I am resident of Portugal. I have a UK passport. Last Thursday, Nov 3rd, I flew from Faro to the UK -  the queue for passport check went three times around the departure area !

Many people are surprised by the hate between leaders and extremists, as in Brazil, Ukraine, Korea, the US. There, youngsters kill dozens of colleagues while police-men torture alleged criminals in streets.

Life can be a minefield, and not always at ground (or underground) level. Boats sink, planes plummet from the sky, I once tumbled from my elderly roller skates and skinned both my knees, a manoeuvre the instruction booklet claimed was impossible. And many of us fall headlong in love at some point, accidentally or otherwise.

MEO recently switched us to fibre optic. Because our landline phone would now be routed by fibre rather than copper cable, I asked what would happen in the event of a power cut. We were told the landline would not function as it passes through the router.

Many people discuss what politicians and political institutions, as IMF, say about the future. A few trust them. They have to spread optimism, it´s their job. But an international consultant may not be optimistic or pessimistic, he has to be realistic, otherwise he will not be a consultant.

We each carry a whole world inside our head, apparently, which sounds like it might give you a sore neck, but I don't think my head is big enough, despite what anyone says.  The most I could manage would probably be a micronation.

The stretch of road between Boliqueime and the A22 is dangerous. We drive there a lot as we need to get to school etc.

At that time, financial experts and a few corporations, as the crude and banks, with astronomic profits, manipulated theprices and shares in EuroAmerican markets. No real value. People were pushed to consume more than they could, borrowing money, playing a lot, at the expenses of folks with poor nutrition and no homes.