Dia Feriado

Today was a holiday (dia feriado) in Portugal, and apparently around much of the world. It is Labor Day. Unlike in the U.S., where 90% of places are still open on Labor Day, in Lisbon, 90% of things were closed, making things slightly difficult.

I slept in this morning, recovering from jet lag. Joy (my host)'s friend or cousin or something came over this morning, and Joy made us breakfast: toast with slices of ham. Then I worked on some externship paperwork.

Later, Joy's boss, Christina, came to take us to lunch. With Christina was her 11-yr-old son. Christina was really nice, and she showed me around some of the touristy spots in Lisbon, and she showed me how to get to my work because I'll be starting tomorrow. We then went to lunch at a mall. It was mostly just Brazilian food that we ate: arroz e feijao, fried banana, picanha, etc. We went to FNAC too, which was one of favorite stores in Paris, so I'm glad to know they have it in Lisbon; I'll probably go back soon. Christina spent several years living in New York, so her English is really good. We spent a few hours with her before she took us home.

Joy and I then went to IKEA, which was good because it helped me to understand the bus system around here a little better (buses terrify me because I don't understand when to get off). Unfortunately, IKEA was closed though because of Labor Day. So instead, we went into this thing that they call a Chinese Shop. There are apparently tons of these Chinese Shops all around, and they just kind of have a little bit of everything. It's sort of like an American dollar store, except that they have many things that are much more than a dollar.

Now we're home, and I once again find myself exhausted. I'm excited for my first day of work, but I'm quite nervous too.