Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro: 25 °C, warm, sunny and slightly overcast.
I am up early, exercising and having lunch with pupils and friends from São Paulo.
Up at half past four, a very heavy workout at the end of Leme, a coffee at the local baker’s, and back home before half past eight. A shower, a change of clothes and time to make some bracelets for my friends and, more importantly, Dudu.
I am slowly developing a small side hustle, a bracelet brand. I have always liked and worn bracelets; I have never cared much for rings, chains, necklaces, etc., but I do like bracelets. When I had my first real job at an engineering company in England, with my first real salary, I bought a beautiful silver bracelet with horse heads at each end.
Unfortunately, it was eventually stolen from me, but I have always been attracted to bracelets as I think they are a nice accessory for men.
My three main characteristics nowadays are a Panama hat, which I like to wear when it is hot during the day in Rio, especially in the summer months. My bracelets, which I have been wearing all my adult life in the style I have worn for the last ten years, and my beard, which I do not think I have ever been without since my early twenties.
At the moment, I like simple bracelets made from resin balls, sometimes with alternating-size balls. I have worn the same two black bracelets for the last five years or more. One is of large-sized diameter balls, and the other alternates between large and small balls.
Wearing one bracelet on the wrist is friendly and very clean; two together are stunning and impressive, drawing a lot of attention; and three is good, but for me personally, it is too much: a little over.
People have often stopped me or called my attention in the street, asking me about the bracelets and where I got them. I do not mind that they are made of resin, which is a type of plastic, rather than more sophisticated materials like precious stones or metal.
If a piece of jewellery is attractive, catches the eye, and makes me feel good when I wear it, it has fulfilled its purpose. And if it works for me, it may work well for others. The brand name is Placebeads, which is derived from the word placebo.
These bracelets are crafted from resin, similar to a placebo that a doctor might prescribe.
Although a placebo has no physical benefits for a patient’s health, the psychological advantages of believing that one is getting better because of the medicine positively impact the patient and help them heal. Similarly, these bracelets can make the wearer feel confident, unique and good, even though they are not made of precious metals or gems.
I made two black bracelets for Dudu and added one more for him or his mother. It is worth mentioning that creating something with our hands, regardless of how it turns out, is incredibly fulfilling. No matter the size or quality of the result, working with our hands is always gratifying.
Yasmin was awake, up, and ready at midday.
Fabio, the father, had sent me his location by WhatsApp so I could know where they were when they arrived. They arrived at about a quarter to midday; he had parked the car in a parking lot on the same street as my building.
We met and were all very happy to meet each other after such a long time. We decided to walk down my street to the beach; we passed in front of the Copacabana Hotel, and after talking about Rio and admiring it a little, we found a place to have lunch.
We finally found a Galeto restaurant specialising in chicken dishes in Rua Paulo Freitas, where we all sat down for lunch at a table on a deck outside in front of the restaurant in the street.
We ordered drinks and food, and began talking about the past. It was good to see Fabio, as he had had classes with me at the school ten years ago, when he worked for OI Telecommunications and lived in Nilopolis.
His son, Dudu, was thrilled to meet me in person, finally, and both Deyse (Fabio’s wife) and Yasmin were happy to be part of the happy, animated reunion. We all caught up about life in general, living in different cities, as they now live in Sao Paulo, work, pleasure, etc.
It was clear that they were happy to be here in Rio and to meet up again, and they were grateful for me giving classes to Dudu, as he now speaks English fluently. It was enjoyable.
After a long lunch, we returned to their car, as they had to go to Nilopolis to stay with Fabio’s family. On leaving, they gave me three bottles of wine for my birthday, and I happily thanked them for their kindness.
It is nice to have good friends who appreciate you and want you well. It was also good for Yasmin to see how important it is to build good, solid, lasting relationships with friends who genuinely wish us well.
We arrived home and rested for a couple of hours. When I woke up, it was already dark outside. Feeling restless, I called Yasmin to see if she wanted to go out and buy something to eat from a street vendor. I gave her the choice of either staying home while I went alone or taking a quick walk around Copacabana; she decided to come along, so we left.
A small bakery near our house sells pre-cooked mini pizzas that you can either eat there or take away. We bought two pizzas – a calabresa and a chicken with catupiry cheese. After paying, we continued walking around the streets to stretch our legs.
We came across a mini show with live music and stalls selling food and craft beer in Praça Lido, a square near our home. We decided to check out the square, but it was too crowded. There were a lot of people everywhere, in front of the stage, long lines for food and drinks, and the live band’s music was too loud, making it unbearable.
We could only tolerate it for about twenty minutes and left; our home was just a block away, so we decided to call it a day and return home.
A good but long day!!!
I gave Yasmin a good-night kiss and was in bed by 10.00 pm.
Thank you.
Thanks for reading my blog. Check out my other posts and share your thoughts in the comments.
Richard
