Portugal day

A few nights ago, while waiting for a table at a crowded seafood place here in Lisbon, we began to chat with two women in line behind us. They spoke English, and like my mom and me, our fellow diners were also of Portuguese descent. And although they looked and sounded perfectly normal, they were Canadian. Shocking, I know. But Canadians are all right. Seriously. Soon we were sharing all sorts of information (did you know there is a big Portuguese community in Toronto? My mom mentioned Fall River Massachusetts. Neither party had heard of the others' huge enclave! Before long we were listing all the Portuguese surnames we knew (Sousa, Paiva, Mello, Raposa...) and any other Portuguese connection. "Did you know 'It's Not Easy Being Green' was written by Joe Raposo?" How about White House photographer Pete Sousa?

It occurred to me that I've poked fun at a friend of mine for engaging in the Jewish version of this dialogue. It made me realize that people just want to belong and feel connected. It was pretty cool connecting with our fellow diners. I even asked them about the Canadian healthcare system, and of course, they thought it was great.

Today was Portugal Day, celebrated in Portuguese communities all over, so that's my story.