Not to mention the fact many Portuguese make similar jokes about their bureaucracy. Are they also “ignorant and insensitive”? Venting about bad bureaucracy is one of the few things that unites people of good faith around the world.
…or it might also be that you simply not able to appreciate a bit of humour in-between the lines!
Watch some Monty Python, please!!!
The options given via Article 65A were in property, venture capital shares, job creation, arts investment donation, transfer/deposit of large sums to a local bank etc. The majority (over 90% as I recall) have chosen GV pathways other than the donation route. Which means that we still own something (house, shares etc), and have a title to the investment until the 5 years are up or we give up. As far as I am aware, @ohbee has been exceptional in making a sizeable donation to the country. This is more than 99% of us have done, including myself. And for his effort he has not been given anything in return (nor have the rest of us who are still waiting) but unlike the donation route, we own the title to our original investment. And to add insult to injury, his court case to expedite timelines, failed.
It took a great deal of courage and faith in Portugal to have made the donation and hats off to @ohbee and the 1 or 2 other persons who went this route! I remember stating at an early point how positive his posts were… and his response at that time was that he had nothing else (but optimism) to give/contribute! This is just to say we are all equal in the risks we have incurred.
I would like to believe that we are here to share our experience and point people in a more informed direction so that they gain from the shared experience. I would also like to believe that we have the wisdom, compassion and largesse to take the positive with the negative and allow expressions of joy or pain – as each of us goes through lows and highs – and provide understanding and support.
I work with people from all around the world in my job. Indeed I’ve found that not everyone appreciates/understands our “British humour” … but it’s what gets us through the day here in Blighty.
And probably Portugal too ![]()
I have heard that things will start to happen next week ![]()
What kind of things, ser
It’s a joke :). In Portuguese usage , “next week” (não proxima semana) only means “not this week”
I agree. Balancing out complaints with positive anecdotes is useful. But policing of complaints, whether for substance, style, or frequency, is contrary to the point of these forums. Calling people ‘miserable’, ‘bitter’, ‘ignorant’ or ‘entitled’ for complaining, suggesting it was their ‘fault’, telling them to just ‘be good’ … this is all censorious and counterproductive. It disincentivizes users from being honest. Worse, it veers close to ‘go back to where you came from’ or ‘love it or leave it’ rhetoric.
There is plenty of positive spin in GV marketing seminars. NomadGate is a place to get frank information, even if that is harsh, not to talk up Portugal and ‘enjoy life’. I want to know if someone had a terrible experience with SEF/AIMA or a builder or a fund manager because that is valuable data. I want to know about scams and bad providers. I want negative perspectives so I can avoid traps others have fallen into. We need @ohbee’s Cassandra as much as the numerous Pollyannas.
Many (possibly most) locals complain bitterly about bureaucracy, the government, problems with rules and regulations, delays, problems with work ethic. As someone who speaks Portuguese, I read it all the time in PT media. New immigrants, as we all are, are well within our rights to do the same, especially when significant amounts of money are on the line. You can love a country, want to live there and contribute to it, and still have a lot of complaints about it. That doesn’t make you “culturally insensitive”, if anything it just means you’re turning into a responsible citizen.
I wonder if there’s an adjective to describe jokes that make fun of people from a specific race or nationality based on prejudiced stereotypes. That style of humor was really popular back in the 19th and early 20th centuries. People who make jokes like that must be great fun at parties.
Huh? A Schengen tourist visa is free and automatic upon entry, at least for US citizens
na proxima semana. ![]()
It also expands and enhances our personal perspectives to view the mundane and banal in an entirely new light! Just one look at the “Ministry of Silly Walks” should suffice… unless you are completely devoid of any sense of humour, British or otherwise (I am an American)! ![]()
Most countries do need a Schengen visa. For example, 7 out of the 10 most populous countries do, and this includes China which is the leading source of GV applicants. Indeed, getting a stronger passport is a key motivation for the GV for many of us.
It was a joke about how much time off Portugal, and indeed a lot of Europe, takes compared to the USA. They have different policies. It has nothing to do with race, sheesh.
Cool your jets, guy.
Tells you I haven’t started Portuguese lessons yet ![]()
If we’re nitpicking it’s próxima since the ó is the emphasized syllable ![]()
We are DEFINITELY nitpicking ![]()
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My Portuguese lawyer made a similar joke about their vacation time when I asked about renewals in December. If we can’t make a few jokes about all the delays we’ve encountered, I think we will go quite mad …
I don’t know, nao proxima semana may well turn out to be just as accurate ![]()
“Falaste ‘Não, próxima semana’?”
“Não, falei ‘Não próxima semana’!”