It's Called Culture

Humorous and insightful tidbits on Azorean character from Robert Santos' Azoreans to California: A History of Migration and Settlement.

A potpourri of commentary ranging from actual potpourri on the back of Vavo's toilet to the hortelã (mint) growing out of Kel's foundation.

A humorous tale of late-night fish peddling in an Azorean village.

We review the controversial movie "Poor Things" starring Emma Stone and Mark Ruffalo, partially set in Lisbon, Portugal.

First we discuss encounters with Portuguese travelers "in the wild"..... and then we talk about the house-of-cards that is immigrant parents making travel plans.

We cover several infamous bank robberies in Portugal & Other Portugal (Massachusetts) including Kelly's very own ride-along during a robbery-in-progress.

First, we discuss how the scholastic book fair has become less about reading and more about peddling junk to kids. Then, we discover the true untouchable demographic from an advertising and marketing standpoint -- immigrant grandparents.

Kel's impersonations of her mother shine in this classic tale of immigrant parents vs. emergency services.

Another wild and crazy round of superstitions... It's all fun and games until you realize it shaped your whole personality ;-)

References:

Stories Grandma Never Told: Portuguese Women in California by Sue Fagalde Lick

10+ Weird Superstitions in Portugal by Portuguese With Carla

We give you a rundown of recent gems we've found on Reddit, including but not limited to: Portuguese "Family Guy" characters Santos & Pasqual; what 55 MPH really stands for on speed limit signs; and a complete (and way too accurate) Portuguese personality assessment.