My Lisbon Experience so far!
I've
been in Lisbon for almost 3 months, which is a surprising amount of time
considering that my placement is almost a third complete! So far Portugal and
Lisbon have welcomed me with open arms. My arrival was in January, a few weeks
before my project actually started. I wanted to accustom myself with the local
way of life before any of the work actually started. I took the time to explore
the city, meet people, try new foods, listen to the language and immerse myself
into this experience. I have been really taken aback by the beauty of this
city. There are stark contrasts between Lisbon and my small town in the UK.
Coming from North Wales, I am used to countryside, farms, local pubs and
virtually non existent public transport. Suddenly Lisbon has taken over my
conscience with its bustling streets and warm balmy weather. I have been
inundated with different smells and tastes that I do not encounter when I'm at
home, especially when it comes to food and drink. Its hard not to fall in love with a way of
life that is focussed on the act of eating together and socialising.
My
project has been very involving, with many different learning curves in the
process. The main language of the office is Portuguese, so I have been plunged
into the deep end in terms of communication. Although everybody speaks English
very well at the office, there is strong emphasis on picking up the lingo in
order to communicate and embrace the culture. This has been aided by the twice
weekly intensive course which is designed to get you talking in a short space
of time. So far I'm growing in confidence, using phrases and actually starting
to understand. I'm finding it quite amazing how the mind can just pick up a
language when it is forced to. After my 9 month placement, my goal is to be
relatively conversational in Portuguese, which means I may have to ditch my
English for the time being! 
I
have already been very involved within the running of the association, which
I'm really enjoying. I have had the chance to participate in the running of a
week long seminar for other European organisations and integrate with local
youths for English conversation lessons. I know that once the summer arrives
properly here in Lisbon, the schedule will only get busier. I am really excited
to continue my learning process and develop my own ideas throughout the
placement.
I
think that EVS has given me a fantastic opportunity. I feel so lucky to be able
to carry out my placement in such good surroundings and with great people. I
think that European and international awareness is so important to understand
and through my EVS, I am not only able to learn more about Portugal, but also
about other internationals I meet along the way.
