“Do I have a single identity – based on nationality, ethnicity, religion, class, gender or geography? Or am I essentially a mixture of multiple belongings, cultural allegiances and diverse inheritances, backgrounds and trajectories?”
– Elif Shafak
In her book How to Stay Sane in an Age of Division, Elif Shafak urges the reader to ask the question, Who am I? How we answer this question and define our identity, in many ways, determines how we will engage with life and the bigger world we live in. And unlike the black and white divisions that often permeate opinion, our identities are more fluid, or should at least contain some measure of fluidity throughout our lives, to allow for knowledge and awareness to impact upon and change with the circumstances of our lives.
In many ways I live on an island of relative calm here on the quinta, fending off news that doesn’t immediately or directly impact my life, but as an immigrant in Portugal, I am acutely aware of the various challenges the country faces, as well as its own version of division politics and racism.
Although the recent riots and demonstrations in Lisbon and surrounding area did not directly impact on my daily life, it does highlight societal and political issues in the country at large.
Chega (meaning Enough), Portugal’s right-wing political party, likes to feed into a fear of immigration and immigrants, as well as using the housing crisis in especially Lisbon and Porto, to gain support.
Portugal has been the “it” country for a while now, enticing and encouraging foreign buyers (especially the richer segments of society) to invest in the country, but many locals view it as a disaster, seeing an increase in property prices that has more than doubled in 2023 compared to 2015 according to Pordata, and as such, making it impossible for many Portuguese to own property or even rent in areas close to where they work.
Out of the 10 million people living in Portugal, 2.1 million are classed as poor. According to a recent article, 40% of the population cannot replace furniture, or afford even a weeklong holiday, 30.5% cannot meet any unexpected expense without taking out a loan, while one in every five people live in accommodation that is not adequately heated in winter.
Even if I don’t always know what impact this knowledge will have on my identity, I know that who I am and the way I view my place in the world will inevitably be influenced by it. Luckily for me, I often don’t have time to overthink broader issues, as there is always something more mundane and physical that need my attention.
In the wake of Michael’s last visit at the end of September there was some cleaning up to do, while I also repacked a temporary firepit with the stones I kept from the previous one, and although I haven’t used it yet, the temperature since we’ve had our first snow on the Serra de Estrela on the 26th, certainly makes me think of lighting a fire one of these evenings. The colder weather brings clearer skies and brighter stars – something I delight in.
Amongst the many mundane tasks there were three pallets of wood that have been stuck in the same place for the last couple of years that I couldn’t ignore any longer, but had to move to make way for the final bit of retaining wall. The best pieces I moved into the workshop onto two pallets to stay dry for use in my firepit during the winter months, while the rest I dumped onto our general wood pile.
Another task was to remove an enormous pile of offcuts and rubbish left by the people who cladded the workshop. They, unlike the general tendency of most builders, worked very neatly and left everything in a single pile, but it was under an olive tree, which meant it had to be dealt with before the harvest. A good thing I made use of lovely weather at the beginning of the month for that task, because, as it turned out, we harvested our olives on the 10th.
It was the earliest we’ve ever harvested, and I am delighted with the end result, which is a lovely peppery hit at the back of the throat – a taste both Michael and I prefer to the more buttery flavour we’ve had in recent years. It was also our first good yield in a while, especially since we’ve lost quite a bit of olives when we had hail just when the fruit was busy forming. From the 18 kg of clean olives, we got just over 18 litres of oil.
October is also the month in which the cats need to get their yearly vaccinations, which hold a fair amount of stress for all of us. Midnight gets car sick, as the 45-minute drive has many curves, and Lily simply does not stop moaning.
This year I also had to take the car to get a new battery and tyres fitted before its first technical inspection. Despite being nervous, as I’ve never had to do one before (in South Africa we don’t have them, and in the UAE Michael took the car), and cramming my brain with some car related Portuguese vocabulary, it turned out to be one of those rare, smooth and delightful experiences, when the guy who did the tests not only spoke English, but patiently explained every step to me before he asked me to perform various tasks.
A Moment of Joy:
Receiving our very first batch of honey made by the industrious little bees a friend keeps on the quinta was definitely a highlight. I spent a delightful time decanting the 5.65 kg yield into bottles getting sticky all over. Since then, I’ve been having it over my yoghurt and muesli in the morning, used it in the Hawthorne ketchup I make this time of the year, and even made a delectable honey ice-cream.
Notes:
# The cladders have finally returned to the quinta yesterday, and is currently working on installing the doors of the workshop, so we should soon have a building that is wind and water tight. I will eventually write a blog post focusing solely on the whole ‘building an agricultural building in Portugal’ saga.
# We have rain predicted for tonight and tomorrow, but as it stands currently, we’ve had 120 mm of rain for the month, which means that the landscape has taken on a lovely neon green hue.
A Portuguese Expression:
À cara podre – literally in the rotten face – it refers to a shameless way of acting, especially when someone does something wrong without any shame or embarrassment
Written by: Jolandi
Oil, honey… what’s not to love.
You make a great point about poverty and the impact of ‘gentrification’ for lack of a better term. It’s not just something affecting, say, the East End or Brixton in London, it’s something happening in your neck of the woods too. Or in Sicily, with all the people descending on Taormina after the White Lotus it’s gotten really out of hand. Problem is… we’re all part of the problem!
I love the bounty of the land, Fabrizio. Mushroom season has also started, and although we mostly have poisonous mushrooms growing on the land, or others that I hesitate to identify, I have dried two lovely Parasol mushrooms, and am looking forward to the Blewits – the only two types of mushroom I am confident to identify and eat.
So many things contribute to poverty, and the economic well-being of people and countries. Thinking and talking about it is a little bit like entering a hall of mirrors, as the way one perceives it can completely change depending on the angle one looks at it. – Jolandi
You manage to get so much done. I am impressed. Lucky about the oil and honey. Good luck on the trip to the vet.
Midnight, who is usually ruled by her stomach, was so upset with me afterwards, Peggy that she refused to come into the house, or eat any of the treats I offered her for a couple of hours after we returned from the vet. She did eventually forgave me. Just in time for our daily walk and treats afterwards. 😆 – Jolandi
As an outsider, whenever I read the news about right-wing politicians stirring immigration issues in the US and European countries, my brain tells me that as human beings we should treat others with respect and dignity, no matter where they come from. However, deep inside me sometimes I wonder if I were to live in one of those places, would I stay true to what I believe in now? or would I be tempted to vote for one of those very politicians?
The olives you harvested this year sound like the olive oil I bought when I went to Lebanon in 2019. I vividly remember the peppery kick at the back of the throat, which was surprising yet delightful.
I often wonder the same thing, Bama. If I were in someone else’s shoes, would I still believe what I believe now? Our identities and beliefs are so multi-faceted that even though we cannot perhaps answer the questions, just asking them is enough to understand that so much of life is fluid and dependent on many other variables that make us who we are in any given moment.
I love to hear that you found that peppery kick delightful, Bama. It is not often a flavour one encounters in shop bought olive oils, which means that most people are unfamiliar with it, or even find it to be terrible. It is hard to describe, but the other thing I like about it, is that it doesn’t leave an ‘oily’ residue in once mouth. Unlike the more buttery oils. Oh, the things I learn that I never even knew existed before moving to the quinta. – Jolandi
Jolandi, I enjoyed this post very much. So sorry to hear about how difficult it is to vaccinate the kitties, but you said that happens in October, so hopefully it’s done again for another year. What a JOY to us at the new house, where our veterinarian is a mere 5-minute drive and she simply loves my old lady and turns on like a lightbulb to see her. I’m sure Lily and Midnight would still choose the life they have, if given a choice to move into town and closer to the treatment.
What a funny and apt expression you shared with us at the end. I wish there was a way to be protected from elections, once and for all. We here in the US are currently being bombarded with advertisements in all mediums, so no matter what you use (TV, internet, radio, snail mail, cell phone-they actually text me!), you will receive unsolicited ads talking about politicians at every level. Millions are spent to do this, and I can’t see that it has the desired effect. I overheard a man in a grocery store a couple days ago complaining to an employee that he wished the people would spend the money on community improvement, which would have a greater appeal to voters. “Instead they buy all these ads that just annoy people.” It was so much truth in a simple acknowledgement.
Fresh local honey is pure gold and I am grateful for the few years I had some at my last place. I still have jars that once I was trying to get people to take from me. Now I hoard them. 🙂 I would do the same with olives if I had them.
You are definitely right, Crystal. The cats only have to go through that ordeal once a year, unless they get sick or hurt of course, so in the bigger scheme of things, it is just a once a year stressor. And we all survived this year’s ordeal intact, and although Midnight was terribly upset with me, all is forgiven.
I would not want to trade places with you, especially at the moment. I can only imagine what nightmare it must be to be bombarded by advertising campaigns for elections that do no good to actually bettering the lives of people. What a crazy world! Good luck with this final push and then results.
I never knew that you also had the joy of having your own honey in your previous place. Oh my goodness, yes, I would also hoard it if I were you. – Jolandi
I think every country is dealing with some form of gentrification, divisions and complaints about immigration. I choose to ignore it, and just simply be kind as you don’t know what someone else is dealing with in their life.
The Quinta is looking lovely, and I am always so amazed as to how much you get done.
Take care of yourself,
Terri
I think you are right, Terri, which is why it really irks me when Portugal is often painted as some sort of idyllic place with no nuanced problems. Kindness definitely goes a long way. Hope you are staying sane and doing well amidst your version of division politics. – Jolandi
The olives sound heavenly, Jolandi. We also have olive trees growing around here, but they’re all ornamental/male, meaning they exude a lot of pollen but produce no fruit. I suggested planting olive trees, the real fruiting ones, in the community garden, but the people in charge said “No trees.” They’re apparently making plans for some huge construction project, and they don’t want to pull up any trees if they don’t have to.
I so want the elections in the US to be over, though I am nervous about the outcome. My area is nothing if not a large neighborhood of immigrants, mostly from Asia but also South America, Mexico, and Africa. It would be absurd and terrible if they were stripped of their citizenship and sent “to wherever they came from.” I can’t believe that it’s even legal to do that. Yet here we are, and things are so contentious now, I’ll be surprised if the capitol building in DC survives another attack. But hope spring eternal! I hope you can find a day of rest and relaxation sometime>
I’m not surprised to hear many Portuguese subscribe to the belief that immigration is the root cause of increase in house prices and so on. The US elections are run and won, and, like so many other countries around the world, the things that resonated with people was their own hip-pocket and railing against immigrants. We have it here too, and I am so concerned this will embolden our right-wing Opposition Leader into winning our next elections. Although we do not have a Trump equivalent, our versions can be just as obnoxious and short-sighted.
On another subject. When I was adopted by a stray Siamese, who was very chatty, she also objected to car-rides and vets. One time I popped into a shop on the way home and a woman came into the store outraged that I had left my baby crying in the car. It took a lot of convincing, and an invitation to see for herself, before she would accept it was just one very cranky cat!
The harvest, both of olives and honey, sounds idyllic. The sense in very tidy workmen leaving their detritus in exactly the wrong spot, less so.
I’m still trying to find the time to write my second referendum blog post. I could dash it off, but I would only confuse people.
Your cat story made me laugh, Gwen. They certainly have their quirks and dislikes, but thank goodness also lovable qualities.
There seems to be a worldwide tendency to right-wing politics at the moment, which is truly disconcerting.
I often find that I have a lot of good intentions regarding specific writing projects, just to sometimes find it more challenging than what I anticipated, which often ends up in the project stalling mid-way. I hope you eventually find the time to write your second post, as I found the first one very interesting. – Jolandi
Lovely to read about olive oil, honey, physical labor, cats, and other simple things. (Well, maybe cats are not so simple!) Now we know how things turned out in the US … ugh. J and I have been blissfully shielded from the day-to-day fallout as we have been enjoying our own simple pleasures of hiking through the Japanese countryside. Alas, we are on our way home, but at least it allows me to catch up on pleasant things like your blog!
I can imagine that it must have been a blissful experience to hike through the Japanese countryside, Lexie. Especially amidst all the craziness of the final build up to the election. Good luck with arriving home again. One definitely has to count every single ‘simple thing’ in life, as there is more often than not a lot of chaos and complications. Looking forward to reading more about your trip. – Jolandi