Allyson Roberts was born in Manchester, somewhere in the late fifties, where she spent her childhood and completed primary school. After that, her family moved to Oxford where she did her secondary education. Before going to university, Allyson had a gap year travelling and taking all sorts of jobs around Europe to earn money to study. She had already taken some degrees. Her first degree was at Lancaster in the business area, following in her father’s steps, but soon afterwards she realised that wasn’t what she wanted in life. Around 26, 27 years old she travelled to Algeria where she spent a couple of years. Here she practiced as a teacher and enjoying the experience, went to Hamburg to train as a teacher. During that period she “realised teaching was a way of escaping from the horrors of a 9-5 job”.
After some years working in London, Allyson got tired with the whole life there and, anxious to make another change, went to Portugal and spent 3 months horse riding around the country. Not long after that, she decided to go back to Portugal and live in a small village near Torres Novas where she still lives nowadays with her partner and 4 dogs.
Realising that the life of an ordinary married woman with kids and a 9-5 job was not life for her, she started to find ways to escape from that. She had already visited lots and lots of countries such as Holland, Spain, France, Canada and, last summer, Índia. The more important ones were those where she lived and the more significant experience was in Algeria because of the huge cultural differences. By that time she was quite a feminist, which was not easy in a country where women were seen and threatened so differently. It was challenging to deal with the clash of cultures but she learnt to appreciate that of Algeria.
Considering herself a workaholic and focused person, Allyson is a fan of German literature and Saramago’s writing. She empathises with Buddhism but doesn’t practice any type of religion. Here in Portugal for almost 17 years and teaching at the Nova for 7, she still feels a foreigner but feels at home at the same time. She can empathise and understand Portuguese culture more but despite “the more you travel the more you question your own culture” she hasn’t changed her own cultural identity. Since being here in Portugal, she has already taken her Masters Degree and practised an alternative therapy called Reflexology.
Currently, Allyson feels very contented with her life and the long way she has had to get here. A bit tired of teaching her whole life, there are many things she still wants to do, such as communicate more with art, especially painting and writing.
Marta Rebelo
After some years working in London, Allyson got tired with the whole life there and, anxious to make another change, went to Portugal and spent 3 months horse riding around the country. Not long after that, she decided to go back to Portugal and live in a small village near Torres Novas where she still lives nowadays with her partner and 4 dogs.
Realising that the life of an ordinary married woman with kids and a 9-5 job was not life for her, she started to find ways to escape from that. She had already visited lots and lots of countries such as Holland, Spain, France, Canada and, last summer, Índia. The more important ones were those where she lived and the more significant experience was in Algeria because of the huge cultural differences. By that time she was quite a feminist, which was not easy in a country where women were seen and threatened so differently. It was challenging to deal with the clash of cultures but she learnt to appreciate that of Algeria.
Considering herself a workaholic and focused person, Allyson is a fan of German literature and Saramago’s writing. She empathises with Buddhism but doesn’t practice any type of religion. Here in Portugal for almost 17 years and teaching at the Nova for 7, she still feels a foreigner but feels at home at the same time. She can empathise and understand Portuguese culture more but despite “the more you travel the more you question your own culture” she hasn’t changed her own cultural identity. Since being here in Portugal, she has already taken her Masters Degree and practised an alternative therapy called Reflexology.
Currently, Allyson feels very contented with her life and the long way she has had to get here. A bit tired of teaching her whole life, there are many things she still wants to do, such as communicate more with art, especially painting and writing.
Marta Rebelo
