Here I am, writing another blog post about another academic trip to another city: Lisbon. Since 2021, Lisbon has been at the very top of my list of cities to visit. Mainly because of the strong recommendations I got from my close friends but also because of a song I discovered in July 2022. I don’t know why, but since then, this song has always made me feel hope for the unknown future. I can’t remember how many times it accompanied my daydreams.
Finally, my dreams came true, and I went to Lisbon. This trip was a part of my Exploration Elective Class: Disaster Management Leadership. It was surprising to me that many students at DIS never heard of Exploration Electives before coming here. That’s why I felt the urge to share this experience.
Exploration Electives
Exploration Electives tend to be more project-oriented and experimental, compared to other electives at DIS. They also have a travel component, similar to traveling with Core Courses. These secret gems allow you to travel with no extra costs and explore a specific topic in detail through projects. I’m extremely glad that I did it, so much so that I’m signing up for another one next semester!
During the Disaster Management Leadership course, we had to work on a Media Production Project as our main and final assignment. First, each group chose a different topic relating to disasters and/or leadership. We chose the topic of COVID-19 and Leadership. Then, we conducted various street interviews both in Copenhagen and Lisbon. The main goal was to collect different perspectives on this topic through video or voice recordings and present them to the rest of the class.
Lisbon
What I enjoyed the most about this trip was our strong engagement with the Portuguese culture in Lisbon. We ate food in the local restaurants, listened to a live performance of Portugese music: Fado, talked to the locals, and even danced with the locals! I was very satisfied with the cultural immersion I experienced over the 4 days.
I won’t be giving you a detailed run-through of our days but I definitely want to share some highlights!
Walking Food Tour
On our first night, we did an amazing local food tour in Mouraria (Moorish Quarter). After eating delicious Portuguese Samosas, we went to a restaurant that was in an old wine cellar. There, we watched a wonderful Fado performance. Fado is a Portuguese music tradition, where one person plays the 12-string Portuguese guitar and the other person sings beautifully, communicating the feeling of saudade (bitter-sweetness). After eating dinner, we went to a bakery and tried the egg custard tart —Pastel de nata. I think it’s my favorite pastry in the entire world now.
QUAKE Museum
In order to learn about how Lisbon dealt with the massive earthquake in 1755, we went to the QUAKE Museum. This award-winning museum was filled with geologic and historic information, realistic simulations, and other interactive experiences.
Exploring Lisbon and More Class Activities
Over the 4 days, in our own time, we explored the city. We also worked on our Media Production Projects, had an axe-throwing event (yes, axe-throwing!), and Thanksgiving Dinner. Here are some pictures from those days:
I think my mission is accomplished since I gave you some insight about my Exploration Elective and bombarded you with great pictures! Until next time!
Besna On the Go 