Immigrants and Expats Archives

Tim Burton and his Marionetas

March 5, 2020

The art of stop motion film dates way back to the mid-1800s. Its history is rich and complicated, sprinkled not just with puppets but also with trippy, hard-to-pronounce stuff like phénakisticopes, stroboscopic discs, zoetropes, and photographic rifles. The first full stop motion film was The Humpty Dumpty Circus, made in 1898 by American-British silent film […]

Work More, Live Less: Co-Work in the Mountains

March 3, 2020

Like the Essenes of times gone past, digital nomads shall shun the trappings of modern city living. Instead, choosing to spend their time in the mountains for periods of quiet self-reflection. Or, you know, group chats on Slack.

PSA: Give Blood (If You Can Figure Out How)

February 22, 2020

The Portuguese Blood and Transplantation Institute (IPST) has warned that there is a shortage of type A and O blood in the country. Thus, they are calling on all you fine people to step up to the plate, roll up your sleeves, and nibble icing-caked cookies as they drain off a completely reasonable amount of […]

Good News, Freelancers! Portugal Increases IVA Threshold

February 11, 2020

People getting paid on the recibos verdes system will not have to pay IVA if they earn €12500 or less — an increase of 25%, but a far cry from other countries.

Adrift in a Pastel Land: The Cafés Call to Me

October 18, 2019

Visitors to Lisbon will probably comment on the hills (steep), the tiles (quaint), the graffiti right next to the tiles (adds character?), and of course, the Lisboetas (wonderful people). Another characteristic of the city is its vibrant café culture. As a writer, I’d envisioned myself on a sunny terraço penning a masterpiece on the back […]

Viseu: Sweet Treats and Bicycles

July 9, 2019

Viseu is a great destination on its own, but a 50-km bike ride thrown in makes a trip to the area even better. Here’s the what and the how.

Portugal’s Public Wi-Fi. Aka the White Elephants

May 22, 2019

The second round of funding for the WiFi4EU initiative has just been announced, and with it, a further 80 Portuguese municipalities will get Wi-Fi funding. But what does this mean? Will we benefit from it? And how will the coffee shops survive? The WiFi4EU initiative “promotes free access to Wi-Fi connectivity for citizens in public […]