A chara, – I read with surprise Edward Lennon’s article on Portugal (“Many Portuguese are on a scale that oscillates between melancholic, dour and grumpy”, Abroad, October 3rd). Your writer gives Portugal and the Portuguese quite a bashing. His comments are interesting, but his analysis and conclusions certainly don’t tie in with my own experience, nor that of Irish friends who live in Portugal.
Any perceived melancholy should not be confused with “saudade”, a uniquely Portuguese form of longing and creative fatalism.
Scoring low on individualism and ambition is not necessarily a bad thing, in fact this is a quality, especially when living in community.
The writer compares the Portuguese character unfavourably with the supposedly “world-class personality, energy and humour” of the Irish. Deary me.
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Are we getting a bit too carried away with ourselves? We can do with some Portuguese humility and reserve.
However, things may not be so bad in Portugal. Your writer has in fact been living there for five years, had the chance to escape during Covid, but chose to go back.
Despite himself, maybe he has fallen for the charm of the country and its people? – Is mise,
CIARÁN MAC GUILL,
Clichy,
France.