Portugal: Learning from Another Culture

Submitted by Rebecca Sayeg on the 2020 winter session program in Portugal sponsored by the Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences and College of Arts and Sciences…

I cannot believe that this blog post is marking the end of my three weeks in Lisbon! It feels like I was looking forward to and planning this experience for so long, and then it has gone by in the blink of an eye. Overall, the last three weeks have been so amazing, and action packed that it felt like the time here has gone so fast. Despite how fast the time has gone, I have experienced so many new things and learned so much from those experiences.

The week began with a short trip to visit Porto, the place where Port wine originated. The city of Porto was extremely beautiful, and so incredibly different from Lisbon (which is equally beautiful, but in a very different way) despite only being three short hours away. In the United States, if you drive about three hours away from one city, you will find another very similar city with very similar landscapes and culture. In Europe, if you drive three hours away,  you can end up in an entirely different city with a very unique culture, or can even end up in another whole country! Coming from America, the differences between the two cities within the same small country was very surprising. Porto had a much more charming and small feeling with many scenic views, historical wineries and rich culture.

This week marked my final week of shadowing doctors in the local hospital. I have learned so much in my short time in the hospital, including seeing the effects of having a public healthcare system for the first time. While a public healthcare system is wonderful for reasons like ensuring that every single person can get affordable healthcare, there are also many surprising downsides. Many of the doctors and other workers do not get many benefits out of the system, and are very overworked with very little compensation. One shocking aspect of the healthcare system is the fact that on a semi-regular basis (at least once per year, according to one of the doctors I shadowed), the doctors, nurses, or support staff of the hospitals in Portugal will go on strike, which is not something you would see in the United States.

Overall, this study abroad experience had taught me so much about being understanding of different cultures, and about how much you can learn from another culture. I definitely hope that I get to return to Portugal one day!

This is the famous Porto sign, which is located in the center of the city of Porto. People wait for hours in a line just to get a picture with this sign!
This is the Chapel of Souls, which is located in Porto, Portugal. The church is famous for the ornate blue tiles that depict the lives of many Christian saints. The blue style of tiles is a very typical architectural style in Portugal. It is said that tiles are used on many buildings due to the fact that it lessens the need to repaint the buildings, as well as adding a beautiful look.
This is the view of Porto at sunset, from along the River Douro. To the right of the image you can (partially) see the Dom Luis Bridge, which was designed by Gustave Eiffel (the man who designed the Eiffel Tower).