Portugal 🇵🇹

Inês, 27

Born in Porto, Portugal

Came to Australia in November 2019

How did we meet?

I followed the Instagram page of BamboraAustralia, which is run by Inês and her partner, João.

What is your occupation?

I am a barista at Royal Bakery cafe at Potts Point for now although this isn’t my normal occupation. Back in Portugal, I did landscape architecture as I studied a Bachelor and Masters of Landscape Architecture. We lived in Cairns for 5 months and during that time, I worked as a travel agent at Peterpans.

Why did you come to Australia?

We wanted to experience living outside our country; although we’d travelled to the Middle East, Brazil and South-East Asia, we’d never actually lived outside Portugal for an extended period of time.

We had many Portuguese friends who were already living in Australia on working holiday visas and had heard fabulous feedback from all of them about the Australian lifestyle.

The reason why we initially arrived in Cairns is that as part of the working holiday visa (462) requirements, we needed to work in either the tourism, hospitality or agricultural industries.

It was a great decision in hindsight as I felt like we actually connected with Australians: there’s much more to Australia than just the major cities like Sydney or Melbourne. We felt the hospitality firsthand as we were sponsored by a few host families through this program called Adopt a Backpacker, which started during the COVID-19 pandemic.

What do you like about Sydney?

Even though you are living in a big city, it feels like a small village at times. Regardless of what suburb you live in, you have access to many amenities in each and every suburb and so, you don’t really need to visit the city to do anything.

There’s a connection between the city and the abundant nature that surrounds it. It makes you feel relaxed and I feel like I’m slowly becoming a local, day by day. Mountains, beaches, national parks and botanical gardens can easily be accessed as well.

On a similar note, I love how Australians embrace the outdoors; it is quite dissimilar to Portuguese culture.

What don’t you like about Sydney?

When I first moved to Sydney, I lived near Central and really didn’t like how crowded and bustling it was. It was also filthy which was surprising; heaps of people would be loitering outside and creating a public disturbance late at night.

Compared to Portugal, there is next to no nightlife in Sydney. For example, we can drink outside in Europe without anyone batting an eyelid and we’d be partying till much later in the night.

Another aspect is that compared to Portugal and other European countries, there is a lack of culture and history in Australia: it isn’t really Australia’s fault either since it is a very new country, relatively speaking.

All in all, there are far more things that we like than dislike about Sydney and Australia.

What would you like to say to Sydneysiders?

Thank you for being so inclusive of others. You are really open-minded in regards to different cultures.

This really surprised us as Australians genuinely want to get to know us, it isn’t superficial at all.

What languages do you speak?

Portuguese (native), English, Spanish, French

We learnt both Spanish and French in high school. Also, when we were younger, we watched cartoons like Doraemon which were in Spanish.

In Portugal, we don’t tend to dub foreign-language media. In other words, we consume it in the original language, whether it is French, Spanish, English or Brazillian Portuguese. This is why we have an easier time learning foreign languages.

Teach us one word/phrase from your native language.

Desenmerda-te

It literally means “unsh*t yourself” or get yourself out of a sticky situation.

What is one thing you want us to know about your native country?

Our country is the head of Europe and for that reason, we have a unique Mediterranean climate that allows us to produce amazing food and landscapes, like the Azores, Geres National Park and the Rio Duoro Valley. These places are not as touristy as say, Algarve, but they’re just as beautiful.

We prioritise sharing moments together with friends and family. It’s a small country but there are many different places to visit. We love welcoming guests and showing them a good time; this is what separates us from other cultures in my opinion.

Who is the most famous person in your native country?

Ronaldo

It has to be him! Every time I mention I’m from Portugal, people inevitably mention Cristiano Ronaldo. Born in Madeira, he’s one of the greatest footballers of all time.

What is the best dish in your native country?

Bacalhau à Zé do Pipo

There are hundreds of recipes for bacalhau, the Portuguese word for cod.

My favourite dish is a casserole, consisting of layers of bacalhau (previously boiled in milk), onion (or pickles), mashed potatoes with a hint of ground nutmeg and mayonnaise.

The recipe originates from Porto, my home city, and is named after its creator, Zé do Pipo, who owned a famous restaurant in that city during the 1960s.

Disclaimer: All posts are personal opinions and perspectives of the interviewees and are not a perfect representation of the whole country/experience.