Podcast Portugal host, Justin West is joined by guest Saman Christopher Hewawitharana aka "Junior" – Founder & Shaper at JNR Surfboards

Episode Highlights:

• Sri Lanka in the early days, the civil war, surfing Arugam Bay and Scotland.

• The journey of JNR Surfboards with Saman Christopher Hewawitharana, also known as Junior

• How shaping surfboards became a full-time passion and business

• The importance of custom surfboards tailored to individual surf styles and local breaks

• Juniour’s background: From Scotland and Sri Lanka to Portugal

• Mechanical engineering to hands-on surfboard craftsmanship

• Work experience across Greece, Norway, Australia, and Portugal

• Learning from OKE Surfboards and ORG Surfboards

• The satisfaction of crafting a board from start to finish

Links & Resources:

🌊 Visit JNR Surfboards: www.jnrsurfboards.com

📸 Follow on Instagram: @jnrfish

🎵 Music by "Band of 4"

Podcast Portugal – Featuring Stephen

O'Regan from People Of Lisbon

In this episode of Podcast Portugal, we sit down with Stephen O'Regan, the creator of People Of Lisbon, a captivating video series that highlights the lives of individuals from different backgrounds who have made Lisbon their home. With the help of photographer Rita Ansone, Stephen brings to life the stories of Lisbon’s vibrant local and international community.

Inside This Episode:

🎥 How People Of Lisbon was born

🏙 The essence of Lisbon’s multicultural identity

📽 Stephen’s journey from film school to founding BalconyTV

🌍 Some of the characters!

Stephen shares his thoughts on what makes Lisbon unique, his approach to storytelling, and his personal journey from Dublin to Lisbon via New York.

🎧 Tune in now and explore the heart of Lisbon through its people!

📌 Follow People of Lisbon:

🔗 Facebook

🔗 Instagram

🔗 YouTube

🎶 Music by Band of 4 – Find their work at podcastportugal.com

🎧 Tune in now and explore the heart of Lisbon through its people!

Podcast Portugal – Episode 5: Learning European Portuguese with Helena Sales from Portugu.easy

In this episode of Podcast Portugal, we dive into the fascinating world of learning European Portuguese with our special guest, Helena Sales, a dedicated language teacher and founder of Portugu.easy. Helena offers personalised one-to-one lessons and online courses, helping learners navigate the complexities of the Portuguese language.

What We Discussed:

✅ The Silent "H" – Why the letter H is written but never pronounced in Portuguese.

✅ Language Learning Challenges – The toughest parts of learning a new language and how to overcome them.

✅ Helena’s Journey – How and why she became a language teacher.

✅ European vs. Brazilian Portuguese – Key differences and which one to learn.

✅ Um, Uma, Dois, Duas? – The tricky world of Portuguese numbers and gendered words.

✅ Formal vs. Informal Language – When to use tu or você.

✅ Masculine & Feminine Objects – Why a table (mesa) is feminine but a car (carro) is masculine.

✅ Best Ways to Learn Portuguese – Tips and strategies to accelerate your learning.

✅ AI & Language Learning – Can artificial intelligence help you learn Portuguese?

✅ Full Immersion – The power of surrounding yourself with Portuguese every day.

✅ What is "Gerúndio"? – Understanding this verb form in Portuguese grammar.

✅ Portuguese Regional Accents – Can you tell the difference between an accent from Porto, Lisbon, or the Algarve?

Whether you're just starting out or refining your Portuguese, this episode is packed with insights to help you on your language-learning journey.

🎧 Listen now and start speaking Portuguese with confidence!

👉 Follow Helena Sales and explore her courses at Portugu.easy.

#Portuguese #LearnPortuguese #EuropeanPortuguese #LanguageLearning #PodcastPortugal

Lastly, a big shoutout to Band of 4 for our amazing soundtrack.