REVERSE CULTURAL SHOCK - THE CHALLENGES | PART 2 | Returning to Portugal after 20 years abroad

[@MeetCarolas]

⚠Part of my frustration on this video comes from a place of LOVE for Portugal! We could be MUCH greater if we addressed these CHALLENGES!

[@jaibaba3850]

I lived in New York for 5 years now i have move back to lisbon..trust me this is the best decision i have taken in life❤

[@MeetCarolas]

Glad you are enjoying life in Portugal!

[@teddydavis2339]

Joana made so many good points. So many people try to make Portugal out to be paradise on earth, with no flaws. I am big on customer service. You can't make people care. Great video!

[@MeetCarolas]

Thank you Teddy!

[@Tino.1]

Joana, I watched part 1 & 2. I totally agree with you experiences. Healthcare and education are two major downsides in the U.S as they can cause you to accumulate a huge amount of debt (or force you to file for bankruptcy)! The additional dowside is "At Will" employment. So basically, your employer can fire you at any time with or without cause! And when/if that happens, beside losing your job, you would also lose your medical/dental insuance!!! Keep up the great work.

[@MeetCarolas]

Thank you Tino for your comment :) Great call out about loosing your job, that is a hash reality in USA, specially losing your health insurance is more impacting.

[@louisrios5546]

Ghosting is driving us crazy as well. Our landlord contact has been ghosting us for 3 months about repairs that we have requested and about drafting a renewal lease contract. It's frustrating because we mostly like our place and would prefer not to move.

[@MeetCarolas]

😔

[@ciprianoneves7246]

Good perspective Joana.

[@MeetCarolas]

Obrigada Cipriano

[@GLOBALSTRIDE]

Love that Portuguese accent, Joana. 😀While touring Portugal, for what I remember, I did not have any bad customer service experience. If I would ever had one, I would not taken it lightly and would have given them or the manager of the facility a piece of my mind. The only bad experiences I had was with some undesirable foreigners I won't mention their nationality here in order not to cause havoc in your channel. As far as the medical matters, I totally agree with you. Taking a step further, I had an emergency while in Porto and I was treated very well by the ambulance responders and the Personnel at the University Hospital. They did not leave me aside just because I was a tourist. I was treated promptly and efficiently by the staff. I kind fell sorry for the crew as they were very busy that night. I did not stayed there too long as I kind resolved my own medical situation so they didn't have to call a specialist. Also, I did not pay a cent to the hospital for the medical care but I cannot tell whether the hotel paid anything. I di call the hotel few months after returning to the EUA and they told me that everything was ok!? Go Figure!! As far as the renovations, the sellers provides me with the cost, and schedule. They try to do the entire project in few hours or in a day if all possible. Example: My garage door motor was replaced in less than 90 minutes, the water heater was replaced in about 2 hours and the entire roofing for a 2000 square feet home was replaced in less than 12 hours by 5 guys who did an excellent job. That's a very hard job to do in a 11 hours period. Have a great Sunday. Tchau.

[@MeetCarolas]

:) Thank you for sharing your experience!

[@JBSpecialMusic]

Hey, you're back! I agree with you on most points. One of my fav vids of yours was the one on finding hidden gem properties. As for customer service in Portugal, we haven't experienced any major issues with hospitality. Of course, we're more relaxed and patient, too. We live halfway up the coast in Figueria da Foz. I've heard the Algarve can have a different look and feel for customer experience. Blame the Brits? As for customer service in the US, the tipping culture sprouted from the post slavery era and the flat wages are abysmally low. Also, in many US establishments it seems the workers follow a script where key phrases and gestures are encouraged. Topics for upcoming vids? How about best ways to communicate and negotiate with renovation contractors, start to finish. With luck, we might reduce that pesky ghosting factor down from 99% to 98%.

[@MeetCarolas]

Thank you your feedback! We really appreciate it :) great suggestion on communication with contractors, that one is on our list! Also have another video about hidden gems ;) thank you for following us on this journey

[@thiagoracca]

I have the exact same sensation, in my case I'm a Italo-Brazilian born in Brazil, and I am living in Ireland, everytime I came back to Brazil is so unfamiliar... but in other hand the things are not right here in Ireland as well, the food everywhere is kinda terrible for instance, and I cannot get used too... About the health system, here is Ireland is weird, is like there is a threshold on your bill, so there is a bill, but not as big of a bill... and Brazil and Italy are like Portugal... I honestly think the healthcare in the US is weird OBS: as a Brazilian, I off course visited Portugal, and I love it, same native language, is great in almost every way, better than brazil but still familiar, but your first point is totally true, I'm IT and basically don't have good paying jobs, and not much future on the horizon... I think eventually I will move to Italy, still a bit of the same of portugal, but with better jobs, or I don't know maybe or stay in Ireland... When you know the world, everyplace seems to have some problem...

[@MeetCarolas]

Thank you Thiago for your awesome insights! We've never visited Ireland but is in our list. Italy is gorgeous!

[@FMhalokitty]

I'm from Mexico and I live here in Portugal, same feeling

[@FMhalokitty]

But I love Portugal

[@MeetCarolas]

We also ❤️

[@marisapollock4703]

An additional point to university is that most US degrees are four years compared to the three that's common in Europe.

[@MeetCarolas]

Great call out Marisa! Here you can get a bachelors degree in 3 years.

[@JosephDesousa-w5i]

Hello, We appreciate the videos and we are moving to Portugal in the next year. I am a Portuguese citizens but have been in the USA for 40 years . Our question is that did you use the Regresso Program for the tax benefits. It is the path we are taking and if you did can speak about that. Thank you.

[@MeetCarolas]

Thank you for your comment we appreciate it! We had so much going on that we didn’t take advantage of that benefit. My recommendation is to read it in advance as we’ve hear from other folks they didn’t get it because not meeting some requirements

[@jul7291]

Parabéns Carolas! São temas muito importantes a tratar, e a sua perspetiva e francamente muito mais interessante do que aquela dos muitos diz-que "expats" quem costumam comentar sob temas mais limitados. Gostava muito se a Carolas pudesse fazer o mesmo vídeo em Português, pois nos estrangeiros teríamos uma oportunidade de treinar a língua ao mesmo tempo que aprender coisas interessantes sob a sua experiência ao voltar a morar em Portugal.

[@MeetCarolas]

Obrigada Annie pelo seu lovely comment! É uma idea interessante:) the challenge we have is the KZbin algorithm, he doesn’t appreciate change in language :( but we might consider the idea for our newsletter ;) to add content in português

[@jul7291]

@@MeetCarolas I know what you mean, but try not to become a slave to the algorithm - we all know it wrecks lives! Easy to lose track of why you do something...

[@MeetCarolas]

Thank you for your great point :) while we are having fun and helping folks we will keep on doing videos ❤️

[@tinportugal4655]

I agree with most points. I would add that i feel that public services have collapsed in many areas. Lucky if you don't need these (e g. NHS or change of drivers license) but 😢 otherwise.

[@MeetCarolas]

That is a good point, there is several services that need some revamping!

[@sarasimoes9845]

Bureaucracy is my worse nightmare. Every 5 years I have to renew passport and it's a horrible experience. Have to book in advance, get to the place and still have to wait, then need to get back to pick it up when ready...wtf I do my daughters all online and it's delivered home. So much easier.

[@MeetCarolas]

great call out Indeed the Bureaucracy can be a nightmare. I guess we got used to bureaucracy 🤣 as an expat in Belgium and USA, it was unpleasant as well.

[@soniasilva4978]

Olá Joana! Apareceram estes vídeos como recomendação no youtube e decidi ver. Tenho vários amigos a viver nos EUA e trocamos muitas impressões, porque o meu marido adoraria ir viver para lá. Eu sempre ouvi o discurso acerca dos EUA tal como tu dizes, e por isso não seria um país que eu elegesse para viver, mas depois ele contraria e diz que não é bem assim e os nossos amigos contam outras realidades. Por exemplo, em relação à educação, existe o sistema público e o privado, tal como aqui. Um dos nossos amigos está a tirar um curso numa universidade pública e não paga absolutamente nada. E também dizem que existe um sistema de saúde público, em que não se paga. Aqui em Portugal, a ideia que sempre nos passam é que se não se tiver dinheiro deixam as pessoas morrer, mas eles lá dizem que não, que isso não é verdade. Também nos contam que existem vários beneficios para quem tem baixos rendimentos, tal como aqui. Ou seja, essa ideia de que não existe sistema social nos EUA, que era a ideia que eu tinha, eles contrariam. Aqui o serviço ao cliente é mau porque também não há grande incentivo para ser melhor. O esforço ou competência das pessoas não é valorizado. Todos ganham o mesmo, o salário mínimo, e para além disso muitas vezes estão a sofrer assédio laboral, a trabalhar horas extras não pagas, etc Sei que dizes no vídeo que esta é a tua experiência mas gostaria de saber se tens conhecimento destas outras realidades lá nos EUA.

[@MeetCarolas]

Ola Sonia, Obrigada pelo teu comentário :) A experiência de cada um vai variar muito na zona em que estão nos USA. De estado para estado varia bastante. Eu apenas posso falar da minha experiência vivendo na zona de south east coast USA. Ai se não tivesses seguro de saúde pagavas full price e esse full price é bastante elevado. Para te dar um exemplo eu tive um parto natural sem intervenção medica/ou epidural, fiquei no hospital 1 noite e recebi uma conta de 30.000 dollars (em 2017) como tinha seguro de saúde ele cobria 90% logo tive que ainda pagar 3000 euros. Relativamente a haver sistema de saúde público tenho dúvidas do que exatamente ele cobre, porque muitas vezes o que acontece é que vai lá mas sai sempre com uma conta. Conheci pessoas que tiveram que declarar insolvência/bankrupcy porque não conseguiam pagar as contas de saúde. Quanto à educação na nossa zona do 1 ao 12 era gratis mas a creche era paga e a universidade era paga. Sim, 'é verdade que há bolsas de estudo 'é uma questão de se investigar, mas como se diz em Portugal nunca é trigo limpo ;) O meu advice 'e para ir para USA 'e quando se 'é jovem e não se tem problemas de saúde, e sem filhos ;) porque com eles 'e sempre a +++++ e não 'é pouco. Relativamente a Portugal há muito para melhorar, sem dúvida os incentivos e valorização do trabalho vão criar melhor customer service.

[@MR-kj8jd]

Customers should always come first!! There should be no excuse for that!

[@MeetCarolas]

Indeed 🙌

[@Solo50plus]

I can feel your frustration form over here 😉

[@MeetCarolas]

we have a beef with it ;)

[@ciprianoneves7246]

Eu devo ser Portugues Joana…..vivo nos Estados desde 1960 e eu tambem nao leio my e mails. My account goes up to thousands without me replying. Estou a pensar em visitar este Maio por tres semanas porque a ultima vez que visitei foi em 2004…..20 years ago.

[@MeetCarolas]

😀 maio é uma óptima altura para vir a Portugal belíssimo tempo!

[@InonoYazy]

I personally don't like people smiling to me without reason like in 'superb Customer service '. I'm ok with people being who they are, polite of course. I don't want robots. Tipping is part of the system, it has pretty negative connotation to me & a lot of people.

[@MeetCarolas]

Indeed!

[@chrisj699]

You've just become too Americanized🤣. I have been to Portugal numerous times as a tourist. And I keep coming back because I really like it. Too me Portuguese people got it right. They take it slow and enjoy life instead of killing themselves working or prostituting themselves for a "Dollar" as most Americans are happy do do.

[@MeetCarolas]

Chris great points! :) did you also see our part 1 ? we do highlight many of the positives of living in Portugal :) specially the slow life is one of our top call outs.

[@carlosvictor8679]

apatia 😞

[@MeetCarolas]

Indeed