USA, so I experience reverse culture EVERY DAY. It doesn’t go away-just have to adjust my expectations. Great video. 👍🏻
I will be doing a video of the reverse culture shock when I get back to USA! Thanks for the great comment
We experienced that too after a short trip back. Couldn't wait to return here.
Dude that was hilarious. I almost snarfed my soup when u did the bit about the toilet.
Very informative and efficient episode, great job Dave 👍👍
it's not informative AT ALL - it's absolute nonsense. This is not the Portuguese. And if you come here you should tip people.
About tips, no one usually expects/ demands tips.
Usually, we might give just to round some bill, depending on the occasion and if the service is really good.
If I’m in an upbeat downtown restaurant and the service was perfect, the bill is 38.50 and I’m paying cash, I give 40, and say: “keep the change”.
Otherwise, if the service is not good or just average, then no tip whatsoever.
We do have a tipping culture, as a way to recognise a premium service. But not as a “standard to all” tipping mechanism.
The employees accept the tip and you gain respect from giving, especially if you are a regular customer. Next time, he will attend you even better. This is what tips in Portugal serve for.
Good onya Dave.Another home run! Thank you.
Great video! Thanks for keeping it family friendly. Appreciate the tips & details after two years of your experiences.
My pregnant wife was treated like royalty at the AIRPORT in Lisbon last summer. I fully agree with the strong Catholic ideals statement!
Yes, and even not being religious as an adult, I still follow such values. There are good values there, even being a lesbian vegan feminist etc such as me. 😁💖
We has a similar experience in Italy. There was a special red carpet entrance for parents with kids in security. It was so nice and stress free.
In southern europe there's a strong sense of community, the concept of individualism doesn't really exist, so, there's like a hierarchy of respect, something similar to disabled elders, elders, disabled women, pregnant women, women, disabled men, kids, and finally men in general
In Brazil, if you are with a child, pregnant, over 60 years old or have any disability, you will always have priority to sit, to be served, generally every place has special queues, I was surprised when I grew up and saw that it wasn't like that in many countries
@@tatini7591 In Portugal it is the same, it is the law, although for many people it is natural to give this priority
Great video ! The toilets and the driving fast and cutting corners on rural roads really resonated . I thought maybe it was only me that had noticed 🤨
Just one more comment, and then I'll go: in spite of some inaccuracies, I really, really like your videos, Dave. I think you're really nice, and intelligent, because you know that different people do things differently, and you expect AND appreciate that. Good for you! And, of course, as any other Portuguese, I really like you liking to live here! 😄
Your complaint about professionalism is relevant to Tennessee, too! ALL of my friends have that issue, from lawn mowers to plumbers to roofers!
I've only lived in Porto for 6 months but I laughed out loud at some of these. The toilets...omg. And I could do without seeing a man peeing on the stairs next to my apartment ever again. I agree about the accessibility, I actually saw a rally downtown with about 20 people in wheelchairs one day and have seen 3 people when I was out and about in wheelchairs but that is it. This is one of the things the US gets right. One thing I've noticed in addition to family time is that older couples walk together and talk more. They seem to enjoy each other's company and are interested in conversation. It's heartening to see this and it seems cultural because it is so common in my neighborhood in Porto.
I am Portuguese. Just to say that I liked your video, as it is mostly correct. Some of the “bad” things you mentioned, I don’t like them also. I am 60 years old I have experienced a lot of changes (for good) in this great small country. I have hope that those little “bad” things are going to be corrected over time. We count on you that come abroad, to help! Please be very welcome!
So happy you addressed the toilets. My solution is placing two TP sheets on the back sloping towards the water which makes a slide. That minimizes or eliminates the brush use.
Lmao...imma stay in FL..but stayed in lisbon for a day between flights
I'm portuguese and I find this hilarious
Traveling to Lisbon and Porto this month. Been watching your videos for several months. Thanks for all the info. Nice write up in Business Insider. We’re from Reno too.
I have lived my whole life in the US but just recently moved with my entire family to the Azores . We’ve been here 1 year and everything you listed gave me a good laugh. Still getting used to living on island but we wouldn’t trade it for anything . Plus having all of Europe at our finger tips is amazing, once our company is stable we have plans to travel and explore all of its entirety.💜 definitely subscribing 🤝🏼
hey, just out of curiosity, what island are you living in rn?
@@MigNobSimracing Terceira
Thank you, Dave 😂 I laugh so much because of this video. It is so true and as a portuguese person I find it funny that you got the message right.
I love the way you describe things here, especially the slow pace in life 😂 you can be in an hurry and some old person is talking about their life, their family, the weather, the prices, all of it. Poor people, they don't have anyone to talk to and most of the time is a nice way to get in touch with each other.
That is one of the reasons people in Portugal know each other 😉 at first it can sound a bit nosy since they are talking about their life but then you get used to it and find some friends because of it!
As for the slow services you have been experiencing, I am so sorry. Unfortunately, Portuguese people don't have the same clock as British people have 😅 you will find it to be a bit upsetting as much as I do. People do not get the concept of "on time" in some places in Portugal but be assured there are some places that are starting to understand it.
As for Portugal bring pricy in every kind of scenario you might think of, due to the low wages, some people can't afford a lot of things that foreigners can. I remember in university I had a Brazilian colleague that had a new apple phone and she was telling me how expensive it is in Portugal, however that does not actually bother us because we find reason price objects to be better since they live longer. If you know that I mean.
As for driving, don't get me start on that... Some people don't know the concept of speed limit, parking or even respect manners I suppose. Don't be upset it is not worth your time 😅 even if you try, some people won't listen unfortunately.
O the other hand, we have 4 meals: breakfast (pequeno almoço), lunch (almoço), lanche (you do not have it in America) and dinner (jantar). Normally you will have lunch between 12-15h. As for lanche, which is a type of brunch if I can compare, is between 16-18h. At lanche you will find a variety of things to eat, as you mentioned you can get pastel de nata but you can also eat sandwiches, French toasts, toasts, some sweets or some salty pastries. This is a light course for you to not die in between meals 😂
As you have mentioned you have a restrict schedule in America, so you will eat dinner earlier than us. Due to the fact that we don't get out of work before 18h or even 19h, it is usual to eat dinner between 19h-22h.
Dave, you can try to eat small meals between big meals such as breakfast and lunch, lunch and lanche or even lunch and dinner.
This "lanche" meal is in Portuguese culture so you won't find it anywhere else, that is why you should start to get used to the fact that you have a light lanche before dinner 😉
Last thing I want to mention, as you live by, you won't pay so much attention to elderly woman being on the balcony 😂 as a matter of fact, they are just spending time while their family aren't at home, sometimes they chat with nearby neighbours equally as the ones in the supermarket, or in the pharmacy.
I hope you get used to some things the good ones specially and have fun learning more about our culture 😁
Those old ladies are perfect to practice your Portuguese with! They have plenty of time, are interested in everything, are patient with your language efforts, and will help you improve. They are lovely free teachers!!
Thank you for the great comment!
My wife and I live part time in Porto.... loved your thoughts !! spot on .... thanks
Regarding the toilet bowl, maybe it designed to be use in the other direction? You need to seat and face toward the water tank 😂
It's a pleasure to have you here!
Dave, I have lived in Portugal (ex UK not USA) for 18 years now and I congratulate you on the best and most accurate video on the basic differences.
Next release, you might want to add the additional costs in buying and selling property here as opposed to other Countries. My last move (as I downsized here in the Algarve), cost me over 20k (when selliing) in Capital Gains and then over 10k in Purchase Tax. Things like IMI (like UK Council Tax) are much lower here than most other Countries I think. On a 350K property I only pay 360 euros per year for all local services.
Peeing in public as a woman or kid can also happen. If there's nothing around... 🤷♀️ And friends are for occasions so out girlfriends will help covering for us haha 😂
I agree about the no tipping policy but not just in Portugal but in most of Europe and Asia.
All culture shocks I can handle in exchange for my well-being 😊 Love the tile on the wall behind you
Great points, Dave. The Portuguese use minha senhora or meu senhor, which is very respectful. The benefit of living in a small is that you're forced to learn language. Your accent sounds good.
Parabens!
Speaking of tipping and taxes… no wonder (portuguese) people don’t tip in Portugal, the taxes are usually 23%, not your average American 8%.
It’s also important to remember how *low* the salaries are in Portugal.
In rural NY a part-time job (20h/w) in 2 weeks pays me the same as a full month, full time (40h/w) in Portugal. (Same type of job.)
That’s basically 4 times more.
We tip, usually only in services like restaurants or other places with more personal service and not just like a kiosk or clothing store. We also don't tip in %. If you want to tip big use a bill, it all depends. If you're just stopping for a cup of coffee and pastel de nata you wouldn't tip 10€, but you might tip 1 or 2€ if you feel like its going towards good service.
Also restaurants have each their own code on how to handle tips internally, either they go in a pot and split evenly to all staff, or they allow waiters to keep the full tip.
Em Portugal não é obrigatório dar gorgeta,voçê quando compra o bilhete ao motorista do transporte publico dá gorgeta ao motorista,claro que não dá. Ou só dá nos Restaurantes,não é obrigado a dar toçê dá porque quer.
Yeah (I'm Portuguese) in Portugal you can't just have a gun laying around in your car/pocket. The people who have guns are the police and licensed hunters, and those can only use them in certain areas
Visiting family in Portugal last year (2022), I was surprised just how much coffee they drink. And not the weak stuff, no the Portuguese go straight to espressos as their source of coffee. You won’t really see them drinking lattes, cuppaccinos, flat whites etc. Every day we ended up having around 4 shots of espresso: 1) with our breakfast, 2) downstairs at the local cafe, 3) with lunch or out & about, 4) with dinner. By day 5 I had to say no to all offers of coffee.
I hope you tip, not like this clown.
Almost 100% accurate, we drink capuccinos too
Hehehe sorry I presumed 😅 only because I only saw ppl drinking expressos at the cafes and my uncle & aunt only drank expresso. Apparently the Italians only drink lattes, cuppaccinos, etc until 11am. Is it the same in Portugal?
@@andi_audhd yes, that or at night
There’s a guy who came twice to my home and it’s almost 6 months and my AC still broken😂.
Once I went to a restaurant and I was at the line waiting for a table. Then owner came at the door, required attention and said: “it’s over. I’m closing. I got the money I needed for today.”
Dude, you give CinnamonToastKen vibes. Maybe it's just because of the glasses and beard but watching this video reminded me of him
This video made me laugh a lot. Just saying something regarding the "senhoras", family or the respect for elders. It's definitely not exclusive to Portugal, it's pretty common in southern europe. Well, it's also pretty common in latin america. Maybe the weather has something to do with it. EDIT: Still about family, and something that I've seen in more than one occasion, and I love seeing it, foreigners getting pretty uncomfortable, certainly it already happened to Dave, which is, today you meet someone new, chances are that tomorrow at the nearest café you'll meet the parents, brothers, nephews, the dog, the uncles that have been living in Venezuela for the last 40 years but for some reason they decided to visit that exact day. It happened to me more than once as a tourist in Spain, and I love it since we do the same
You forgot to talk about the roundabouts, so much safer imo. But ya, the car parking is insane lol.
About Mexican food, you should try Lá Siesta at Algés. Good restaurant.
I'm portuguese and love your videos.
As we say... Contínua😊
Las Gringas in Penha de França has really good Mexican food and very hot salsas. The carnitas are the best we have had in Portugal.
You're not alone, even for Brazilians Portugal is a culture shock. (I'm not talking about Lisbon, Porto, Faro and Lagos tbh)
Thanks again Dave, very informative as always. ❤
Amazing video. Very funny and all true! I love it. Thank you ❤😂
12:04 here in portugal our prices are lower for foreingners for the same reason we tend to hold on to material goods for longer: Our salaries are too low to aford extra expenses of good quality/newer. We can afford to pay our necessities like rent, food, water but the money that we have for other things is too little in comparison to other developed countries.
Many of these points show how small levels os corruption are just ingrained in the culture in Portugal (as in Brazil I would add). I bet it's quite different from the US in that sense
A corrupção existe em todos os países do mundo,SABIA?
it's so odd when you say it's safe in Porto and Lisbon, but at the same time, you hear that they are reckless drivers and someone crashed into a hose?
Good point, I think he’s referring to the massive gun violence and violent crime problem we have in the USA. More in the cities but still it scares me. And im a lifelong New Yorker we don’t scare easily.
@@andrewsussman2202 I agree. I think being an American living in another country and talking about America and politics requires more responsibility and clarity, especially when people are so polarized and edgy. Safe from gun shooting, yes, safe from car accidents maybe no.
A nice trivia people never saw it coming is that Portugal is a massive new cellphone consumers. In the early 00's till the mid 10's, portugal was the testbed for new models in europe. If it did well in Portugal, it would do well in the rest of the EU. Portuguese People change phones in average every 1.2 years
I even met the Nokia Marketing Director when I was doing a internship, while Nokia was shooting itself with the Microsoft OS they used.
As a portuguese, watching this made me lol a few times :D
Nice videos man!
Well put together Dave. Just a few things: Lisbon IS the most expensive capitol city in Europe. I think you will find that the prices for the products are roughly the same across Europe and yes, it’s a ruddy rip off compared to the US. As for the driving over here, lol, not so long ago the average death toll per 100km of road in Europe was 1 to 2, but here in Portugal it was 11 to 12! By the way, just like you, I live here too, for the past 45 years, I am English though lol.
This is not true. Bern Switzerland for one is far more expensive.
Lisbon is considered one of the most expensive cities not because of the total cost of living compared with other cities, but it's calculated taking in account the average wage versus house cost, food pricing and other stuff. The minimum wage (760€) is very low in comparison with other European countries, even the average is low because a huge percentage of the population only earn the minimum wage.
I'm Portuguese and you are 100 % right 👍
I think you are more integrated already than you think, Dave. Most of the negative things you mention are seen as negative for us Portuguese as well 😂
11:30 the markup isn't 444$, because here the iphone is 1350 euros after tax and in the US is 999 before tax
Oh man! Parking in Nazare was next level dude. I had to park my car in the new make shift overflow parking that the city (I'm assuming it was the city) constructed for tourist season. It was just nuts. And then almost overnight, there was space to park my car on the same block as my apartment, just in the last week, like nothing happened. Cray!
About the pee, I finally went back after nearly two decades and noticed it was actually better! And whereas there used to be dog shit everywhere, now I hardly saw any. Even littering is getting better.
My husband and i retired here about 2 years ago and love it. Your right though about some of the cultural adjustments to be made. We came expecting those, so it's been fine for us to just (generally) go with the flow. 😅 Our town is small, busy because of the beach really swells in the summer. Nice conttrast though. Keep up the good work Dave. It's both educational and entertaining!
Hi, tipping always as a rule may be an escuse to business owners to reduce employees salary. But if the service is very good, of course you should do it.
Tipping is normal and traditional in Portugal, and it is still a good habit that many people consider appropriate. What the Portuguese do not consider appropriate is that tipping is mandatory, an amount previously posted, or taxed. So, please, tip the restaurant employee, the taxi driver, the driver who delivered the food to your home, if you feel happy and can see someone smiling at you.
I am portuguese and I love your videos :) By the way, Did you know that we have been discussing the construction of the new airport for over 50 years? That's the portuguese way of postponing :D
I have heard this. Wonder where it will be? 🤔
@@daveinportugal I think it will not be in my life time. Maybe another reincarnation 😂
😂
Well, as a portuguese I also experience this culture shock xD
Regarding services and professionalism, I never encountered those problems until I had to have contact with Architects and Construction companies. Depending on where you live, most of the services (except public ones) will show up or will be at your home 10/20min after you called to complain (tip: always complain!!!!!!!). But we are trully known for not being pontual at anything (blame the schools/universities - always arrive 15min late).
Other tip for those that need to eat outside of the typical meal hours: shopping mall restaurants will serve you at any time! So if you are in a big city, just search for shopping malls and then find the food court and you can eat. Also most of the big groceries called "Pingo Doce" have a food court and those that don't (because they are smaller), normally have take-away and have a small zone with tables and microwaves for you to heat your food and sit down to eat it!
Thanks for the tips. I didn't know that about Pingo Doce.
@@AnneAlready be aware that im not sure if the food court (with meals made on the spot) will be working outside meal time, but there is always take away meals - I normally buy them at the end of day (6pm) for my dinner (at 8/9pm).
Thanks for the great insight Raquel!
Parabéns raquel, dar tiros no pé é o desporto preferido de portuga ...
@eng.terzievkostadin223 learn to be respectful and mind your business
I'm usually not on the side of bosses or big company owners, but maybe you should consider, Dave, that the reason there aren't as many cashiers in stores, even in big stores, like supermarket chains, is because employees aren't paid as miserably as in the US. Don't get me wrong, I think their pay is very low for our cost of life, and big companies can certainly afford to pay them more AND have more employees, and should do it! But, as low as the payment is, I don't know any cashier that needs to have two jobs (let alone three) just to pay for food and rent - as I'm told happens a lot in the US. Also, they can be SEATED while working (which is, to me, another incomprehensible thing about the US)!
There's a difference between toilets, there's a video on youtube that explains it and it's to do with clogging and stuff. I've never in my 21 years of life seen a clogged toilet.
I feel your pain Dave, as a Brit in Portugal we suffer similar frustrations but there is so much good that goes with it. I have a different situation to you because my wife is Portuguese but I still see her getting very frustrated with all of the same things, tradespersons, bureaucracy, prices and driving. Mind you her parking infuriates me. I spent more than 20 years in Africa so quite acclimatised to having to be patient, I am probably more so than my wife. I have heard it said many times, when going anywhere in Africa the first thing you have to pack is patience. It applies to Portugal as well. The additional tax on vehicles, ISV, is probably the most frustrating for me, this is what makes cars so much more expensive here. It still even applies to old/classic cars. I looked at importing a modern classic car from the UK recently, because it had a relatively large engine and high CO2 rating it was going to cost me 4 times as much to import it than to pay for it initially in the UK, crazy! I'm guessing you are not far away from Lisboa from what you say, I am further north in Aveiro and there are some regional differences but the challenges are similar all over, probably more accentuated in the rural areas but still present all over. Stick with it Dave, there is no doubt that learning the language will be a massive help even though there are many people both speak and want to speak English. I find it very hard though 🙃🤔
Great review! I’m Portuguese and couldn’t agree more with you! Keep on going with your great vlogs! Congrats!
És Português???? Tens a certeza? Ao concordar com este palhaço?
Wonderful video!
Thanks & Love from Israel ❤
Lovely video, great culture shocks. Don't know if you made one before, but you could do one video just about food cultural shocks. Also thank you for the last one about the tipping, and asking people to stop tipping in excess in tourist places. We cannot afford that and we still deserve good service and unfortunately when your server expects a tip and sees a PT they don't try at all. And this isn't okay. Thank you for understanding this issue. Have a great day! Bom dia!
In regards to toilet design many countries in Europe follow the same design as you observed in Portugal. But as you said there are variants of the same design that are much worse, like in Sweden for example and the other countries you mentioned.
I've been living in Portugal for almost 10 years now and I think there are some things you said that aren't really true or at least I've never seen.
1. The toilets - never seen toilets like the ones u mentioned here in Portugal. Never.
2. There are no bidets in public restrooms that's for sure, but in any house I've ever been in there is at least one.
3. In 9+ plus years I've only seen people doing it outside like at least once and it was someone from my home country where its way more natural to do it (Angola).
4. Portugal economy I wouldnt say its the best and its leaders don't really care but normally large building have elevators that's for sure unless they are really old.
5. If u ever talked to someone from Amadora, a region in lisbon, you would know how many people walk around with guns or knife. The news every week have a different story with a tragedy of someone shooting at others, normally same family members.
Now for the rest, you are on point, which is kinda sad 😂
Another very informative and entertaining video, Dave! Very talented!
Thank you Mary 🙏🏻
I already said this but I say it again.
This is the most honest review of my country that I have seen from any foreigner 👍
I am Portuguese and in my opinion one of the most aggravating problems, is parking, People just park everywhere they feel like and in a lot of cases when they are called for, they get angry like if they are in the right. worse cases for me is when they bloc a door, a garage, a passage way, near the corners so heavy vehicle can't pass, the list goes one. Also in parking lots a big majority of people don't seen to know the purpose of the marks on the pavement and don't seem to be able to park within the lines and take always more than one parking spot.
To be fair, as a Portuguese, the culture of men pissing everyone is absolutely uncivilised. Unfortunately though it is fairly common in many places even outside Portugal. In Czech Republic for example it's so common people will just do it and talk about it so normally, even I who is regrettably used to it, was shocked.
The music immediately after you said ding-dong was fitting. Que ótimo 👍🏼
Im portugues and i totally agree with everything you said !😊
Culture shock videos are the best, cause its things you've always dealt with, but never really payed any attention to , because it was normal... but then the culture shock video comes up about your country and you realise "hum, i guess we do that" funny stuff
Well done Dave, spot on! Laughed alot! All true.
Excellent information, not always what I want to hear, but excellent take on the Portuguese culture. I better bring a suitcase full of patience or get a big vial of Xanax😬
Broooo i forgot how much i love your videos! Keep up the good job! Some things made me scratch my head i confess! 😝😝😝
Pleaseee somebody tell me the name of that instrumentals at 1:58 I’ve got too many bars coming out of me not to know
In Marques de Pombal (Lisbon) you have 2 Vietnamese restaurants nearby and a Mexican as well.
In Washington DC and Maryland, there was just a 16 yo girl shot dead in front of her high school, a teen boy shot dead walking home from school, another teen boy shot dead at a DC Metro station and two young men, who were cousins shot dead. This was just in the last two days, just in my area. I fear everyday for my family’s safety from gunfire.