“The ISR retreat truly hit the mark! It provided a fantastic opportunity to connect with ISR colleagues outside Técnico and immerse ourselves in relaxed, enjoyable activities. The first activity was a great icebreaker, pushing us out of our comfort zones to get to know each other through fun personal facts. Finding our team members by matching puzzle pieces sparked immediate collaboration, setting the stage for a day of building synergy.” Ana Rita Cóias
“The afternoon of the first day kicked off in the best possible way, with an inspiring and motivational talk by Joana Lobo Antunes on science communication and the power of persistence. It was a perfect reminder to never give up on our goals and dreams, no matter how challenging they may seem. Joana’s words inspired me to keep climbing the “Everest” of life! Following that, we enjoyed an energetic team-building session, organized by professionals who clearly love what they do, full of laughter, challenges, and even some dancing, a perfect way to release stress. After a quick break to check into our rooms, we returned refreshed for a coffee break and ready to tackle the code challenge, which every team managed to solve thanks to everyone’s sharp minds! Finally, after dinner, we ended the evening with games, laughter, and a bit of karaoke. For me, the highlight was definitely the “musical team,” who bravely took on the karaoke challenge, performing a song that humorously captured the life of the “estudante de doutoramento que assinou o contrato com um sorriso na cara”. This was an unforgettable afternoon that will stay with us for a long time!” Hemaxi Narotamo
“After a rainy, overcast start to our retreat, we were all very happy to wake up to a sunny sunday morning – perfect for an adventure-packed day! The first item on the list was a guided tour of the Óbidos lagoon. Our guide had all sorts of interesting tidbits about the area: how the local fisherman harvest shellfish, the boats they use, some quirky species living in the lagoon and even some tales of the region. Next, we rolled up our sleeves and were put to work! With gloves and bags in hand, we set out to clean the woods and the lagoon shore of trash and invasive plants. In just under two hours, we managed to gather an impressive 5 kg of garbage and many more pounds of “chorão”! The morning was wrapped up with canoeing across the lagoon—quite the workout to get us hungry for lunch!” Catarina Passarinho
“After a generous and convivial lunch, everybody ambled along the serpentine, cobblestone roads linking the various hotel buildings, savouring the cerulean-blue skies and fair weather. Built over a slope of a verdant hill, these roads boasted viewpoints that gave everybody stunning panoramas of Lagoa de Óbidos and the sea. Every single one of us then walked into the meeting room to attend a guest talk and, much to our surprise, we found multiple eggs with silly faces drawn on them that had been mischievously scattered all over the place. The team, which had been challenged to act and think as a group of pirates, was resolute in pulling cool pranks and they hit it out of the park! Our invited speaker, the comedian João Nuno Gonçalo, lightly roasting students and faculty alike, soon after came in. With an animated Azores accent, his anecdotes and cheeky remarks turned one hour into a laughter-filled rollercoaster ride. To make non-Portuguese speakers also feel included, João would occasionally switch to English and take his German skills out for a waltz.
As the retreat was drawing to a close, the long-awaited award ceremony finally took place. Each team was called one by one to the front stage and awarded personalised mugs, according to the playful challenge assigned to each of them, with a lovely design. By the end of the ceremony, the teams combined the words they had obtained from solving their respective puzzle to form a sentence that led them to a treasure hunt. In search of treasure, people went off the beaten track; some went as far as to stick their heads in hedges! Meysam Basiri, much to his dismay, found a small chest containing neither gold nor silver but a UV flashlight. Chagrined and disheartened, he miserably led a group of sad-looking people down the hotel’s serpentine roads back to the meeting room. Everything changed, though, when Meysam pointed the flashlight towards a big sheet of paper and read aloud the hidden message that was written on it:
‘In theory, there’s no difference between teamwork and friendship…But in practice, there is! But note: there’s nothing more powerful than true friendship in a great team.’
These inspiring words turned frowns into big smiles. The most musical team made everyone sing a small song they had written; the loudest team made everyone perform the awesome haka they created. On the bus back to Lisbon, some people watched the Benfica match against Rio Ave, others fell asleep, and others chatted away. The retreat was packed with fun and engaging activities and served as an opportunity to forge greater synergies between members of different research groups of ISR. I’m glad to have been part of the retreat’s organising team, and I look forward to the next one.” João Pinto
“The ISR retreat began as most group gatherings do: some were early, most were on time, and some were late. But everyone was excited and curious about the weekend, even worried, as nobody knew exactly what they were doing. Throughout the weekend, I witnessed a gradual familiarity grow with each activity within the groups and between people who were only acquaintances or didn’t even know each other. The retreat’s goal was simple: to foster an auspicious environment to meet new people, bond with colleagues, and create memories that unite all ISR groups. This goal depended on everyone’s willingness to make it happen, and they fully embraced this spirit. This spirit was aided by fun activities that required group interaction and collaboration. The positive atmosphere was met with beautiful scenery that graced us with amazing views of the lagoon, the hills surrounding it, and two beautiful sunsets stuck on my memory more than the occasional rain of the first day.” Rui Bettencourt