bons

Thakns for your post Midge, it's always good for us to gather this info before we go. Black t-shirt it is!!

sportpix

and don’t forget the umbrella. I saw a box of them in Pingo yesterday priced at 5 euro each. It still pains me to think that I had to part with 15 euro to that thief in the give shop at the station in Lisbon…

toots sweet

Off for my appointment in Santarem today ! All docs checked ! Not at SEF offices but at the Registos offices and thankfully know where it is as I have been before and know where to park nearby. Relax.........

sportpix

Some advice tho: wear a dark top!
The guy before me had troubles with the photo machine cause of his light top, one of the ladies there had to lend him a dark cardi - Eddy Izzard style
They said it was a common problem, expecially with us pasty Northerners, but it turns out my PT wife had a similar problem when she went to get her Catão Cid changed recently too[/QUOTE]
This reminds me of a few years back when Hong Kong introduced a new biometric ID card. We all had to go the immigration department and go through a similar process to that which took place last week in Lisbon. The nice lady told me to stand against a white wall while she took my picture and then uttered "mo yong" (no good) and proceeded to converse in Cantonese with an assistant who produced an umbrella and held it above my head. When I jokingly asked her if she was expecting rain she replied, no, the light is reflecting off the top of your head..."

bons

Ha, ha, will get one. Will it stop me from getting wet feet...

bons

This reminds me of a few years back when Hong Kong introduced a new biometric ID card. We all had to go the immigration department and go through a similar process to that which took place last week in Lisbon. The nice lady told me to stand against a white wall while she took my picture and then uttered "mo yong" (no good) and proceeded to converse in Cantonese with an assistant who produced an umbrella and held it above my head. When I jokingly asked her if she was expecting rain she replied, no, the light is reflecting off the top of your head..."[/QUOTE]
Oops. Could you speak much Cantonese while you were in Hong Kong?

sportpix

Sadly not. Planned to be there for two years but then all of a sudden we’d clocked up 30 years. I can make myself understood when buying things or to get a taxi driver to take me somewhere but I can’t hold a conversation. Wife is better than me but not fluent. Cantonese has seven tones so gau is dog, it’s also nine and is even dumpling depending on which tone you use. I had a friend who was Glaswegian and married to a local and he could make himself understood in Cantonese, even though it was definitely Glaswegian accented Cantonese

bons

How's your Portuguese?

sportpix

It’s not. I’m being lazy and should really make a start and I have watched many of the YouTube tutorials from Liz. I’ve written down many of the more appropriate phrases but have then ignored them instead of trying to practice them. If wife was here and we could practice on each other - learning Portuguese, that is, it would be much better. Any excuse …

bons

I'm a bit the same. I do some practice then I might not do anything for a couple of days or more. Ten to fifteen minutes a day is not much to ask but I don't seem to do it. My excuse - everything will be OK when I find a tutor. I can't find one of course.