MYG #15

Magazine for Youth Generation

September 2021 #15

A different view of Macedonia

CONTENTS

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04 06 08 12 16 18

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Presentation Brazil Rio de Janeiro Carnival Portugal Lisbon

23 23 29

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34 39

Porto 5 Places you don't want to miss in Portugal Macedonia: the hiden gem of the Balkans European Solidarity Corps Gossip

Joana Veiga Born and raised in Porto, Portugal, I’m Joana! Nice to meet you all. Since a very young age I’ve developed the dream of traveling the world, being in touch with different cultures and get the most of my travels. Maybe that is also one of the reasons why I’m so amazed with Macedonia, its culture and customs…

I started developing English skills at the age of 4 and, in that moment, my parents decided to enroll me in an English course outside kindergarten. I can say that I started to speak proper Portuguese and English at the same time. Besides this two languages, I've also studied French in school and after it I decided to enroll in an intensive summer course that I truly believe it will be helpful when and if I go to Paris to do my Master.

Apart from traveling, I’ve always been quite stubborn and worried about what people feel, that is, helping them defend themselves. This to say that I hate inequalities and injustices, always trying to fight them, alone or with other.

With this said, I’m a law graduate, passionate about International Law and Human Rights, being this the area that I want to study for my Master Degree and, if everything goes as planed, work for the United Nations or other international NGO. I honestly believe and defend that if we have the opportunity to study we should always take advantage of our education to help others, being this one of my main motivations.

Outside university, I’ve always been an art lover. In high school I’ve studied Arts, with the intention of studying Architecture or even Restoration. Actually, during high school I was always undecided between Architecture and Law. Afterwards, I’ve decided to go to Law School… Possibly my family was way more comfortable with my choice of career, rather than being an artist. Nevertheless, I do not regret my choice. I think Law School made me grow a lot and I started to see the world in a different way. Of course, when most people think of a law student they always think of someone super-sure, who follows the rules, but rules were made to be broken (otherwise lawyers would never have a job)!

Art lover, passionate about travelling, always trying to have more general culture, defending the underprivileged and fighting social injustice is what best defines me.

MYG | 1

Fernanda Lima As an International Relations student, I have been always delighted for multicultural experiences and that’s what made me end up here. Nice to meet you, my name is Fernanda Lima!

Born and raised in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, I’m 22 years old and I have lived in three countries in the last four years. My international journey started when I finished high school and had no idea about which degree I should choose for university, so I opted to do a Language Exchange to learn English.

The educational system in Brazil in the field of language teaching is very inferior if compared with other countries, as most of the population have no opportunities to practice the language abroad, they have no interest to learn and improve it.

With me it wasn't different, I also didn’t care about learning English. I was used to my comfort zone, with my Brazilian friends and just thinking that I would live there forever, so… why improve my English?

Well, this question disappeared when I needed to decide what I would be doing in the next years of my life - it was just a quick check in the job opportunities to see that all better paid jobs and high positions demand English language. For this reason, when my mom made me choose my 18 years old birthday-gift I choose a language exchange instead of a car.

I moved to the United States, California to be more exact, for 6 months to learn English.

In the first 2 months I didn’t make any friend as my English was very basic, however, as I improved my English, I could make many friends from all over the world. This experience was a big personal challenge that made me more mature and, as a consequence, I choose what I wanted to do for the next years of my life, to be an internationalist.

When the exchange was over, I didn't want to return to my comfort zone. As I have Portuguese citizenship, I decided to join the university in Portugal, where I live nowadays and I'll graduate next year!

Apart from that, I’m passionate about fashion, a music lover, foodie person and travel addicted! A quote that most defines my life philosophy is:

"A comfort zone is a beautiful place, but nothing ever grows there" MYG | 2

Brazil

Usually when we talk about Brazil, people associate it with three things: samba, football and unfortunately, violence.

The Brazil history begins officially when Pedro Alvares Cabral arrived in the region of Bahia in 1500. From this, Brazil started to be colonized by the Portuguese. However, is important to mention that before the Portuguese arrival, there was already native people living there which became slaves during the colonization. Also, in this period, was developed the sugar economy and society, as the mineral economy and society and it was when the Portuguese began to trade our goods making their country rich.

With that said, we can identify that the problems that Brazil has today are rooted in our history for a long time, the politics of inequality, of anti-morality and corruption. Brazil just became an independent country in 7th of September of 1822 and the name Brazil came from a timber tree very known as brazilwood called Pau-Brasil.

The Brazilian territory is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean in the South America and it’s considered the fifth biggest country in the world and the fifth most populous country in the world, with around 190.755.799 habitants. Because of its dimension, we have three time zones, 27 states and the climate is predominantly tropical. Nowadays, Brazil is considered an emerging country.

Although, it is still a very rich country and, to this day, it is still possible to find gold and diamonds in our lands. However, the corrupt government and the politics of inequality that is ingrained in the everyday life of Brazilians prevent the country from growing. Given that, for a country to become a great power, it is necessary that everyone improves their living conditions and not only the rich become richer.

MYG | 3

"Tall and tanned and young and lovely The girl from Ipanema goes walking And when she passes, each one she passes goes: A-a-ah!

When she walks she's like a samba that Swings so cool and sways so gentle, That when she passes, each one she passes goes: A-a-ah!

Oh, but I watch her so sadly How can I tell her I love her?

Yes, I would give my heart gladly But each day when she walks to the sea She looks straight ahead not at me Tall and tanned and young and lovely The girl from Ipanema goes walking And when she passes I smile, but she doesn't see She just doesn't see No, she doesn't see..."

Tom Jobin - Garota de Ipanema

MYG | 4

Rio de Janeiro

For many people it’s the capital of Brazil as it’s very known, but the capital is in Brasília state, in the mid-west of Brazil.

Rio de Janeiro is in the southern part, near to São Paulo. However, it’s one of the main touristic places in Brazil and all the events such as a concert, festivals and expositions happen between Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo.

The beauty of Rio de Janeiro is unique, the landscapes that integrate mountains, beaches and waterfalls within a few kilometers distance, a view you won't find anywhere else. We can realize it regarding of where the main tourist attractions are located. Cristo Redentor was elected one of the Seventh Wonder in the Modern World and it’s located on the top of the highest mountain of Rio as a symbol of protection for the city and it was posted strategically so you can look at it in different points of the city. For instance, it’s located in the South Part but you can see it from some streets in the North (and no, it’s not close, almost 2 hours by car from a point to other!).

Picture took from Arpoador during the sunset

Also, another famous mountain is Pão de Açúcar which are two mountains and you just can go from one to the other by cable car. Apart from this two, we still have Morro Dois Irmãos, two mountains which you can see from the Ipanema beach and from Arpoador, where is the best viewpoint to watch the sunset.

The most known beach is Copacabana, its sands welcome many events during the year, being the biggest one the New Years Eve, which supports almost 2 million people per year to watch the fireworks display with approximately 20 minutes of duration.

A Brazilian tradition on this day is to wear white clothes as it symbolize peace and it tries to convey a wish for the year coming.

Reveillon in Cocapabana Beach MYG | 5

Talking about festivities, we couldn’t forget the biggest and happiest season of Brazil, the Carnival! It’s celebrated from North to South, however, the main attractions are in Bahia and Rio where we can watch Parades and concerts on the streets and it happens during 7 days of holidays.

With that said, we have two ways of celebrating Carnival: on the streets, that’s called “Bloco”, which there’s a sound track with a singer or samba depending on its type, but the classic ones are with samba and carnival songs. Approximately, it happens 20 blocos per day in different parts of Rio, starting from 6am in the morning and just ending at night, so usually, people who like to celebrate Carnival this way go to three or more blocos per day.

It’s common for people to use a costume in this celebration, and they are the most creatives ones, however, as it happens in the summer and is very hot, some just use swimwear and glitter!

The parade takes place in Marquês de Sapucaí in Rio de Janeiro during five days, the Samba School has 1 hour and 20 minutes to make their parade. They choose a storyline to represent and work on it during the entire year until the parade, making the costumes and writing the samba lyrics. Each Samba School has a different storyline chosen by themselves and, in the end of the parade, they are evaluated by specialized judges and one of them is the winner of the Carnival Parade that year, winning a trophy and a cash prize.

To watch the parade, you need to buy a ticket, which have different prices depending on the place you want to be, as it has also the option to go to VIP areas where is open food and open bar, plus you still have the option of a concert inside. The participants of the parades use stunning costumes with feathers and crystals, but the audience uses casual clothes, unless you’re in the VIP area you'll need to use a personalized T-shirt to enter on it.

The Carnival is the best time to visit Rio de Janeiro, the streets are always full of joy! The ways to celebrate carnival are above, however, the most important is to have fun, either going to Blocos or Parades or Both, what fits better in your budget!

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Gastronomie

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Caipiroska th ngo or even ki a m , ry er b w a it, str as passionfru MYG | 7

Another side of Rio As mentioned previously, Brazil is unfortunately known by its violence and corruption politics. The inequality is rooted in our history, and one of the things that if you go to Rio, you can identify clearly is how the poverty is so predominant that is in the middle of the rich people.

The Favelas is all around the city, and every day there’s more because people have no conditions to rent a house, so they make illegal constructions in the mountains and as they do it, they don’t pay light or water because they don’t even have sanitation in most of the houses.

The poverty is an open door for many illegals activities, the violence begins when is easier to stole something than study or work to have it, because the country system just doesn’t provide opportunities enough for it. For instance, many schools have no teachers because they don’t get paid by the state to work, it also happens in the healthy system with the lack of doctors.

In Brazil, those who steal most are not the people from the favela who have guns, it's the government. It is like a pyramid, first there is corruption in which the government diverts money from education and health for its personal use. Then, some of the people affected by the lack of these means enter in the crime because they prefer to take the easier way. If the citizens don’t have the example of the government that is the main authority who should follow the laws, why should they do it? That happen because there’s no punishment.. not for the government, not for the criminals or even for some citizens who many times evading taxes from the government.

The system is unfair and flawed, but still most people are decent workers who, not having sufficient qualifications for a job, open their own business selling food on the beach, handicrafts, among others. May you be asking yourself, why they just don’t choose another party to lead? We do, the vote is mandatory in Brazil, even though all the politicians are the same - they just promise and say what Brazilians want to hear to be elected and does not deliver what promised after it.

5 places you don't want to miss in Brazil 1. Experience Carnival in Rio de Janeiro or Bahia 2. Go to Amazon Rainforest and stop by indigenous tribes 3. Visit the elected Seventh Wonder of the Modern World - Cristo Redentor in Rio de Janeiro 4. Iguazu Falls located in Paraná state 5. Fernando de Noronha Island

"Moro num país tropical, abençoado por Deus E bonito por natureza (Mas que beleza) Em fevereiro (Em fevereiro) Tem carnaval (Tem carnaval) Eu tenho um fusca e um violão Sou Flamengo e tenho uma nêga chamada Teresa..."

Jorge Ben Jor - País tropical "I live in a tropical country, blessed by God And beautiful by nature (What a beauty) In February (In February) It's carnival (It's carnival) I've got a beetle and a guitar I root for Flamengo and I've got a girl called Teresa..."

MYG | 5

Portugal Portugal is for many people the home of Cristiano Ronaldo. However, Portugal as a lot more to offer than you think!

It is one of the oldest countries in Europe, located in south-western Europe and is a member-state of the European Union since 1986, however we only adhered to Euro in 1999. Besides continental Portugal, we also have two archipelagos: Azores and Madeira, which are autonomous. One fun fact about this conquering nation is that part of Portugal was actually conquered by the Moors, so to say that a part of Portugal was actually AlAndalus. Nowadays, there is still a lot of Arabic influence, in words, food, art and architecture. In 1500, the Portuguese explorers, during the Age of Discovery, pioneered maritime exploration and discovered Brazil. With all the maritime explorations, Portugal became a rich kingdom, being one of the main European empires, importing the richness of the countries, like silk, sugar, spices, tobacco, etc.

It was only in 1910, with a revolution that deposed the monarchy (that had exiled to Brazil), that the Republic was established. Not long after, we had an authoritarian regime, Estado Novo, presided by António de Oliveira Salazar, creating and defending a state without freedom of speech, persecution of politics and civilians against that said regime, but also a lot of poverty in housing and food. In 1974, a group of militaries restored democracy in a different way, instead of bullets they used carnations, and that revolution, on the 25th April 1974, is called the Carnation Revolution.

Portuguese is population is strongly Roman Catholic, having a huge amount of churches everywhere. Regarding Art, and we can say that Portugal is one of the best artistic countries, we have 17 UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Regarding its culture, Portugal is a very rich country. The food, the wine, the football, the sunny weather and the amazing beaches is some of the things that best characterize Portugal.

Our location dictates a lot, considering that we only have terrestrial border with Spain and the rest is the Atlantic ocean, so we are a country with a lot of fishermen and agricultures. From north to south we have the custom of eating a lot of fish and sea food, being one of the best places to have it, since it is always fresh! For instance, in Matosinhos (Porto), the streets are filled with fish and seafood restaurants, being a prime area to eat that time grilled fresh fish, but still being affordable. In Lisbon and south, the seafood and fish culture also exists, with more regional plates, such as choco frito or pastel de bacalhau. So as you can tell, we eat a lot of codfish (in every way possible), sardines, octopus, shrimp, always with a glass of cold white wine!

In the north of Portugal and also north of Spain, there is a specific type of seafood called “percebes”, that in fact is very hard to catch and some people actually die from doing it.

During some typical festivities, it is typical to eat caldo verde, bread, grilled sardines, but also drinking a lot and having fun on the streets! Like a typical Portuguese does. We have two main festivities: in Porto we have São João, celebrated on the 24th of June, and in Lisbon we have Santo António, on the 13th of June.

Portugal is also house of some of the best wines in the world, being everyone very proud of that! We don’t drink wine with water like here in Macedonia. When locals asked me what did I drink my wine with, I said with wine… For western European countries wine is a very serious subject. We produce some of the best wines in the world but also some of they are so unique that they can only be produced in specific regions. For instance, we have vinho verde (verde wine) that can only be found in Minho, a region in the north of Portugal. We also have the unique Porto wine, but that we will talk about later. Still about wine, we have also production in the region of Lisbon and Tejo Valley, Setúbal and Alentejo, being this last region one of the best wine producers, either white or red.

So just visit Portugal, enjoy a sunset on the beach with a glass of wine!

Ó mar salgado, quanto do teu sal São lágrimas de Portugal!

Por te cruzarmos, quantas mães choraram, Quantos filhos em vão rezaram!

Quantas noivas ficaram por casar Para que fosses nosso, ó mar!

Valeu a pena? Tudo vale a pena Se a alma não é pequena.

Quem quer passar além do Bojador Tem que passar além da dor.

Deus ao mar o perigo e o abismo deu, Mas nele é que espelhou o céu.

FERNANDO PESSOA in Mar Português Oh salty sea, how much of your salt Are Portugal's tears!

For crossing you, how many mothers have wept How many sons have prayed in vain!

How many brides remained unmarried That you would be ours, Oh sea!

Was it worth it? Everything is worth it If the soul is not small.

Who wants to go beyond the Bojador Must pass beyond the pain.

God gave the sea the danger and the abyss, But it was in him that heaven was mirrored.

Lisbon

Lisbon is the capital of Portugal, a multi-cultural city, that gathers people from different nationalities, all trying to find better opportunities.

Our capital is located in almost the center of the country, but people from the north already consider it south. The climate in Lisbon is generally hot, especially during summer, although in winter the temperature lowers and there are some rainy days, it doesn’t compare to the weather up north. Lucky!

Since it’s the capital, everything is concentrated there, such us the Presidency, the Assembly, some Museums, the Cathedral, and a lot of concerts. Belém is a part of Lisbon where the President has his residency and where every political things are done, being also an expensive area to live.

Places to visit There are a lot of places to visit in Lisbon, being a very important one Padrão dos Descobrimentos (Discoveries Standard), in which you have sculpted all the great Portuguese Discoverers, being also a landmark of the Portuguese Prime-time.

Near you have Torre de Belém (Belém Tower), that served as a fort to defend the margin of Tejo river. It is a typical Portuguese landmark, built in the manuelino style (during the reign of D. Manuel I). It is classified as UNESCO World Heritage and also one of the 7 Wonders of Portugal.

Mosteiro dos Jerónimos is a Monastery from the XV century, located in Belém and also constructed in manuelina architecture, this monastery is the most remarkable Portuguese monastic ensemble of its time and one of the main hall-churches in Europe. It is classified as Nacional Monument, as well as UNESCO World Heritage and one of the 7 Wonders of Portugal. It is seen as one of the symbols of the Portuguese nation.

Throughout Lisbon there are a lot of viewpoints where you can just gather friends, enjoy a cold beer, listen to music, relax and appreciate the beautiful view ahead of you.

One of the most iconic sites of Lisbon is Praça do Comércio (Trade Square), most well-know as Terreiro do Paço. Facing the Tejo River, it was the site of the palace of the kings of Portugal for about two centuries and today is partly occupied by Ministries. It is also one of the largest squares in Europe. In this complex, you have and Arch, called Arco da Rua Augusta (Augusta’s Street Arch). Also the streets near the Arch have names like Gold Street and Silver Street because in these streets the merchants only sold gold or silver, and the streets acquired that name.

Another unique thing in Portugal is calçada portuguesa (Portuguese cobblestones). Results from the paving with irregularly shaped stones, usually in white and black limestone, which can be used to form decorative patterns or mosaics by the contrast between the stones of different colours, being the most common with patterns alluding to the Discoveries. In other countries that had Portuguese influence you can also see some Portuguese cobblestone, like in Brazil, Mozambique, Macau or Gibraltar.

Night Life Lisbon's nightlife is for all budgets, even though it is the capital of Portugal, it is possible to have a fun night out spending very little.

The most known place to have a beer is called Bairro Alto (High Neighbourhood). As Lisbon is made of many hills, this neighbourhood is on the top of one of them and therefore has this name. It is made up of very narrow streets, which are filled with bars and pubs. It’s a perfect place to get to know people, locals or even tourists, as everyone is out on the streets drinking. Also it is a neighbourhood that caters for everyone since there are sports bars, LGBT+ bars, Erasmus bars, Brazilians bars, Irish pubs and Fado Houses. This is the cheapest place to drink in Lisbon, where you can buy shots for less than 1 euro.

Down the hill, you find the Pink Street – yes, it’s painted pink – and it is a long street full of bars, however the prices are different from Bairro alto, so we can say they are more expensive. On this street you can find a really funny bar that was a brothel in years gone by and has become a themed bar, called Pensão Amor (Pension Love). Nowadays that attracts many tourists due to its funky/kitsch look.

After you’re done with the bars there is a neighbourhood called Santos which have many night clubs. As it is just a short distance walking from the bars, you can see many big groups going there around 2am to properly start to party with DJ’s or singers. The most known clubs are Lust in Rio, that plays every type of music, but mainly Latin music; there is also Urban Club, which is mainly mainstream music. However, in this region there are a plenty of options for clubs such as Techno clubs, Hip-Hop, Brazilian music, etc.

If you are looking to go to a fancy bar, where you can drink cocktails while enjoying a beautiful view of Lisbon, there are stunning rooftop bars. Most of them are located on the top of hotels and the most well known is Sky Bar, on the Tivoli Hotel, which have guests such as Cristiano Ronaldo and others famous artists. Another cool rooftop is Park Bar and it is on the top of a park car and is perfect to watch the sunset on summer while drinking a sangria!

Gastronomie When it comes to food, Lisbon has a typical pastry called Pastel de Nata. The famous puff pastry tarts, egg, milk, sugar and the perfect blend of lemon and cinnamon are some of the country's most popular sweets, and are delicious both warm and cold., with a coffee on the side! It is traditionally called Pastel de Nata, but tourists also try Pastel de Belém, that is pretty much the same, being the main difference that it is sold only in Belém. Either one you should give it a try!

Pastel de nata 🤤 Another thing importante mentioning is beer.

Portugal is a country that drinks a lot of wine and beer and in Lisbon the most famous beer is Sagres (not as good as Super Bock).

One famous beverage in Portugal and Lisbon is Ginja. It is made of sour cherry infused in alcohol, mixed with sugar and cinnamon. It is served in a shot glass with a piece of fruit. In Lisbon there are specialized bars in this type of beverage.

A Ginjinha A very weird custom from Lisbon (and also the south) is to eat snails. Yes, snails… Disgusting!

It is tradition to eat them, but first they are boiled and after you add olive oil, salt, garlic, onion, oregano and piripiri. It is very common to eat them during summer, with beer, while seeing a football match or just in a gathering with friends.

Caracóis 🤢

When it comes to my home town, Porto, I couldn’t be a prouder citizen. A lot of people only know Lisbon, but Porto is a hundred times better than Lisbon! I genuinely feel that we sometimes miss a lot because we aren’t the capital city and politicians and companies just want to do everything and improve the capital. Porto is proud to said that has grown on its own and is one of the best touristic destinations, being elected the World’s Leading City Break in 2020.

Porto is located on the litoral north of Portugal and its climate is influenced by the northern winds coming from the UK, so we have a foggy climate, with rain, wind, but also sun! Traditionally, Porto was, and still is, a city of merchants and bourgeoisie, and we can appreciate these characteristics in our city architecture, from the typical Porto houses to the local commerce.

Places to visit Even though Porto is a small city, compared to big central European cities, we still have a lot to offer. One of the most iconic places is Ponte Luiz I, that was actually built by Théophile Seyrig, a partner of Gustave Eiffel (that built the Eiffel Tower in Paris), reason why there are so many resemblances between the bridge and the tower, especially in its iron framework. During summer, local boys, that live mainly in Ribeira, and know the river by heart, jump from the bridge, attracting tourist that actually give them money.

Another ex libris of Porto is the iconic Torre dos Clérigos (Clérigos Tower and Church). It was designed by architect Nicolau Nasoni, and it is one of the most remarkable exemples of the late Baroque style in Portugal. It is classified as a National Monument since 1910.

Porto

Near Torre dos Clérigos there is Livraria Lello (Lello Library) that is one of the oldest bookstores and also one of the most beautiful one in the world! It is completely breathtaking from the inside! Rumor has it that J.K.Rowling took inspiration from it to write the scene of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, when Harry meets Gilderoy Lockhart.

Unfortunately, due to all the fame that this library has gained, people have to wait for hours to get in and pay a ticket, although if you buy a book there the money for the ticket is deducted from your bill.

Ribeira is probably the most touristic place in Porto, with high prices that still attract tourists, mainly coming from the northern part of Europe. Although, it can be considered the heart of Porto. You have breathtaking views from the Douro river and the Luiz I Bridge, you can walk through the little streets and actually have an impression of life in Porto. It is a very colorful area and it is filled with vitality, joy and, for me, saudade (our portuguese word that has no translation). It is also in Ribeira where we celebrate São João (sardines, caldo verde, martelos e alho porro), in an ambience of music, party, alcohol, laugh and gathering. If you go to Porto you cannot miss Ribeira and a tip from a local, you actually have the best view if you cross the bridge and look at it from Gaia (the other bank of the river)!

Still downtown, and with a lot of young people, alcohol and sunsets, we have Jardim e Passeio das Virtudes (Virtudes Garden and Promenade). Here is where young people hang out, have a beer, listen to music and enjoy the breathtaking view of the river and the magical sunsets. I strongly recommend the Promenade, since its there where most of the people hang out and not actually at the Garden. It is also a place with some night life, but you should be careful because it doesn’t have a lot of light and it is always nice if you have the chance to go there with locals to have the full Virtudes experience!

At last, we have Casa da Música. It is a work from architect Rem Koolhaas, and it is a concert hall. There are a lot of classical music and orchestras concerts there, but also you can visit it from the inside, and see the magnificent auditoriums and all the details that were planned by Koolhaas. It is a landmark of the modern age in Porto, being also a place where skateboarders meet.

Architecture Regarding this topic, Porto is one of the best European cities to study Architecture. The great Master’s of the 1st art are from Porto, just like Siza Vieira, Souto de Moura, Agostinho Ricca, Alcino Soutinho, José Marques da Silva, among others.

The Faculty of Architecture of Porto is the best one in Portugal, being recognized world wide.

It was Siza Vieira that made the project of the building of Faculty of Architecture. He is the best know portuguese architect, that won the Pritzker Award in 1992 and the Golden Lion from the Venice Architecture Biennale in 2012. He has marked the architecture in Porto and Portugal, being also a source of inspiration to students and young architects across the globe.

Bonjour Tristesse - Siza Vieira

FAUP

Casa de Chá da Boa Nova

Queima das Fitas Academic life

Cortejo

Talking about academic life, or night life, Porto is without doubt the best city! When we go to university, during the first week, there are mainly parties from each university and faculty to celebrate the new academic year.

Since we are a very traditional country, our academic life is also marked with traditions.

There is a thing called praxe, being the best translation praxis, but it is nothing more than an aggregation of freshmen and doctors, who are college students who already have more years of teaching in that college. What happens is that the freshmen have to comply with everything that the doctors propose, or command most of the time, and may be penalized if they don't do it. In my perspective this is very similar to a sect or a cult. As May approaches, which is traditionally the academic month, we have a week without classes, during which the Queima das Fitas (burning of the ribbons) is celebrated. The ribbons are worn on our academic costume and only after the freshmen have successfully completed the hazing can they wear the costume for the first time that week. Each freshman should choose a godfather and godmother who will guide them through the rest of their academic life and it is tradition to offer them a bottle of Porto wine. During this week, there are concerts, lots of alcohol, fun and academic traditions, such as the serenade. Usually people only go there after midnight and leave from 7 to 9 am.

Obviously, being part of this "cult family" is not compulsory, and there are people completely against it, from 8 to 80, having already happened some misfortunes, like the case of Meco (beach in Sesimbra), in which 7 freshmen died in the sea, and the case is still in court. Everything should be done with account, weight and measure, always for the sake of fun and safety of each one!

Gastronomie Regarding the typical food of Oporto, we have some delicacies that are ours alone. The first of all and the most known and appreciated is the francesinha. It is similar to a sandwich, made with bread, various types of meat (steak, sausage, ham) and then topped with cheese and, for those who like it, a fried egg, served with chips. The problem, if we may say so, is the sauce. It's the sauce that makes francesinha unique! Every restaurant serving it has a different sauce, the recipe being a secret one. The best place to eat francesinha is Café Santiago, downtown, but you have to wait in a queue, although it is worth it.

The francesinha is always accompanied with a super bock, the best beer in Portugal, traditional from Porto.

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In addition, we also have the Tripas à moda do Porto (tripe Porto-style). It's nothing more than tripe, mixed with other types of meat, cooked with white beans, tomato sauce, spices and served with white rice. I can say that the sauce with the beans and the rice is quite good, but when it comes to the tripe part, it's not for me. But nothing better than trying it...

u o y s e c a l 5p o t t n a w t ' don miss 1.

2.

3.

4.

Douro Wineries, including a Porto wine-tasting Road trip in Costa Vicentina Experience night life at Bairro Alto Visit the breathtaking views of Cabo Girão (and the CR7 Museum!)

5. Exploring the lagoons in Azores, such as Lagoa do Fogo, Lagoa das Sete Cidades or Lagoa das Furnas

Basic Portuguese words for everyday use Where is this?

Bom dia!

Onde fica isto?

Thank you!

Um café, por favor!

Obrigado!

Tudo bem?

Quanto custa isto?

Com licença Adeus!

How are you?

Good Morning!

Excuse me One coffee, please!

Goodbye!

How much does it cost?

Macedonia: the hiden gem of the Balkans Why Macedonia? That’s one of the most asked question since we arrived here. Both of us had the same reasons for choosing this country. To be honest, it was a logistics reason, because we were both looking for volunteering, but in an exact period of time.

Due to that we just could do a short-term project and there weren’t many options, so we applied to this one! Even though it wasn’t a destiny we had in our mind, or even thought about it. So far we can say it is being an enriching experience, cultural wise, to live the Eastern Europe way of life!

During our 2 months here we have helped two projects by Info Front Prilep: a training course - All aboard the Mentorship - and a youth exchange project - Digital Competences. Also, we are in charge of doing this amazing magazine, as well as giving presentations about Erasmus+ projects and giving Portuguese classes.

These classes are all informal, in a relaxed environment, so students don’t feel that they are being assessed, while learning Portuguese and the Portuguese and Brazilian culture.

VOLUNTEERING, PROJECTS, TRAVELING AND LIVING

Volunteering is an amazing opportunity to gain experience while traveling. Neither of us have worked before and nowadays experience is the most required thing when applying for a job opportunity. So why not doing volunteering when you can gain experience, travel and help people all at the same time?

Macedonian Volunteer in Portugal A different perspective by Darko Dimitrioski Darko is the Macedonian volunteer in Lisbon, Portugal, and has agreed to add a little insight to this issue, giving his point of view about his stay there. Здраво! (Hello!)

It is not easy to find words to describe what I have experienced till now while I’m volunteering in Portugal. An experience that helped me realize that we can be happy even in Covid time (It’s a privilege to travel in a pandemic!). So, let’s start reviewing…

(Portugal) – Friendly and positive people, good wine, football addicted country, and a lot of reggaeton music (and fado as well) The Portuguese language is like a song which you still haven’t learned the lyrics of that song. You understand, but you cannot speak (till you start to learn that language). Португалија

Лисабон (Lisbon)

– Miradouro here, miradouro there, miradouro everywhere!

A city with a lot of viewpoints, a lot of history, a lot of street art, a lot of museums, a lot of nature, and a lot of beautiful tiny streets (especially in Alfama!)… simply, you cannot do not love this city!

Lisbon Cathedral (Sé de Lisboa), tram no.28 and pastel de nata are a must!

Project – Every project is easy when you have a good team!

As a person who is not comfortable with the communication area, I’m doing good in the communication & social media area (I think so…). Life starts at the end of your comfort zone and also with teamwork the results are evident!

And last but not least, volunteering is a mutual pleasure. If you can’t change the world, the world will change you … for the better!

The European Solidarity Corps is a great door for these type of opportunities and that’s how we got here. It is a programme developed by the European Commission that supports each participant financially, informationally and in loco.

There are two types of projects, a long-term one, which takes from 2 to 12 months and this one you just can do one time, and the short-term, that is up to 2 months. However, if you choose to join a short-term project, you still can do the long-term project.

Through the ESC Portal you can look at all the opportunities and search by duration, location and type of activities, such as education, arts and music, sports, helping people with disabilities, social challenges, etc.. Once you register in the Portal, it is required to answer some questions, being some about your interests and type of activities you’d like to participate. Also it is highly recommended for you to attach your CV in English because as you can search the NGO’s opportunities, they can also search for you and send an invitation for their projects.

With that said, all the projects have an Info-Pack that comes with all the information needed such as the activity description, application deadline, food, accommodation and transport arrangements, activity topics, duration and where the project will take place.

Usually, there’s a description of the participants profile the NGO is looking for and from which nationalities. For the application, assuming that you have your CV in English already attached to the website, big part of the projects just ask for a cover letter. It’s extremely desirable that you have at least intermediate English level, as all the activities will be carried out in this language, even though it’s not necessary to hold a certificate, but once you’re selected you will have some interviews in order to get to know you better, as well as the project.

In the end of this life-time opportunity you will have a certificate, called Youth-Pass, that you can easily attach to your CV and where all the skills and competences you’ve acquired during the volunteering project are explained. So when you are applying to another volunteering project, Erasmus+ programs, or even a job opportunity you have a proof that is recognized all over the world, issued by the European Commission!

An interview by Antonio Boshkovski and Aleksandra Stevanoska How did this opportunity arise?

AB: I would say that the idea was mine because my NGO was always writing volunteer projects and, as you know, volunteers must have a proper mentor. So I was thinking about an idea to write a training course for Erasmus+ with the aim to train youth workers in order to gain the necessary skills a mentor should possess.

AS: I have known Antonio from before and we were previously discussing that we want to write a project, so we were already planning it. Then one of the deadlines, Kyrro gave us a call and asked us if we had any ideas and would like to send an application, so we both said yes! And the rest is history, haha.

How was the preparation?

AB: During the month before the project started, I attended a couple of training courses. So I can say that I was preparing myself during the other training courses I attended. It was all like a blurry picture to me and and until the day before the session started and we were preparing ourselves in detail with the sessions It all came as a shock for me. A shock in a way that it got me nervous, it was something that required attention and devotion.

What was the objective you tried to convey to the participants?

AS & AB: The main objectives of the training was to provide support, materials and skills as well as professional experience to the participants of the program, to enable them to effectively carry out mentoring and support work in their organizations. In the 6 days of activities we wanted to provide the participants and develop with different skills and toolboxes that they can use and share within their mentor network. The contribute to the promotion of personal initiative, creativity, language, and self-awareness.

What feedback have you been able to get at the end of the project? On a personal and professional level.

AB: This was the 1st project that I ever did in the framework of Erasmus+. I would say it was pretty successful. In my personal opinion, I think we gave our best to satisfy the participant needs, proven by the reflection groups that were done at the end of each day where the participants had the ability to evaluate the whole day and what could be approved.

AS: Initially the feedback was positive from the participants regarding the workshops and the organization team, with few changes suggested. On a professional level, it brought a new view on mentor tools and how some workshops can be changed and alternate and use it in more context. On a personal note, it brought me experience not only when it comes to facilitating, but organizing, writing, and soft skills development, for which I am really grateful.

Can you tell us a little about the sessions, the objectives...

AS & AB: We can say that each session was different but yet connected and every session had a message to convey. After the energizers, it comes the more serious workshops, that are tackling the topic of the project. After knowing the fears and expectations of the participants, we had workshops that were with a purpose to practice the use of non-verbal communication, Can you describe the project in one word? enhancing problem solving skills and put an accent on the AB: Favourite! ‘asking questions’ part, which is important while mentoring, AS: Beneficial or Important. learning how to set boundaries regarding social behavior, boosting creativity, working on conflict management and debate skills.

By Ilija Binoski, Xenia Abramova, Davor Nikoloski (Beauty and BeastS)

We are very happy to have implemented this project, it definitely turned out to be better than we expected.

We have been working on the project since spring 2020, it got approved in the summer of the same year. Unfortunately, we couldn’t implement it then, because of pandemic.

However, when situation got better we got to work right away. We really wanted to make this project interesting, but at the same time useful for participants.

During the project, we’ve covered many important topics like ways to deal with crises, money and time management, online platforms for education and work, etc. For that we’ve used differed methods like fish bowl, role play, performance and many others to make activities more creative and give a chance to our dear participants explore themselves and their hidden talents.

Our team really enjoy every day we spent together, but the project wasn’t great only because of activities, participants are the other very important part of our success.

Everyone turned out to be open and that’s why we clicked immediately. And in short time of 5 days we managed to establish connection for life.

Nothing of this wouldn't be possible if we didn't get the chance to work on a project and be part of the organization from our mentors - Marjan and Kyro who were guiding and supporting us throughout the whole youth exchange.

Cultural differences The biggest difference and surprise we had was the toilet! Aren’t toilets the same in Europe? In our first night we had dinner at the Internat and the toilet was a hole, or polish toilet as you call it. Both in Brazil and Portugal we have a toilet seat, same as the houses and some restaurants here.

Another interesting difference was the cash. When we exchanged the money from Euro to Dinars, we received many coins and we thought it was cents as it’s in our countries, however it is the same as money bills... which make no sense to us.

Do you drink wine with what? The weirdest question we have heard since we arrived, after we discovered you drink wine with sparkling water, which is impossible to us! Portugal is one of the country’s best known for its wines and to mix this with any other drink is almost a crime!

Portugal and Brazil are catholic countries, we are both Christians and here is a mix of Orthodox and Islam religion which we loved to learn more about so far. Also is on our list to buy the religious bracelets blessed by the priest and make a wish as the tradition says.

In addition, we noticed that there are many unfinished houses here. Some of it have no protection in the balconies which can be very dangerous. In Portugal it is impossible to have it like that. Houses have to obey to laws and regulations and when they are finished you have to have a permit that states that you can live there, to prove it has all habitable conditions necessary. However, in Brazil it’s very common or even worse the house’s conditions in Favelas.

When it comes to similarities, Brazil is the most similar. The main similarity is the English language learning. We felt a big language barrier because there’s not many people who could speak with us. As mentioned before, Brazilians don’t care about learning English or improve it so, probably if you go there, you will face the same challenges with the language. Also, mainly Brazil but Portugal as well, are countries that consume a lot of meat. We have the tradition to make barbecues with family and friends. So we already had good meat here, but when we went to the market to buy chicken… it was a terrible experience. Chicken should be universal… but here it has a different texture and to us it resembles a bit to plastic. Very weird.

A similarity with Portugal is the white beans. We eat a lot of white beans and beans in general. So when we had the white beans here it felt a bit like home, even though you cook them differently!

Rakija is also another similar thing to Portugal. There we have aguardente (eau-de-vie) that is made with the rest of the grapes, after making wine, and mixed with alcohol. It is a traditional thing made in every household in the rural areas of Portugal.

Still, Tavce Gravce, Pastrmalija and rakija where the best macedonian things we’ve tried.

Gossip Girls

Hello Macedonians!

Gossip Girlz here, your one and only source into the scandalous lives of Prilep’s projects participants, You have no idea who was spotted at the Internat... Firecracker, the most famous model from Italy. Although we wasn’t an english speaking person he tried his best… using the translate app, from Italian to English. Ok, he made an effort! Grade A for that! Another funny thing about Firecracker is that he is a gym mogul, the Gay Church as we were taught here, so between the sessions of the project he went to the gym to build that sweaty body. The worst part was that he never, I repeat, NEVER showered. So he went to the sessions smelling like roses… So refreshing! And everyone was telling him to shower and he just ignored. Another funny thing was during breakfast. His body building diet consisted on a banana and bread with Nutella, but the Nutella jar came with him to his table. Nutella selfish much?

Now, we’ll introduce you Laughing Bieber. The first contact with him was through Firecracker, that asked him where he could buy protein in Prilep. Dude it’s Prilep… Do you think you will find protein? Maybe shower first and then focus on the protein! So Laughing Bieber just laughed and asked if the took steroids and the answer came very subtle: “NO ALL NATURAL!!!” UGH... AS IF! During the Internat week there was this trio, called the Winx. They looked like fairies, but they weren’t that friendly. Or maybe they were… Hard to tell. So this group started to have some trouble, during this ONE week, all because of Kebab, Keb’s for friends, since the 3 of them were trying to have his attention. God! Regarding their fight over Keb’s, weeeeeeell… it was intense. They were all over him… and he wasn’t all that… just tall and turkish and that’s it. They started to separate from each other because Keb’s gave more attention to some than others aka butt girl and the 3rd Winx. Tinker bell didn’t have her Bridget Jones moment diving into chocolates and rom-com’s… maybe cigarets and juice. They were intense!

We also had a monk. He looked 55 or older and he was 40 something. Shocking! He was all over the girls, the Winx, especially butt girl, that got her nickname after the intercultural night, because while dancing, with a short skirt, everyone in the room saw her panties (and butt). What a nice vision… maybe just for the monk… Monk had some differences with Popo, an old italian guy, that was really extra… in a weird way. Walking barefoot during the whole project, sleeping seated in a room downstairs the Internat…

Starting week 2, the second project on the Internat… We also have a lot to say! Like always… so keep up with us! You’ll enjoy it!

The most outrageous thing was Fitness Girl… Everyday she went out of the Internat, in the mornings, to run… in her very short shorts! A delightful view to the Prilep citizens. I bet they really enjoyed it! This girl had the guts to have a fling in her one week project in Prilep. First of all, we have to say that the market here ins’t the best.

From what we were told, no analyses yet, Serbia has a better market. Maybe we’ll organize a trip there and we will let you know! When it comes to Prilep market, it leaves a lot to desire… Trust us… We weren’t pleased, at all… But Fitness Girl disagrees. She was in love with PB, and he wasn’t all that… But don't judge a book by its cover.

We have the return of Laughing Bieber… let’s just say that his laugh is hilarious!!! No more things to add. Only if we could add an audio of it!

During the first encounter of the participants some juicy stuff happened and, as outsiders, we saw everything… with no binoculars. In the mug exchange, the XTRA Girl was just too much to handle. First meeting of all and she just arrived with her arrogance and attitude… Girl, please… There were two mugs, one in blue and one in green, and the reason behind them was that the people who got them should become close… The XTRA didn’t like it.. she got the green one and said “Ohhh I don’t like green…” Giiiiiiirl, just stop. We had enough… and it was only 20 minutes…

In the end of the project, everyone gathered in the Library, the most famous night hang out place of Prilep, and had a drunk lecture, for over an hour, about feminism. A girl, very very very drunk, that just turned 18, wanted to lecture two guys about feminism, when she was just eating her own words and had no clue about what she was saying… It is a completely valid topic of conversation, but if you want to talk about it, talk when sober… and when you also know what you are saying… and also not to two drunk guys…

You Know You Love Us. XOXO, Gossip Girlz.

Quem vem e atravessa o rio Junto à serra do Pilar Vê um velho casario Que se estende até ao mar

Quem te vê ao vir da ponte és cascata são-joanina Dirigida sobre um monte No meio da neblina.

Por ruelas e calçadas Da Ribeira até à Foz Por pedras sujas e gastas E lampiões tristes e sós.

Rui Veloso in Porto Sentido Who comes and crosses the river Next to the Serra do Pilar You see an old manor house That stretches to the sea

Who sees you coming from the bridge You're a waterfall São-Joanina Driven over a hill In the midst of the mist.

Through alleys and cobbled streets From the Ribeira to the Foz Through dirty and worn-out stones And lamplights sad and lonely.

WRITER & DESIGNER Fernanda Lima WRITER & DESIGNER

JOANA VEIGA

YOUTH ASSOCIATION INFO FRONT-PRILEP Address: Andon Slabejko bb., 7500 Prilep, N. Macedonia Tel: +38970719945 / +38970764064 Email: infofrontprilep@gmail.com Facebook page: facebook.com/infofrontprilep The articles contained in the magazine reflect the personal points of view of the authors and don't reflect the opinions or the points of view of the members of Youth Association Info Front-Prilep or the Youth Association itself.

"The European Commission support for the production of this publication does not constitute endorsement of the contents which reflects the views only of the authors and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the Information contained therein."

Even the darkest night will end...

and the sun will rise