Ask Me (Almost) Anything 2024
life: examined supporters ask the best questions
You’re reading life: examined, a compendium of ideas, thoughts, and questions about living a creative, intentional life—from my home in Portugal to you.
—> life: examined is reader-supported through buy me a coffee <—
Hiya,
Long time, no write.
A few months ago I promised my devoted Buy Me a Coffee supporters I'd do another Ask Me Anything Q and A.
Compiling the questions and answers, and writing this post shouldn’t have taken me over two three! months, but it did. Retirement seems to be messing with my already screwed-up sense of time. Either that, or I'm just lazy and slow—qualities I don't view as objectionable, by the way!
For those who read life: examined looking for information about moving to Portugal, there's bound to be something here that speaks to you. If you're looking for something else, that may be here, too, so let's get going and find out!
But first, some brief background:
My name is Shanna, and I live in Portugal with my wife, Cat, and my dog, Milo. So yes, I have a Cat and a Dog (cracks me up every time).
I moved to Portugal in 2018 from San Diego, California. In 2020 I created a business helping others move to Portugal called So, You Want to Move to Portugal (clever, eh?).
It was fun sharing my experiences and hard-earned information about moving to Portugal with my clients. I met fabulous people and made some friends, several of whom moved to the town where I live. I shuttered this service when it began feeling more like work than fun.
Now, retired, I practice the art of doing as little as possible.
Let’s get to the questions (edited for brevity and clarity, where needed).
The first question is from Siglia:
I have a question about living in Setúbal. I visited Setúbal, I liked it, it is a small charming city and it seems to have everything for a tranquil life. I'm still wondering though about quality of life, things to do, and community… could you briefly tell me your impressions after years of living there?
Answer:
Ah, my impressions of Setúbal. If you don't need high-end shops, world-class arts and culture, and fancy restaurants, Setúbal has everything—including numerous social activities and opportunities to meet others. It's an excellent place to live a good and calm life.
Setúbal high points: it's a pleasant place; the pace is easy-going, and people are friendly. Beautiful beaches and Arrábida Natural Park are nearby.
After years of living here and observing numerous changes (not all for the better), the charm of Setúbal is starting to wear thin.
The local government needs to address issues that have been problems for years and maybe even decades.
Things I used to overlook, chalking them up to a rough-around-the-edges charm, are getting to me. Crumbling buildings, dangerous calçadas, dogs off-leash, graffiti, and funk (dog sh*t, trash overflowing near the bins, etc.) are constants.
I’m tolerant; I’ve lived in numerous edgy neighborhoods and cities, but I’m getting tired of the lack of respect this city seems to have for itself.
Additionally, a relatively large influx of English-speaking foreigners (I know, I get the irony) have moved in and made their presence known.
There are walking groups and happy hours where 20+ people get together, taking over small cafés for lunches and meet-ups, complaining (using their outside voices) about bureaucracy or about being unable to get whatever ultra-processed foodstuff they miss from “back home.”
I'm sensitive to cultural appropriateness and respect differences: we, the incomers, are guests here.
With each new pack of arrivals, I've noticed less awareness of this fact that we are guests—and I'm not the only one who notices this.
Portuguese neighbors and friends ask me about these folks—why are they so loud? Why do they march through the streets like they own the place?
I shrug and say these newcomers don't know better YET, hoping that time and experience will soften their edges.
To bring this long answer back to the question about community, yes, you can find your people in Sétubal. Heck, even someone as strange as me found my people here. If you're outgoing and enjoy group events, you'll have no problem fitting in.
If you're a Facebook user, search for the groups that meet regularly, and that share information with one another. These groups can be great resources for new-in-townies, as long as you practice discernment when considering the comments and advice, you'll soon discover if this place is for you.
The best thing to do is stay for a few weeks as if you live here and do regular stuff: grocery shop, go for coffee, try one of the expat meet-ups—then let me know how it goes. Boa Sorte!
Still on the topic of Setúbal, a question from Leil:
Is it easy to find housing as an expat in Setúbal?
Answer:
Setúbal has become quite popular over the past few years, where even before that, housing was difficult to find.
I think rentals are harder to find than homes for sale—and that's one of the reasons I purchased my house, even though I swore I'd never buy real estate again after leaving California.
As is the case in most places, a lot of the equation depends on your budget and what you want for that budget.
When I first purchased my place in 2019, Setúbal was already on the rise. But I do think there are good deals still to be had. Why don't you come for a visit and look around? Walk all over, find the neighborhoods that appeal to you, and get serious about what you can afford. Then move sooner rather than later!
Here's a question from JT:
You wrote about signing up for the state-sponsored Portuguese language classes. Have you done that yet, and if so, how are the classes?
Answer:
Funny you should ask, JT. I recently finished the A1/A2 competency course (based on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages or CEFR). The CEFR is an international standard used to describe language ability on a six-point scale; A1 is for beginners up to C2 for those with language mastery.
The quality of instruction varies widely depending on the teacher and location, despite the same standards for all classes.
I went in not expecting to learn the language but to maintain attendance to earn the competency certificate required to apply for citizenship. Luckily, by keeping my expectations low, I was okay when it became evident that not much would happen in regard to learning.
Some people who took the course had regular quizzes and a final exam, while others had none. This course is one of two ways to score the competency certificate if you want long-term residency status or citizenship.
You can also get a good tutor who will teach you according to the contents of the exam; it just depends on the route that feels best for you.
For me, I knew I could get my butt in the seat two nights a week for 6-ish months of class, but I wasn't confident I could pass the test. Both methods can earn you the coveted certificate; which way you choose is up to you!
Yikes!
This post is long, so I'll end here, even though there are more questions I'd like to share. I'll choose a few more and answer them in an upcoming edition of life: examined.
I hope you enjoyed this Q & A. If you have questions, please leave them in the comments section—I'll do my best to answer them!
FAVORITE PORTUGUESE TO ENGLISH TRANSLATIONS OF THE WEEK:
—> The yellow proposal with pink balls is ideal when the bronze is already on point and very hot days.
—> […] intends to be the brand that is by your side in all situations of life: both in the moments that bring you joy and in the moments filled with drool and hair, full of scratches or completely gnawed. That's exactly where we want to be.
Thanks to So, Abbie A., Jeanne, Shawn, Venomator, Elaine, Denny, Jane, Roxanne, Mark, Elaine, Fred, and anonymous someones for supporting life: examined through Buy Me a Coffee.
Whether you post a comment, share my work, or buy me a coffee, I’m grateful to have you along for the ride. —> Do you have a topic you’d like me to weigh in on? Leave me a comment with your idea and I’ll see what I can do!
Are you still glad that you're living in Portugal, or living in the EU, in general? I assume you don't regret moving out of the USA. More notable is you can't escape certain irritants... because tourism and expat-ism will bring them to you anyway. Like people with loud, outdoor voices who drown out everything else. Thanks for being an inspiration to many of us!
Nice to see that you're writing again! Hope you do it regularly.
"So yes, I have a Cat and a Dog (cracks me up every time). " It would almost be worth marrying someone just to be able to say that line.
Great to hear that you are doing so well with Portuguese!