Lessons in life

Probably the best lesson in life I ever had was given to me by a brasilian friend-of-a-friend, though that was clearly not the intention.

Over 10 years ago, while I was still living near Lisbon, this friend-of-a-friend kept comparing Portugal to Brazil, and how much better Brazil was, how the sun was warmer, how the people were nicer, how the food tasted better, and so on and so forth.

Needless to say that I constantly felt like telling her to go back home and stay there, if it's that much better.

Well, now I'm living abroad, bulding a life in a country where the sun is colder, the people are definitely not nice and the food has no taste, but you'll never hear me complain about it. This we might call politeness, but I would prefer naming it "politically correct".

That's why you'll never hear me complain about the ham, dried ham, so-called "presunto", cheese (be it young, mild or old) that always taste the same. That's why you'll never hear me complain about the absolute revultion my stomach goes through everytime I see a truck driver eating a steak for lunch and drinking a glass of milk with it. That's why you'll never hear me complain about the 3 years it took me to know my ex-neighbour's first name. That's why you'll never hear me complain about the lack of choice in super(?)markets. That's why you'll never hear me complain about not being able to shop after 17:00 on any given day. That's why you'll never hear me complain about not wearing my sunglasses for 3-4 months in a row (this one is very hard). That's why you'll never hear me complain about paying 50€ for a dustbin-unworthy meal, 20€ for undrinkable wine, eating sandwiches at lunch time (you make them yourself), the "you people from the south" insinuations (from the south and very proud of it, thank you), the weirdest toilets in the world, and I could go on and on and on.

No, you have my word, I will never complain about this, I've learned my lesson.