#expat blog

[atelierbellanda]

Madame Eiffel shines her light on Paris… sigh

Is it ever truly possible to get used to seeing this magnificent structure? Eiffel Tower in Paris, France – Photo credit: Bellanda I for one have never gotten used to it. Its brilliant light still makes my heart skip a beat. ❤️

[lifeintheexpatlane]

Expat Adventure: Miss Footloose and the Serpent

Finding a serpent in my African garden was not the expat adventure I was looking for, but being a useless expat has its advantages.

More fun stories!

[phantom-paradox]

waltuh

[resplendentoutfit]

Painted Ladies and their Biggest Fans

Frank Dicksee (British, 1853-1928) • An Offering • Unknown date • Private collection

Valentine Cameron Prinsep (British/English, 1838–1904) • Leonora of Mantua • 1873

Left: John Hubbard Rich (American, 1876-1954)

Right: Hélier Cosson (French, 1897-1976) • Lady with a Fan • 1922

Julius LeBlanc Stewart (American/active in Paris, 1855–1919) • Portrait of Mrs. Francis Stanton Blake • 1908

[tennessoui]

Considering I type it in so much, I’ve been wondering: what inspired your username?

i'm from tennessee and decided to overshare about my personal life to strangers on the internet from the very beginning

[lageografiademicamino]

5 habits I've picked up during my Lisbon years

These are the biggest life changing habits I've picked up during my seven Lisbon years.

They come in no specific order.

Vegetarian diet

Not my pic.

Not that Portuguese cuisine is known for its vegetarian dishes (because it has none!) but my view on food and cooking have changed while spending my 30's in Lisbon (or it's the old age hehe). Good flavors are rather a simple thing and a lot can be done with fresh and good ingredients without complex procedures.

When still living in Finland I didn't enjoy cooking that much or know exactly how to use the best out of the ingredients I had in my reach. Finnish grocery stores are filled with overproduced and ready-to-go meal options which I also indulged greatly. Finnish cuisine is also rather meat focused which I have stepped away from a bit during my years abroad even though I still enjoy a good steak every now and then.

Portuguese supermercardos on the other hand differ quite a lot - many things can be found fresh and locally produced (except cod because that they actually get from Norway). Instead of e-code filled spice mixes you don't need much else to highlight the natural flavors except salt, pepper, lemon and olive oil. This has changed my way of seeing and consume food tremendously.

Nowadays my social media feed is filled with Mediterranean style vegetarian recipes and I've taken on such things as herbs, onions, garlic, olive oil, arugula and fresh vegetables to my daily diet. I take advantage of seasonal products such as pomegranate, watermelon, mint to bring variety to my plate.

Fun fact is that I've also learned to eat oats, berries + cottage cheese in here which all have been part of Finnish classical diet forever but which I used to hate when living back home.

I'm more human

Not my pic.

Things don't always work and not especially here in Portugal. Systems crash, procedures fail and so do people. You cannot be in a hurry while living in this city or schedule no more than one bureaucrat procedure on your weekly agenda. And that one thing takes the entire day often! Portuguese people and culture still embrace old fashion lifestyle in many ways. Many things still run with pen and paper here and developments come in practice slowly. It's human that mistakes take place and that things might not be easy on the first try.

On a different side of the coin however, elderly, pregnant women or people with small kids or injuries often get priority in groceries and other places. Or you might be passed by the queue because you only have one item in your shopping basket when the person in front of you is buying for a family of six. There's humanity in everyday counters. I'm not saying that not being able to trust the process is entirely stress free but I do enjoy the more human side of things. Life is more merciful, my flaws don't make me and I demand less from myself and those around me.

Traditional = more simple life?

Not my pic.

I'm not saying that everything is about money or that you wouldn't need it but when you don't have much of it you tend to prioritize the real things in life.

The essential part of Portuguese everyday life routine is the meals, family and relationships in general. Yes, we all have to go to work but it doesn't become us. During free time people read books, exercise, go to the beach or play football - some of these being perhaps the essential parts of a Portuguese (or even of South European) lifestyle. These off-screen activities embrace social relationships, healthy and in my opinion more equal lifestyle where one's background with money or success doesn't matter.

This a far cry how I remember the years lived in Finland. The society is very performance and success focused - whether it's from the financial wealth to meeting the social standards - life is measured with achievements, success. The standards are the same for everyone, every child, woman and man and pressures start to grow from a very young age on. Individuality feels criminal. It's about reaching the finish line with great scores instead of enjoying the journey and its benefits to you.

Portuguese salary is is still lower than an average EU-citizen's elsewhere in Europe. As mentioned this country is slow to develop, therefore people and the lifestyle have remained traditional in many ways. Despite of the recent years' tourism boom that has brought along more pressure to provide things in a more modern manner. However it's not super uncommon to step into a store that only accepts cash, or to a Portuguese kitchen that has changed only a little during the last century. Life can be so simple.

Outdoor sports

Not my pic.

Funnily enough coming from the country of four seasons, thousands of lakes and forests that offer almost the same amount of possibilities to exercise all year round, I didn't learn to embrace outdoor sports before January 2020 - in Lisbon. I started running just before the covid shit storm, just in time when gyms and everything else shut down. There was nothing else than the empty streets and parks to conquer.

Funnily enough this new found lifestyle would suffer significantly if I ever moved to Finland (or any other Northern country with proper winters) because indoor, treadmill running doesn't do it for me. I'm in eternal love with the Portuguese weather because I can get around the rains or heat waves - the weather is not an obstacle for me!

Less productive

Not my pic.

I said these five things come in no particular order but it feels natural though to put this last. This is the result of all these four.

I don't feel pressured to do anything that I don't want to do. Whether it's to change jobs, to have a relationship, to travel, to exercise or eat healthy. I do all these things because I want to and if not, it's because I'm not feeling like it. I may be less productive and not where "I supposed to be at my age" - I can feel the judgement every time going home.. but the choices I've made during these seven years have felt truly mine and only mine.

Sometimes I do wonder if these changes and steps would have occurred if I had lived in Finland or somewhere else. Some maybe, others not.

[laidbackmarco]

Drowning in Responsibility Turning 30 Time to be an Adult

When you’re a kid the weekend is for toiling the free time you have away. As you age up in the world, you also want to avoid weekends. Menial chores and adult responsibilities consume weekends. Although I’m on my grind to make 2024 a great year, I spent Saturday setting up a parking space for my car. I made my last post emotional, do emotional men have a place in this world? Growing up I’ve…

[amargueriteflower]

Abidjan, bûches de Noël avec la Pâtisserie Abidjanaise

[ramblinggaijin]

JHS teacher who sits next to me: Hey uh your ES is on the phone uh they wanna talk to you about tomorrow. Uh wait, JTE GET OVER HERE AND HELP TRANSLATE!!

JTE: -picks up phone- Hi this is JTE, R-Sensei is next to me . . . Oh you don’t need my help translating. -turns to me- R-Sensei, so-so Sensei from the big ES wants to talk to you about tomorrow is that okay?

Me: Yeah that’s fine. -picks up phone- - turns out they wanted to check if I was cool with ordering a bento for lunch tomorrow-

Me: Okay we’re ordering tempura bentos for lunch so they just wanted to see if I was cool with tha-

JTE & all the JHS teachers: YOU GUYS ARE GETTING TEMPURA BENTOS??!! FROM WHERE?? OMMMGG!!!!

Me: Uuuhhhh they didn’t say from where-

Everyone:

-I mean this in a joking manner, they’re jealous the big ES’s teacher’s club has actually organized something before the semester starts-

[atelierbellanda]

Paris, your beauty continues to impress!

Pont Neuf – Oldest bridge in Paris, FrancePhoto credit: Bellanda Quai des Orfèvres in Paris, FrancePhoto credit: Bellanda

[barefootblogger-france]

The Postman's Palace

The Postman's Palace is a true story about a rural French postman who created a masterpiece of naive art, made from found stones and objects, to honor his love for his ailing daughter.

[sashasemin28]

okay to be clear before i go on a truly insane rant in the this post about fucking politics and being an expat because i am thinking about it and as my therapist says, fixating on literally any minor stressors to avoid dealing with yet another major trauma that happened to me, having a broad overview of the world and how it works and also like, most country's in the world politics and actively engaging in ways to be like and i know this is kind of a cliche thing to say a global citizen and offer allyship to people in different countries?? really fucking important! i really believe in that! kind of very different from what i mean here which is mostly about specific bills and policy and shit and history and social trends. also for most people this will literally never be relevant. this is the disclaimer so i can sleep tonight.

the third secret option for not caring about another country's politics that I get to explain because this is my tumblr blog is that i've found unless you live there or care for someone in that country actively caring and investing yourself in another country's politics is a great way to really fuck with yourself and sense of self imo. it really fucks with you in a way i find hard to succinctly describe but it's like.

it's like okay. it's really fucking weird to be in a foreign country where you are noticeably not from that country because you can tell people treat you differently sometimes worse sometimes better and it fucks with your brain when it's shit like finding a gym let alone when you're trying to navigate something controversial like fucking politics. in my experience where ive mostly lived in china specifically you talk about politics it gets awkward because no one actually wants your opinion and actively kind of distrusts - which isn't the right word but it's the closest one i have right now - you for having one which often leads to some nightmare social situations.

there's some more shit that goes in it for me but seriously on god it's really not worthy to be actively investing yourself in idk how the US government specifically restricts the rights of people who live in DC kind of because of racism but mostly because it's convenient. there is no reason why someone who's from idk fucking johannesburg should invest time and energy into caring about the ways DC is oppressed as a city. seriously why would you do that if you have no stakes. more importantly it's not worth to talk about the opinions you have if idk continuing this example youre an expat from johannesburg living in dc because you will probably piss someone off at some point. maybe to you there's an ethical or moral or some kind of emotionally benefit but again imo it does not outweight the inherent pressure and very emotionally complicated dynamic of being specifically invested and talking about it.

i'm self aware enough to know this would probably be different for me if i hadn't lived some specific experiences. and if the country i have / had the most interest first hand experience in was china. but thing stands its really not worth it seriously in my opinion.

[thebananamanifesto]

Walking around Jeju. My last days living in South Korea. One last hoorah abroad before moving back to the US.

[daystold]

https://katleyanotes.com/2024/02/21/navigating-the-challenges-beyond-the-glamour-life-overseas/

[walkswithmycamera]

Enjoying the moment at Polemedia (Limassol Forestry Park), Cyprus on 30 March 2013.

This is 9 years after we first arrived on Cyprus soil.

Cyprus, Memories of a life gone by.

It was a big move and it could so easily have failed.

But, we did it!

We took the bull by horns, sold our 2 bedroom terraced home in a Lancashire mill town in UK, taking our dog and 2 cats to "follow the dream" of a New Life in Cyprus.

Many dream, but don't do.

If life throws you the option - take that chance.

Don't leave it too late.....

++++++++++++

CORAL BAY - AN OVERNIGHT STAY.

February 2015 at Coral Bay Harbour in Paphos on the western side of the island and a popular tourist resort with British people as well as UK retirees.

The weather had played a real blinder and the day before we were ready to take the 70km drive from our home on the outskirts of Limassol towards Paphos - it snowed!

It was one of the coldest winters we'd experienced since the time we had arrived on the island, all the way back in 2004.

Not just in the mountains above Nicosia or on the Troodos ski resort - but, in the seaside resorts all along the coast...

It was still freezing cold when we arrived in the late morning, so we took ourselves into Coral Bay itself and a had a wander around exploring and taking in the scenery.

A little memorial sanctuary we found along the top of the coastal footpath above Coral Bay, close to our accommodation.

Here's that little memorial, I mentioned.

So here we were, taking a little break away from home reliant totally on a split air-conditioning unit to keep the 1 bedroom apartment we had chosen to stay in, warm and toasty.

Did we trust it? Not on your life!

We took our emergency electric fan heater along for the ride, and boy - did we need it...

++++++++++++

Everyone staying in the apartment complex that night, all ended up in the bar - body heat was the life and soul of the party that night.

LIMASSOL OLD TOWN.

A place we always liked to take our visitors who came to see us during the years we were based in Cyprus.

It's an interesting town although a new Marina was constructed a few years before we left it behind to return to UK in 2016.

You will always find a little bar or kafenion tucked away in the narrow streets.

This photo again, is in February - hence the outside liquid gas powered patio heaters.

And below, the wooden pier near Limassol Old Port - always a firm favourite place of mine.

++++++++++++

LIMASSOL WINE FESTIVAL.

We visited the wine festival, held in the public gardens down by the coast, just out of Limassol town centre, for the very first time in the summer of 2015.

The Wine Festival is an annual event and generally takes place in August, a time when most Cypriots take their summer holidays.

It's hot and humid, which gets very wearing - unless you're constantly in an office with air-conditioning.

A few photos from that night, here below:

The "Vraka Man"

Celebrating 54 Years of the Cyprus Wine Festival.

No festival is complete in Cyprus - unless there's SOUVLA.

Souvla - is large pieces, marinated and cooked slowly and lovingly over piles of white hot smouldering coals on huge BBQs. It's generally served with Cyprus potatoes cut into large wedges - also cooked slowly in oil as well as their skins

++++++++++++

ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT SOUVLA.

This is the traditional way to serve Souvla (it can be pork or lamb) and it's served differently from the Souvlakia you are served in tourist restaurants where the meat is in smaller pieces, either on a skewer or in Pitta Bread.

It's the only way I will eat pork.

"I never liked it as a child living in the UK, but regular nights at a local bar - very close to where we lived in the village of Ypsonas some 12km out of the Tourist Area of Limassol, soon changed my mind on that."

"Frixo Fridays" on the old road leading out of Limassol in the direction of Paphos, would take you there.

We would meet with the local residents, the bar owner (Frixos) and his wife (Patroulla / Pat) and around half a dozen British people who lived on the other side of the village to us.

The juke box was constantly refilled with coins, the Zivania, KEO Beer and Carlsberg flowed along with much singing and dancing.

Souvla and salad was served free each Friday night - and we got the smell drifting gently into the bar from the back patio, where Frixos tended to it for several hours before and during the course of the evening.

GREAT MEMORIES!

Needless to say, we shipped a couple of Cyprus BBQs back to UK when we returned in 2016.

Go on, I know you're curious - click that link and have a peep at them. They're available to purchase in the UK.

I hope you enjoyed the photos and reading this small part of my past life in Cyprus.

Regards

Shell

[laidbackmarco]

Ikigai Wings to Fly and The Love of Drive

Due to my love of Japan and Japanese Philosophy, I’m sure I’ve written about Ikigai before. Ikigai is Japanese for the reason to live. Most direct translations miss out on the gravity of words with substantial and potentially life-altering meanings and beliefs behind them. Ikigai is more than just a simple reason to live, it’s the driving force that brings your life joy. My personal experience…