I've just come back from a trip to Portugal! Lisbon, actually.

Was a bit of a last-minute

decision. My friend was attending a conference there and she convinced me to tag along! I

don't usually make spontaneous decisions like that but it all just happened at the right time. I

actually didn't know that much about Lisbon before I went. Have you been? I had no idea

what an incredible city it is. And oh my god, the food! I ate so many pastéis de nata, I thought

I was going to burst! The city is full of beautiful cobblestone streets. I spent so much time

just wandering around in the sunshine, you know? Winding my way through historic

neighbourhoods. Actually one of the coolest things we did was jump in a tuk-tuk with a

guide. We went up this steep hill and had an amazing view over the city. You know what a

tuk-tuk is, right? It's like a little motorbike with a cabin on the back where you can sit. It was

a really fun way to get around. And easier than walking because oh my god, it was so

hot! And our guide, her name was Paula, she grew up in Lisbon and she was just a wealth of

knowledge. She was full of stories about her childhood and about the history of the city. She

took us to cool little back streets and, you know, we explored some amazing street art.

There's just no way that we would have found all of those hidden gems ourselves. I really

wish we could have stayed longer! I definitely want to go back there one day! What about

you, have you got any travel plans coming up?

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Have you ever stopped and wondered why things are the way they are? I find it really

fascinating how many things we do in our daily lives that are just accepted and they're rarely

questioned. It's just the done thing! And if you do something differently, something out of the

ordinary it can create confusion or angst or frustration among the people around you. 
At best, you create minor discomfort but at worst, you face backlash and you're shunned from

your family or your social circle! Messing with what is socially acceptable can be brutal! But

what's accepted and totally normal here might be at odds with what's acceptable where you

are. And that's why it's so fascinating when two sets of social norms clash.

You know, it really makes people confused or awkward because technically in that situation,

neither of them is doing anything wrong. They're both doing what's expected of them in their

culture and that's totally normal. But the other person is like… Really shocked!

I'll give you an example. Here in Australia, it is really common to greet friends with a hug

and a kiss. A kiss. Now it's hilarious when you get introduced to an Italian or a Brazilian in a

social context because they go in for a double kiss! And some countries, it's even a triple

kiss! But that little interaction can be so confusing and awkward. It's the meeting of two

different social norms.

And I mean how strange is it when you hear a woman asked a man to marry her! Why is that

so strange? It's just not the done thing! It's not the norm so it confuses us! If you stop and

think for a minute there are so many of these situations, things that we never question

because it's just the way things are.

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