Sink or Swim – Elisabete Matos B2E

Beach or countryside?

Definitely the beach. Ever since I was a child I’ve dreamt of living by the sea. Nowadays I’m experimenting with nature walks and I’m even considering doing The Way of St. James, but I’m starting with the Portuguese Coastal Way. Mustn’t lose sight of the ocean!

Swimming or sunbathing?

I love swimming but right now I have to choose sunbathing. The “kitten” in me loves to lounge in a sunny spot, and our Atlantic waters are freezing (by my standards)! But if I find myself in a spot with warm water, I’ll do both equally.

Dog or cat?

All pets are lovely. Yes, even tarantulas. I’ve had dogs all my life, and now I share my apartment with three cats. But I refuse to choose!

Netflix or YouTube documentaries?

Neither. Not really into documentaries. Having said that, I do not have Netflix and follow religiously several YouTube channels, so if you omit the “documentaries” from the question, the answer is YouTube, of course! If you are interested in my YouTube topics of choice: fitness (mostly yoga and dance), food, healthy living, among other topics. I definitely recommend Yoga With Adriene and Foil Arms and Hog 😊. And Legal Eagle! And Dr. Mike!

Facebook or LinkedIn?

Instagram? Where I follow yoga content (surprise, surprise!), art, cartoons (check out @joshhamwright to meet my favourite laziest of dragons). And LOTS of cats. I’m not the best social “networker”, and I’m only on LinkedIn for professional reasons.

Aquaculture or Wild fish?

Aquaculture, of course! I’ve worked in the field for almost two decades now, from feed production to aquafarming, including research. I trust our fish! Specially if it’s produced in Portugal!

Meat or vegetables?

Meat. A large, juicy steak. With a glass of red wine. Or two. Depending on the mood, the company…

Coffee or Tea?

Tea or, to be more accurate, herbal infusions. I start my day with green tea and the switch to infusions, always unsweetened. I drink over 1.5 L a day, that’s how I keep hydrated (not the biggest fan of plain water). I have cut my caffeine intake to a minimum, and usually my expressos are decaf. But tea is my love. Mint.

Nori Algae or Sea lettuce?

Nori, because, see below!

Sushi or Grilled Fish?

Sushi! As a proud Portuguese person, I do love grilled fish (not as much as the above-mentioned juicy steak, though…). But sushi was love at first taste. Could eat it every day, and twice on Sundays!

RAS or IMTA?

Both, together! In my opinion, RAS is the future for Portugal, since our natural conditions are not optimal for offshore aquaculture. But since we can adapt IMTA to RAS, and IMTA has clear environmental sustainability advantages, I’d say both.