During my first week abroad, I absolutely loved exploring Portugal and being with a group of fellow Aggies, and have noticed multiple differences between the United States and Portugal. The first difference I?ve experienced daily is between food and the overall dining experience. To begin, meals here have consisted of carb-heavy sides with some form of potato (french fries or roasted potatoes) and rice. The main dish usually consists of some type of meat, whether it be veal, cod, pork, or sometimes chicken. In the US, I am used to a majority of chicken-centered meals but have taken the opportunity to try new dishes while abroad. In addition, it is very common for a meal to conclude with a shot of espresso. As a coffee lover, I have no objection to this but I have never experienced this in the US. Furthermore, unlike in the US where we typically get free bread or chips as a starter to our meals, in Portugal, any appetizers they bring out at the beginning of the meal are not complementary. In fact, they usually won?t even ask you if you want the appetizers but will just bring them out and charge you if you eat them. The last thing I?ve noticed regarding contrasts in cuisine is that drinking in Portugal is less looked down upon than it is in America and the drinking age is 18 instead of 21. A glass of wine at lunch is more common and may even be less expensive than a bottle of water.
Speaking of expenses, the next major difference between the United States and Portugal is the price of consumer goods and services. I?ve noticed that restaurants, clothes, drinks and coffee are noticeably more affordable than in America. In Portugal, the tax on a good is included in the price you see on the price tag. Compared to America, where the tax is added to the goods at checkout, this system seems to be more efficient and direct. In addition, you are not expected to tip waiters or waitresses at restaurants in Portugal. Here, servers are paid much better wage rates than servers in the US, so they do not rely on tips. Some customers will round up their bill to the next even number, but tipping is fairly unusual, whereas tipping is common practice and considered rude to not do in the US. Therefore, there are many cultural differences between the US and Portugal that I have noticed so far during my study abroad experience. I look forward to the rest of our trip to uncover more cultural differences and to visit the local businesses here!
