INTRODUCING THE MORGANS (III), ELSA MORGAN

Hi, I'm Elsa Morgan. I was born in Sintra, Portugal and I am a clockmaker.

A few months ago, I discovered that the famous Welsh pirate Henry Morgan was an ancestor of mine and that I had brothers and sisters to meet. Thanks to The Grandma, an Andorran grandmother, who made every effort to locate us, today I know them all and to celebrate this meeting we decided to spend two months together travelling and reviewing our level of English because we have all decided to retire to Kingston, Jamaica, to enjoy the Morgan fortune, and English is its official language.

-Good morning and thanks to attend us.

 

-Good morning. It's an honour.

-What's your full name?

-My name is Elsa Morgan Alfonso de Aguiar.

-How do you spell your second surname?

-A-L-F-O-N-S-O   D-E   A-G-U-I-A-R

-Are you a student? What are you studying?

-No, I'm not a student. I completed my training in clockmaking several years ago and now I work full-time.

-Are you working? What is your job?

-Yes, I am. I'm a clockmaker. I design, assemble, repair, and maintain clocks.

-Do you like your job? Why?

-Yes, I love my job because it requires precision, patience, and creativity. I enjoy working with small mechanical parts and bringing clocks back to life.

-Where are you from?

-I'm from Sintra, Portugal.

-How long have you lived there?

-I lived in Sintra for most of my childhood and early adult life. Although I travel occasionally for work, I still consider Sintra my home.

-Why are you studying English?

-I'm studying English because many clockmaking companies and customers come from different countries. English helps me communicate with clients and learn about new developments in the industry.

-How long have you been studying English?

-I've been studying English for two months. I started with The Morgans and I continue to improve it through work and travel.

-Tell me about your town.

-Sintra is a beautiful town near Lisbon. It is famous for its castles, palaces, and green hills. Many tourists visit it because it looks like something from a fairy tale.

-What music do you like?

-I enjoy listening to classical music and jazz while I work because they help me concentrate. In my free time, I also like Portuguese folk music.

-Can you play any instrument?

-Yes, I can play the guitar a little. I'm not a professional musician, but I enjoy playing for friends and family.

-Tell me about your favourite place.

-My favourite place is the Pena Palace in Sintra. I love its colourful architecture and the incredible views of the surrounding countryside.

-What do you like doing in your free time?

-In my free time, I enjoy hiking, reading historical novels, visiting museums, and learning about traditional crafts. I also like spending time with my family.

-Do you practise any sport? Which?

-Yes, I do. I enjoy hiking and swimming. They help me stay active and relax after long hours of detailed work.

-What skills are important for a clockmaker?

-I think patience, attention to detail, and good hand-eye coordination are essential. A clockmaker must be very careful because even a tiny mistake can affect the movement of a clock.

-What is the most interesting part of your job?

-The most interesting part is repairing old mechanical clock. Each clock has its own history, and it's very satisfying when it starts working perfectly again.

-Would you like to create your own clock brand one day?

-Yes, I would. It has always been my dream to design clocks that combine traditional craftsmanship with modern technology.

-Why do people still buy mechanical clocks today?

-I think people appreciate the craftsmanship and the history behind them. A mechanical clock is not only a tool but also a piece of art.

-How is a normal day with The Morgans?

-We haven't got similar days. Every day is different and this is something very important because it offers to you the possibility of living fantastic experiences every day and you can enjoy them with all your heart because you know that next day you're going to put the score to zero and we're going to start again. It's a non-stopping life.

-Which is your best memory with The Morgans?

-It's difficult to choose only one. I remember when we travelled back in time with my TARDIS to meet Claire Randall, an English former World War II military nurse in Scotland who, in 1945, finds herself transported back in time to 1743. It was an incredible experience.

-Which is your favourite song?

-I have a lot of songs, but I'm Portuguese. I love fados. All of them talk about life, saudade (longing). I would say any song from Mísia, but I will say 'Memória' by Rosalía and Carminho, because it talks about the passage of time and memories, something related to my job.

Será que tu me conheces
Que o tempo passa e não esqueces
Quem eu fui e sou em fim
Oh meu doce Coração
Diz-me se sabes ou não
Ainda te lembras de mim?

Do you know me?
Time passes and you don't forget
Who I was and am in the end
Oh my sweet heart
Tell me if you know or not
Do you still remember me?

 

Rosalía & Carminho 

ANA B. JONES, PORTUGUESE SAUDADE & ITALIAN ROOTS

Ana Bean-Jones in Sintra, her hometown

Ana B. Jones. Influencer. Portugal.

I'm Ana Bean-Jones. I was born in Sintra, Portugal, a place considered a Heritage by the UNESCO although my ancestors were from Venice. I love classical music, especially Maria Callas, a person who I adore a lot but as a Portuguese I admire Mísia and her fados and her saudade. I'm an influencer. It's not an easy job because your opinion is important for your followers. You must be very responsible and honest with them. Life is a great theatre and it's important to be a good actor to avoid bad things, and a good spectator to learn good ones. I'm a Bean-Jones and I hope that I had influenced them with my sense of humor and shyness. Follow us with our hashtag #TheJones.

-Good morning, Ana Bean-Jones, and thanks to attend us.

-Good morning. It's a pleasure.

-It's difficult for me, as an interviewer, to sum up some questions about you.

-Why?

-Because of your job.

-Well, I'm an influencer, a person who creates opinion over other people.

-You create opinion, you explain stories, you recommend places... how can I be sure that you are who you say you are?

-You will never know it. It's a risk that you have to choose: believe me or not. Being an influencer is a job. It doesn't mean that you believe in your critics, it means that you defend your position and your point of view because there's an important objective: earn followers and create a positive or negative opinion about something, somewhere or someone.

-How is the life of an influencer?

-A normal one like other people. Influencing isn't only a pleasure or hobby for me, it's also my profession, and then, I must try to do my best every day, even these days when I'm not very inspired.

-What happens these days?

-Well, you must choose your position, maybe an opinion, maybe a suggestion, maybe a negative critic and then you take another look to check if you still think the same about them. If they like you, you use the social net that you consider the best and express these opinions, if you don't like them, you change them and you start again.

-How many times have you started again?

-Every day. Every new day is a new beginning and you must start doing things to fill your life with your interests and hopes.

-Portugal isn't a big country... How can a Portuguese influencer arrive to be the best and the most followed and survive against the Anglo-Saxon competence?

-Creating good contents and writing interesting posts. I don't agree about the idea that Portugal isn't a big country.

-Why?

-Portugal is a great example of surviving and resilience. We suffered a terrible economic crisis and we got over it with public policies which helped the poorest citizens. The rate of unemployment was a shame and now the country is growing again, the unemployment is going down and we're creating workplaces and new opportunities for our young people. This kind of things makes big a country, not the extension or the number of inhabitants.

-How has this success been possible?

-We are great administrators of our resources. We trust in the potential of our citizens because we believe that people are the most important active of a country.

-How do you feel being a member of The Jones?

-It's the same that Portugal. The most important active in our family is every member of it. We're people with great energy and creativity and we must believe in ourselves.

-How is a normal day with The Jones?

-A normal day is a day full of happiness and effort. We laugh a lot but we work very hard. You learn better if you spend good time. It's easier.

-How long have you been studying English?

-Since I was in the school. English has a great presence in Portuguese schools, in our TV and even in the cinema. All the films are offered in original version and this is something that helps people to learn English.

-Then English is not difficult to learn for a Portuguese?

-Well, it's difficult because English comes from German and Portuguese from Latin but if you learn a language in the school when you're a child you have advantage because it's easier for you although we haven't got English spaces to practice it. Perhaps, this is the main problem because if you don't speak a language, you forget it. It seems impossible, but it's true.

-What can you explain about your life with The Jones?

-It has been a great experience, a great source of inspiration to write something in the future, to take profit of our experiences and try to influence in other people.

-Which is your best memory with the family?

-It's impossible to choose only one but I remember two special days: the first, when Maria, an old friend, visited us in Tokyo and sang Un bel di vedremo, an aria of Madame Butterfly. It was the most exciting day with The Jones. There was also another day when I decided to invite my family to eat a cake that I had prepared. It was very important for me. I must admit that food and sweets are also very important for this family. We appreciate good food.

-Which character would you like to influence?

-Maria, my friend. I would like that she returned to sing again because she has the most beautiful voice ever listened.

-Do you like music?

-I'm an influencer. I'm curious. I need to know. I need to discover new things. I love music. Music is the result of the human soul, a mix of feelings and geniality.

-Which is your next project?

-I'm working in a new project with Mísia, the best Portuguese artist. It will be a success. 

-What's the worst nightmare of an influencer?

-I suppose every influencer has his/her own demons, his/her own Frankenstein. The worst nightmare is to have a mistake in an opinion that can damage other people. Likes and follows are an important part of my job but they are only statistics. The most important is that you must influence people in positive things not in negative ones.

-You're an influencer. Can you create a slogan for The Jones?

-Overcoming obstacles.

-Why?

-Because The Jones are much more than a family, they are a tool to forget bad moments and discover that you can return to do things that you loved and you believed that you weren't going to do again and this thinking is a big mistake. It is never too late to do something that you like and the most important is that when we have had difficult moments we have overcome them like a family with comprehension, help and effort.

-Thank you very much, Ana Bean-Jones.

-You're welcome.

 I like to dream about Portugal, 

and it's less easy when you are there. 

Maria de Medeiros

FELIPE: PORTUGUESE ART

Felipe Addams in Lisbon, Portugal

Felipe was born in Sintra, Portugal, the home country of other famous people like Mísia, Fernando Pessoa, Amália Rodrigues and Dulce Pontes. Felipe is an inventor and his reference has been always the great Leonardo da Vinci. This is the reason because of he wanted to visit Firenze (Florence) accompanied by all The Addams Family.

Now, he is travelling with his family around the world. It’s very important for him because this travel is a source of inspiration and creation of new ideas, something very important for an inventor. He is very young and knows that in the future, he will be considered one of the most important creators of the history.

 

Quem não pode como quer, queira como pode.

Do as you may, if you can’t do as you could.

Portuguese Proverb