My Memoirs - Citizen of the World

a real sword. I developed such an interest for the Tauromaquia
(the art of bullfighting) that, a few years later, I was one of the
founders and the first treasurer of the Tertúlia Tauromáquica
Terceirense (The Bullfighting Association) which still exists today.
I am very proud to have my name on a plaque in front of the
building, next to the Bull Ring along with the bullfighting
celebrities, aficionados and the owners of Ganaderias - the large
parcels of land where the wild bulls are raised. My friends from
Terceira used to tell me that it was ironic and incredible that
someone from Sāo Miguel, a place where people neither care or
know anything about bullfighting, became so passionate and
involved in the sport. That is another reason why the island of
Terceira will always remain in my heart!
Old Portuguese Laws That Make you Laugh
Portugal had a few interesting laws that I remember from my
childhood. One such law that I remember from my youth was that
people had to obtain a license to use a cigarette lighter. The reason
for the law was because the government owned the match factory.
So in order to protect its own business monopoly, anyone caught
without a license to use a lighter, had to pay a fine and there were
actual inspectors all over the place solely for that purpose. Can
you imagine?
Another interesting aspect of life during the Salazar regime was
the legalization of prostitution. There were many establishments
open to the public and many patrons who frequented them. Many
young girls who came from the villages were very poor. They
would initially work as maids for the rich and famous, but
oftentimes ended up in prostitution after being abused by their
employers. By law, the prostitutes had to be inspected by health
services once a month, to ensure that they did not have venereal
disease. The madams of the houses were required by law to
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