Like many other countries, Ireland has some differences from the United States. Some of these differences include:
"To Let" instead of "to Rent," similar to in England.
Registers in stores are called "tells."
"Chips" are not potato chips, but rather they are french fries.
"Red sauce" is ketchup.
Coffee is called "insomnia."
On their potato chip bags, they tell you whether or not the product is "suitable for vegetarians."
At the intersection of streets and pedestrian pathways in the city they have printed "look to the left" or "look to the right" so that you do not walk into oncoming traffic looking the incorrect way.
"Crack" means to have a good time. "Where's the crack?" means 'where is the fun', etc.
"Galway hooker" means beer. Therefore, to say "I went to Ireland to have some crack and a Galway hooker" means that you went to Ireland for a good time and some beer.
Portugal was the Roman Empire province called Lusitania. The population in 1500 was 1 million. In 2010, it was 10.5 million. The country sits on the edge of the North Atlantic wind patterns, which enables the country to easily navigate the oceans. The Portuguese followed the winds to their colonies (to Africa and then Brazil).
They colonized the world between 1415 and 1542 (in comparison to the British who colonized the U.S. in 1607). They were the first country to create colonies. They created their colony in India in 1498. They ensured that their trade routes were global. Many of Portuguese colonies include Africa, Brazil, India, the Philippines, and China. source: Wikipedia There are many different kinds of ruins in Portugal: Greek, Roman, and Muslim. The Portuguese constantly built over a previous building. For example, a church over a mosque once the Muslims left. This occurred in 1253 when Portugal secured its borders. Spain did not accomplish this until 1492 (the same year that Columbus said to America).
During the 1960s, Portugal was fighting three colonial wars in Africa. These wars went on for over ten years until 1974. The army decided that because there were so many men dying, they must overthrow the dictatorship. The army rode their tanks into Lisbon and stopped the ongoing wars. This is called the Carnation Revolution because it was bloodless. There has not been a dictator since. Women were also given equal rights after 1974..
Fado is a style of music that is the national pride and soul of Portugal. There are two distinct styles of Fado: Lisbon and Coimbra. The Lisbon style originates from the 830s by the meeting of women and sailors. This is a very melodramatic style of music. It is very drawn out. The Coimbra style was created by a group of university students. It is very light and lyrical, which descends from their knowledge of classical music.
The song lyrics for these songs are poems. There are three main influences from which the lyrics originate: troubadour, Moorish, and 19th century maritime culture. The troubadour influenceis about unrequited love. The Moorish influence is fatalistic and melancholy (it is their fate or destiny to suffer). The 19th century maritime culture influence pertains to loneliness and suffering. All three influences are very sad.
There is a very famous word in Portugal that encompasses their music, “sauddal.” There is not a direct translation, however it means that something that you once loved, lost, and will never have again. It is very depressing.
Portuguese music is linked to Brazilian music because the Portuguese traveled to Africa and then Brazil during colonization. The traditional instruments are the viola and the guitarra. The guitarra has twelve strings, and the frets are different than the American guitar.
