Journalled on Saturday, 22 April 2023, My Birthday- Part-2 | Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro: 25 degrees, warm, sunny and slightly overcast.
Part 2: What I did on my birthday: there were some ups and downs, which is life itself; we never know what tomorrow will bring.
Even though it was my birthday, I was up early and out for a workout at 5 am. It was a little chilly, but as the day progressed, it became a really lovely day, with a cool breeze blowing along all of Copacabana and a sun that could be mistaken for summer; the only difference was the temperature, much more civilised than the boiling carioca summer heat.
Passing by the bakers for two coffees and sitting outside, watching the world pass by while doing something online, is so good. Arriving home at 9 a.m. to find Yasmin already up and waiting to wish her father a happy birthday was also so good, even more so when she had prepared breakfast for both of us, which I did not want to do on my birthday.
I made myself a green tea with ginger, lime juice, garlic, and sweetener. I left it to brew for ten minutes or more; I decided to read a little and told Yasmin to be ready for about half past midday.
We left home at a quarter to one; the walk is only four or five blocks from Jessica’s, so it is quick. As we turned onto Avenida Princesa Isabel, the main street that divides Copacabana from Leme, we passed in front of an old and traditional newsstand that has been there for years, when suddenly a homeless man who seemed to be high and without a shirt pulled down his shorts in front of Yasmin and me.
Homeless, poor, high on crack, probably, etc., but to do this in front of my daughter made me explode, calling him names, and he, in turn, threatened me. I was willing to hit him there and then, but suddenly I turned round to look at Yasmin and thought that if I did, who would look after her?
So, instead of fighting, we kept walking without stopping to avoid getting any further involved; sometimes it is better to walk away.
What had upset and disappointed me most was Yasmin seeing this. I do not care about myself, but I care a lot about my daughter. I feel a sense of relaxation among people and society in general in Brazil about what is right and wrong, and what we can and cannot do ethically or rightfully.
This is what upsets me: Rio de Janeiro is becoming a no man’s land with good and decent people held hostage to an eroding society with eroding values; it is heartbreaking. We turned into Rua Gustavo Sampaio, Jessica’s Street and quickly arrived at her building about halfway down the street.
Jessica opened the door, and the first to appear was Tequila, who is now turning into an old-lady golden retriever.
Mario was in the living room, and everybody complimented one another with kisses and hugs. Then Cibele, Jessica’s mother and my first ex-wife, arrived, and we decided to crack open a bottle of red wine; Mario was drinking beer, and Jessica and Yasmin were drinking water.
The lunch was simple but delicious: stroganoff with rice and salad. Yasmin loves stroganoff. After lunch, Jessica brought in a cake. We sang Happy Birthday, and I blew out the candles. Everything was good; nobody had died until now.
Then came the next disappointment of the day. I think Cibele was a little tipsy due to the wine.
Still, anyway, she wanted to explain a situation involving a street seller in Leme who has been selling flowers on Rua Gustavo Sampaio for years, never regularising her stall with the local council.
Then, one day, an inspector from the council came, took all the flowers she was selling, fined her and closed the stall. Luckily, one of the seller’s regular clients, obviously a person of means who lives in Leme, was able to regularise the woman’s situation so she could sell flowers without further harassment from local council inspectors.
Cibele’s point was that regularising the seller’s situation was extremely easy and that the woman should have done so long ago. Hence, the seller’s loss of stock and livelihood for some time was the seller’s fault, not anyone else’s.
She wanted to say that the woman was ignorant and that it is very common in Brazil. I showed my disagreement, explaining that it was not as simple as it seemed and that she should not judge people because we do not know their real situation; their war!
We began discussing politics, which eventually led me to mention Lula, whom I clearly see as responsible for much of Brazil’s hardship. She then tried to correct me, telling me not to say names and specifically his name, which, in turn, I said:
“I will say what I like”!
I am tired of the hypocrisy, but mainly at fifty-seven years old, I have to be careful and police myself and what I say in an everyday conversation.
What is the world coming to??? One of Cibele’s characteristics is that when she has a point, she doesn’t let others speak and effectively dismisses the other person and their opinion in the debate.
After seeing and hearing this from her for so long, rather than continue to be ignored or disrespected, I told Yasmin to get her things, as it was time to go. I did not shout or want to make a scene; I showed that I am too old to be disqualified by someone who does not respect my opinion.
Sometimes, doing nothing is better than doing something.
We thanked everybody for the pleasant lunch, said our goodbyes and left. On the way home, Yasmin and I talked about what had happened, and everything was good. We split up to rest a little in our respective bedrooms when we arrived home.
When I woke up, it was already dark. I decided to go out to buy some mini-pizzas or something for Yasmin to eat. I asked if she wanted to come, and she said yes. Walking in the street at night with my daughter on a chilly Saturday night was sublime for me.
We first went to the baker’s for the mini pizzas and bread. I then suggested that we walk around the streets a little, as it was such a lovely night, and that we make the most of the evening.
As we passed by Praça Lido, there was a show on a small stage, with a band playing Brazilian rock, and stalls selling food and drink all around the square.
The place was completely packed; we stayed for about twenty minutes to watch the band playing, then left to go home because it was too crowded and the music was too loud.
It was so pleasant to do something out of the blue with my daughter, something not planned or expected, completely spontaneous and sublime.
In bed by 10 p.m.
Thank you.
Thanks for reading my blog. Check out my other posts and share your thoughts in the comments.
Richard
