Lisbon Neighbourhood

Tue, 02/02/2010 - 17:38 — frogdropping

Apparently, railing around the streets, a noité, in Lisbon whilst shouting your shit out loud and proud, is ok. So is imitating a car alarm, talking loudly, laughing manically and plain old ranting and raving like a banshee.

But shouting out of your window (dressed like Wee Willie Winkie) "for the love of frog will you puhhhhhhhlease STFU"  in the small hours of the night  is not. Curious. 

An interesting aside to the Portuguese culture is this: you can dislike a service, a meal, an action, an event. In fact you can positively hate it. But no one likes a moaner. The correct etiquette when one disapproves of something is to disapprove in silence. You may fume, quake, shake and generally fall apart at the seams - providing you keep your mouth firmly closed.

Hence it is not de rigueur to holler out the window when someone is pissing you off. Pissing people off is allowed - complaining about it is not.

An interesting impasse for a Brit. When we don't like something, we say so. Equally, when we do, we praise. Or at least I do. I'm not used to silently fuming, it gives me bad gas. I like to vent through my mouth, not my ass.

I'm going to stock up on antacids.