S. meets the portuguese business angels.

like couple of weeks ago i came across an opportunity to know more of the Business Angels society of Portugal, as they were having a week long events all over the country. being an explorer, and curious of how the angels support works here, i signed up for the two of their events, first one in Lisbon and the second in Porto.

I have to say that the Lisbon event came too fast and too early in the morning the last week, the weather was  so unwelcoming to want to move or travel somewhere, so in the end I did not attend their presentation hours in Lisbon. And as the Porto event was the peak of the week, with many great topics and program for all afternoon long, then being there should to be enough of getting to know better the angels system and how it works.

so the last friday, i took my holiday, the one i did not have in monday the last week and went again for Porto. As more than once my inbox reached the message saying, that we should not be late for the business angels congress, as they will start sharply on time, i planned my trip well and arrived in Porto just in time. Perfect to pass by to drop bag at friends and make the lovely walk from St. Bento up the hill for the central building of University of Porto aka Reitoria da Universidade do Porto. It was a nice and pleasant to really indeed start on time, thank you.

the Latvian independence day in Lisbon - Check.

S. spotted before the start of the concert.

Being not in Latvia for the National Independence day aka the birthday of Latvia this year was the second time for me. If last year I celebrated it in Ljubljana, then this time it was Lisbon. Completely different, still amazing.

If thinking of the celebrations, then last friday, i already saw some photos of the reception of the Latvian embassy in China...the actual and the true "birthday day" or to be more precise the Proclamation day came this last sunday. Yes, 18th of November is the date. As since couple of years, then if the date goes into weekend, we latvians are getting one extra holiday, the following working day, so the 19th of November was an extra holiday, also here for our embassy, and as i`m very lucky, then also for me. Well, it will be this friday, as i spent this monday at the office after all  The day to celebrate the cause and the birthday here in Lisbon happen to be on 20th of November. And today is the perfect day to tell you of how it went.

my legendary 12.11.12 day.

weeks pass and nothing change, then now at one day so many things happen, i was missing this for a very very long time. thank you my legendary 12.11.12 day.

after a three months and some days of my portuguese life, with no official tax payer registration number, neither bank account, finally came a day to change this. Nor that we really need this, but more than its useful. And the registration number is needed both, for our new portuguese classes, the same time to open an account or if you want to do any other process that involves the public institutions.

so yeah, in the morning we gave a visit to Finanças office,

São Martinho day at Alfama with "foot water" and chestnuts.

this year the November 11th brought me new perspective, as till now I used to know it as the Latvian Lacplesis day, that marks a turning point in our history, with the newly formed national army, and help of civilian volunteers, we won a decisive victory in 1919 over enemy troops driving them from Riga, and developing our way to independence. Today while of my Portuguese days, I learnt about their old´n´old traditions of São Martinho day, which asides all other legends of the St. Martin, know as the day with celebration of the harvest, more over Dia de São Martinho has become a day to celebrate the maturation of the year’s wine production.

thursday - living like a local day.

when you are tourist in city you most of the times see just what other see, however if you stay at some place longer, get to know locals, then the city gets completely other image most of the times. And its all that not only because of the traditions or culture, but more over of some amazing places, that are there but you have no idea...or more over, you pass them hundreds of times, but never feel like exploring or going in, as the outside not always is the best advertisement. 

as from this week we are left alone of studying portuguese, as our teacher was not able to continue teaching us further, we had to investigate how to learn the language in other way than till now.

how S. celebrated the halloween two days long.

as it tends to happen with me, then the most best things comes least expected. So it happen this year with my Halloween celebration. Have to say, that in Latvia Halloween became popular just lately, more for the young generations and the tourists, as the public celebrations are done in the clubs, pubs, bars or we like to organize our own house parties. Here in Lisbon, its kind of the same as in general the tradition to celebrate Halloween started not so long ago, so to find something special and extraordinary you really have to look for it around the clubs or bars or just organize it yourself in case you are looking for the costumes and theme parties.