Ages & Nicknames
As originally posted on http://azores.paulofernandes.net
The time has come to share a few more observations and experiences of our time in the Açores. Today I shall regale you with tales of the Portuguese Age Factor, and my new nickname.
The Age Factor
One thing we’ve been noticing as of late is that up to a certain point, most everyone here seems to appear older than they actually are. It’s been somewhat surprising when we’ve found out the ages of some of Paulo’s cousins’ girlfriends, as they’re younger than expected. One in particular had seemed to be about 24-26, until we found out she was 20—younger than any of us! I’m not exactly sure what to attribute to the “Age Factor,” but we have been theorizing that it’s because people here still have to work harder physically on a day-to-day basis compared to the average person of the same age in Canada/North America.
My New Nickname
When we first met with Paulo’s parents to ask any questions we might have had about our voyage, the issue of our names in Portuguese somehow came up. Paulo and Dan (pronounced like Danielle over here) had names that worked relatively well, but my name was a bit too North American for direct use—many of the letters in “Steve” are not pronounced the same way in Portuguese. This prompted Paulo’s dad to suggest a more Portuguese-friendly pronunciation: Estevsh (the first “e” is quick, the second “e” is soft [as in not hard], and the sh is slurred together with some “j”). It didn’t stick that much in Winnipeg, but it has really caught on over here and is now the reference of choice for Paulo, Dan and Paulo’s dad.
So with that, allow me to introduce myself: my name is Estevs.
This is the last update until at least Monday, as we will be working all weekend for the Jantar de Santo Espirito (Dinner of the Divine Holy Spirit), where we’ll be helping to serve a feast made from 2 cows, 200 loaves of bread, and countless other beverages and supplies. Catch you on the flip side.