Rossio

Around two weeks ago I started working in the new hotel, that was opened on the 7th of this month. It's a brand new hotel with 46 rooms and a small inner garden. All the floors have their own "theme" written on the walls, amor, fado and lisboa. The location is perfect, Rossio Square, in the heart of Lisbon. It has been interesting to be part of the fresh team. I have to praise them, they are amazing, just like in the other hotel as well.

Of course it took a while to get used to the new reception. First of all, it is way smaller than in Ouro. Also because of the new "chefa", boss, the ways to do things are a bit different so once again I am learning some new stuff and again more passwords to remember... not mentioning the rooms and their positions. Also at Rossio I have started doing evening shifts, from 15-23 o'clock, which are easier for me than 11:30-20. It feels like the time goes faster and I have always things to do. I guess I am a night person, not a morning person.

Here is couple of pictures from the new hotel. They both are from the hotels instagram account.

My life here has been going pretty normally. It is easier for me to understand (and especially read) Portuguese, but still having the encourage to using it properly, is missing. I am too afraid of making mistakes, even though I know I shouldn't.

Updates

Time. Goes. Too. Fast. I am having small anxiety sometimes that I don't have time to do everything I would like to do here in Portugal. On the week I don't really have time to do anything and the weekends seem to pass by way too fast. Also, am I learning Portuguese fast enough? Am I getting everything out of this?

I don´t even know what I should write about here... So many things have been going on, some of them have been a struggle. I think me and my boyfriend have a poltergeist in our apartment. These are the things that have happened:
- Washing machine leaking water
- Toilet seat leaking water (and other nice liquids)
- Coffee machine broken
- My computer (!!) broken
- Wardrobe broken

These things have been really getting on my nerves. Also sometimes I feel I don´t have time to do anything but being at the hotel. My days are 8,5 hours and it takes almost an hour to get to the hotel from where I live. Luckily my Fridays are shorter. Another good thing, I haven't felt homesick at all, actually it makes me a bit sad that I should go back to home on May. The only thing I miss is talking in Finnish. I haven't talked in Finnish in two months (no, I don't talk with my parents in Skype or phone) and sometimes I really feel like letting things out in Finnish. Because, it is my own language after all.

Back to the work. The new hotel is going to be opened soon, the first guests are going to arrive on next Friday and I might start at Rossio next week with a new team and new people. I am looking forward to that, working in a brand new hotel.

At the hotel I have been improving a lot. I feel like I can almost do everything that the real workers could do. My only problem there is Portuguese. Answering the phone is a bit embarrasing since I my Portuguese skills are not enough for that.

Plus being at the reception, I have been running errands, such as going to the bank, to the post office, buying some things such as cakes for guests that have birthday or candy to the reception.

Last Sunday we were having a family celebration. My boyfriends grandparents were having their "golden years", 50 years of marriage. Having that kind of party is a bit different than I am used to. It was like a second wedding day, money was spent a lot and the whole family was invited. First we went to the church, after that we had a restaurant rented only for us with a big poster hanging from the ceiling. The day included a long lunch, speeches, dancing and eating cake.