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Entry VI of “Azores Journal” E-Mail Inge
The Move and the “Portuguese Lethal Weapon.”
Spring has sprung in the Azores and the deciduous trees are showing their splendor along with a new crop of flowers which either had taken a break or whose time it is to shine such as poppies, a great variety of daisies and tropical flowers the name of which I am unable to pronounce or remember. Something is blossoming someplace all the time – there seems no end to the variety of species.
April can be a tricky month though in the Azores with more unpredictable weather patterns and varying temperatures than during the other off-season months. Yet, by comparison to the Nor’easter the United States experienced recently it has been delightful and there is no reason to complain. It just takes some adjusting to layering clothes and shedding them like an onion with the fluctuating temperatures during any day. Speaking of onions, harvesting time is already here. The vegetables planted about two and a half months ago are beginning to be harvested such as potatoes, kale, onions, beans etc. I am still amazed daily by the speed at which everything grows here in the rich volcanic soil.
In the meantime we moved next door to our permanent residence – a lovely apartment in an old Adega. It has been totally remodeled while maintaining the Azorean character, just large enough for the two of us and surrounded by the most gorgeous flower gardens, banana trees and Norfork Island pines with two private terraces where I can see spending a lot of time during the summer months in the shade of a cherry tree.
Though the container is still in Terciera en route to Ponta Delgada, my husband returned from the States with some of our personal belongings so that we are now using our own cook- and dinner-ware plus we purchased some items here that were not cost-effective to transport such a distance.
Our new landlord, the son of our first landlord, is most congenial and helpful in more ways than I can count. He knows the place he once lived in himself is in good hands.
While the move itself was not all that exhausting and my husband all too happy to return to Sao Miguel after experiencing New England in Feb. and March with snow, sleet and FREEZING temperatures, we made some most amusing experiences fitting so well into the Azorean life-style and character. Unpredictable is the word that comes to mind!
We had tried to arrange for the deliveries of purchased items from two different sources on the same day and requested our phone line and Internet connection to be moved following the instructions of ordering same one week prior to the actual move.
The sofas, shelving systems and the PC desk were assured to be delivered at 10.30 a.m. on a Friday while the refrigerator, gas-range and mold-resistant sisal rugs should have arrived at 11.30 a.m. The emphasis here is on SHOULD. Sapo Pt, the Internet Co., had told us the lines would be switched on Monday of the following week.
We were just having breakfast at 9 a.m. when there was a knock at the door. lo and behold the sofas, shelves and the PC desk had arrived early. Since we were just moving next door my husband directed them accepting delivery and no sooner than 20 minutes later the delivery of the other items scheduled for 11.30 a.m. arrived.
Meanwhile I was just getting out of the shower and dressed when there was yet another knock at the door which I answered soaking wet wrapped in a large bath towel thinking it was my husband. You never guess my surprise at facing the representative from Sapo PT (remember this was Friday and he was not due until Monday) ready to switch our lines to the new digs. “But you are not due until Monday” was all I could think of saying when, totally disregarding my state of dishabille he answered in perfect English: “Well I am here NOW.”
All this speaking directly in the face of most people complaining that Azoreans are unreliable and “amanha” (tomorrow) can mean anything from tomorrow to a week or two from now. I was speechless at such efficiency and am being told by friends that we have just been inordinately lucky. Well, sometimes it helps when people know that you are writing a book about life in the Azores in the 21st century – it surely has not hurt.
We have been doing a fair amount of socializing but are putting on the brakes since I am not giving my writing the time I need and switching languages constantly (at some events I speak 4 languages during the course of an afternoon or evening) is exhausting. After all, we came here to slow DOWN, not speed-up which leads me to the second theme of this entry.
No longer owning a TV and only occasionally entering the “real world” via the Internet we did read about the terrible shooting at Virginia Tech. What a senseless act that could have been avoided!
Well Portugal has its very own lethal weapon and it is called “ car.” While this is the European country with the lowest crime rate it also happens to be the country with the highest mortality rate caused by automobile accidents. Recklessly speeding while turning a blind curve, swerving into the oncoming lane has caused my heart to skip a beat on numerous occasions. By nature a defensive driver myself, I am astounded how the normally calm and courteous Azorean (male as well as female) turns into a race-car driver once behind the wheel and seems to get a thrill driving at breakneck speeds while on the ever-present mobile phone. This occurs on the most narrow and curvy roads you ever laid eyes on. It is scary and I yet have to see someone being stopped for crazy driving while I observe daily ambulances racing back and forth to the hospital in Ponta Delgada. Having been in many parts of the world I always thought Italians were the ones most in a hurry but I was wrong……….statistics bear this out clearly.
As mentioned this is not due to male machismo either, women are just as DRIVEN once behind the wheel of a car and “cellularphonitis,” the obsessive use of mobile phones has reached new heights in this part of Europe. It is still an enigma to me what is being talked about constantly – going for simplicity and minimalism we decided against “handy” ownership at this point.
One item that is highly commendable in the driving habits and laws though is the fact that pedestrians ALWAYS have the right of way. There are clearly marked pedestrian crossings and lightening surely would strike the person who would dare NOT to stop for a pedestrian.
Public transportation is very much available and never before have I seen such modern and HUGE buses as here, maneuvering the often problematic terrain. They are on time and used regularly.
This being an island so far removed from the European continent, gasoline is very expensive and though a fair amount of BMWs, Mercedes and other expensive European cars can be seen, more and more people are opting for smaller diesel or electric cars. The cutest Smarts and other tiny brands of “mini-cars” that seem like toys to American eyes zip about, especially in cities like Ponta Delgada or Ribeira Grande. They come in an array of adorable colors, some with sunroofs or even as convertibles. The perfect vehicle for short distances, narrow roads, tight parking spaces and two people. Should we wear out the used car we purchased, that’s what I want – most definitely!
Our exploring has been somewhat affected by the move but we did visit the Cha (tea) factories/farms in Porto Formosa and Gorreana, founded around 1820 which I shall elaborate on in more detail in the book I am writing.
Likewise we took part in preparing a carpet made from flower petals picked by us freshly that morning in Furnas for a religious procession at the lovely Casa das Camelias, owned by a dear British lady who has lived on Sao Miguel for I believe 30 years.
No doubt our design was the best one as a walk through town admiring some of the others proved to us. But we worked hard at it with great zest and gathered for a delicious meal after the procession had passed.
Until next time when I shall let you have a glimpse of the clash of generations that is taking place in this basically Catholic country that is by far more liberal than I had ever imagined………………..
Oh, we did experience our first earthquake waking us up out of a sound sleep in the middle of the night (6.3 on the Richter Scale) but nothing collapsed and frankly – I thought it was exciting!
02/06/2008 07:10:17 PM -0700
Tumbleweed Journal" Copyright ©2006-2007 Inge Perreault - All Rights Reserved
The Tumbleweed Journal Reflects the views, opinions and experiences of the author.