It’s Friday, and this week has felt like a marathon, mainly because it’s Julie’s last week in Brazil; she will be returning to England next Monday.

Since she’s returning to England next Monday, we’ve packed a lot into this week.

• On Monday, we went to CCBB, Rio’s most important cultural centre, with Yasmin, visited four very nice exhibitions, and had a coffee inside.

• Tuesday, we went to Sugarloaf Mountain and Urca.

• Wednesday was spent organising things at home on a day of rest.

• Thursday, we visited Christ the Redeemer, which was a bit chaotic with lots of people and queues in the scorching sun, slightly spoiling the visit. However, afterwards, we had a nice lunch at a quaint restaurant, almost opposite the train station, to go up to Christ.

And today it is Copacabana!

I have a meeting with an IT consultant at 10 a.m. in Copacabana. I will meet with Rodrigo to discuss how to improve the long gringo blog, etc. I feel that the blog is very good, as good as my first attempt, but it needs to be improved to another level, and because of this, I need to contract a professional, someone to help me. There is a limit to how much I can do by myself at this moment.

Talking to Julie about my meeting, she automatically volunteered to come with me, and while I’m having a meeting with Rodrigo, she would go window-shopping around the neighbourhood.

Allowing her to walk around alone in Copacabana during the summer months, when it is crowded with people and tourists who attract many less well-intentioned individuals, worries me greatly.

She is certainly not foolish, but Rio is a large city, and Copacabana can sometimes be a haven for wrongdoers; it’s almost like a no-man’s land in Rio. You have to be very careful.

I tried to persuade her to leave her cell phone with me or at home, or at least to stop her from taking it, but she refused, which made me angry, nervous, and worried. She’s a very intelligent and capable woman; however, her fair hair and her tendency to stand out among a crowd of dark-skinned people make her noticeable and attract attention.

What concerns me even more is the prospect of the whole trip being spoiled due to an isolated incident of her being mugged or hurt on the last days in Rio, in Copacabana.

Her holidays have been amazing so far, and that’s not me saying it, but her repeatedly, and I am afraid that if something happened today in Copacabana. In this isolated incident, maybe she loses her phone or something, it would spoil everything else good that has happened while she has been here.

Nevertheless, she insisted on coming and staying with her mobile phone. We arrived at Copacabana by metro, then walked to a central point, coincidentally, the gallery where I attended my school in the past.

We arranged to be back at the same meeting point in two hours at 2 p.m.

I left her and went to a nearby coffee shop to meet Rodrigo. The meeting went reasonably well; nothing spectacular, but besides discussing potential future consultancy to improve the blog, he gave me a couple of tips which I thought were valuable. What disappointed me most was the terrible coffee in the upper-class coffee shop; besides the poor coffee, the service was terrible, too.

Just before 2 p.m., I was already back at the entrance of the gallery, our meeting point. I had finally had my meeting with Rodrigo, which I had been trying to arrange for over a month, and now it was done, but I was more worried about Julie and whether she was OK in the sea of sharks that swam in Copacabana.

The clock was almost striking 2, and I could see her approaching from a distance. When she arrived, we kissed. I asked her if everything was okay, and she said she was fine and nothing bad had happened, which made me feel relieved. I checked to see if she was all intact, arms, legs, and so on, and she was, thank God.

I then suggested we go for lunch.

The idea was to return by metro the way we came, so we had to walk towards the metro station, which is about two or three blocks from where we were. I know a number of restaurants that are on the way, but we ended up at a new restaurant I had never been to before.

It is a typical carioca restaurant where you can sit and eat inside or outside on the pavement; we chose to sit outside at a nice table under a large awning, which provided shade to protect us from the harsh sun.

We ordered chips and Julie’s favourite: a large hot plate with various meats, side dishes of rice, molho campagnha (Brazilian vinegar sauce), fries, and more, plus two fried eggs. Brazilians love fried eggs with a steak, and Julie does too.

We stayed for at least two hours, if not longer, eating and drinking Chopps-light Brazilian beers, and it was very enjoyable.

The meat was perfectly cooked, and the Chopps’ were served at the perfect chilled degrees. It was a truly nice and special lunch; our company together is always very pleasant. This has always impressed me. When we are together, we don’t need much to be happy and enjoy each other’s company.

We paid the bill, walked to the metro station just around the corner, and were home in 45 minutes. I think we both loved the lunch; it was a nice time for us to spend in her last days in Rio. Looking back, it was special, and Julie loved the food, the place, the Chopps, and us together, and probably being alone, walking the streets of Copacabana.

I was worried about her, but thank God nothing happened to ruin her stay. I’m grateful nothing did, and I also feel relieved. There is nothing worse than one isolated incident spoiling everything and anything for everyone.

We watched the film and slept.

In bed by 11 p.m.

Be kind and be happy, and if you can’t be happy, still be kind, but not naïve!

Thank you.

Thanks for reading this blog post. Please explore my other posts and share your thoughts in the comments section.

Richard

Photos by Richard George Photography

The post Copacabana | The Balance Between Worry and Joy! first appeared on The Long Gringo.

Paraty, Brazil: 29 degrees, hot, muggy and overcast.

Today we are going to Paraty!

The alarm clock rang at 4:45, but we were awake beforehand. Julie was making coffee before I got up; it was good because we were up so early that I was able to upload a video before we left.

We arrived at the coach station 30 minutes before the 7:00 departure. Fifteen minutes before departure, we queued to place our bags in the coach’s hold and to board. We showed the tickets to the driver along with our IDs; everything proceeded smoothly.

We found our seats, and about ten minutes later, the coach pulled out of the bus station, heading for Paraty, 200 kilometres south of Rio de Janeiro.

The coach stopped at a service station after about an hour and a half and then headed down to the coast, following it all the way to Paraty, which is really quite beautiful.

Julie cuddled up, facing the window with her back leaning against me and her legs and feet resting on the seat beneath the lower part of the window. She managed to sleep a little while, occasionally opening her eyes to admire the view of the coast, sometimes observing beautiful houses lining the shore or small fishing boats scattered over the sea in coves or harbours.

We arrived in Paraty at about midday, check-in to the guest house, a 20-minute walk from the bus station, would only be after 2:00 in the afternoon, and it was raining, not hard but raining enough to be inconvenient.

As we began to walk in roughly the right direction towards the guest house, the rain began to subside a little, so we could enjoy a little of being in one of the most enchanting places in Brazil.

It was lunchtime, and we were hungry. Walking from the bus station towards the historical centre, we had to pass through the ordinary, less attractive part of Paraty with its less charming shops, restaurants, and bars.

You know you are arriving at the more quintessential historical part of Paraty, as there are enormous concrete bollards chained together with big, thick steel chains that separate the old historical part of the town from the newer, tackier section. It is impressive how big the difference is between the two areas; it’s like oil and water.

All the other times I had visited Paraty, I had never gone to the popular or typical part of Paraty; I had always stayed in the old historical area, with its good taste and expensive bars, restaurants and shops. It sounds like I am a bit snobbish, but that is just how it is and has been. What I have also realised is that the historic centre is only for pedestrians. This is why it is closed off on all sides.

Walking across the main street from the area of common people to the more historic, refined part feels like crossing into a different country and culture; the contrast is stark, and I was glad to return to a place I know and love.

We walked down some beautiful cobbled side streets towards the sea and pier.

We did not want to cross the entire historical centre and reach the pier on the other side; we wanted to eat, drink, and relax. We turned left into another side street that I knew would eventually lead us towards the canal, which runs parallel to the historical centre and where our guest house is on the opposite side.

As we were walking, we reached a crossroads, wider than the other streets. I recognised it as one of the main roads that has bars and restaurants, especially in the evenings.

I told Julie, we entered and saw a row of bars and restaurants with tables and chairs outside on the cobbled street and pavement. The second restaurant we looked at had a group of young girls sitting around a couple of tables, speaking Spanish.

Near them, there was an empty table outside, in front of the restaurant’s open entrance and windows. Inside, it was dark but lively, with all the tables filled with people, including customers, waiters and waitresses, with a small stage facing them on the right-hand side of the restaurant.

On stage was a middle-aged man singing classical MPB Brazilian music by Tom Jobim, Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil, and, even better, Vinicius de Moraes. He had a good voice with the perfect tone for the ambience of the low-lit restaurant, being in one of the most iconic places in Brazil.

On our little table outside, we ordered a beer, obviously. Now Julie has discovered beer and, more specifically, chopp, as if they were only invented yesterday. She loves just drinking a cold beer, and even better, a chopp, and simply relaxing.

A little while after we ordered a hot plate of BBQ meat, cassava, campagna salad-vinaigrette, and garlic bread, it was surprisingly much better than I had expected. Within an hour of arriving in Paraty, we were sharing a delicious Brazilian dish at a very charming, quaint restaurant, enjoying alfresco dining to good Brazilian music whilst washing it all down with ridiculously cold Brazilian beer.

How good is that? And with excellent company with this beautiful woman beside me.

I believe we stayed there for nearly three hours. It was a wonderful moment that has become more frequent with Julie; everything we do turns out well and feels very special.

We had to check in, but I was reluctant to go, and for some reason, if the reservation was either cancelled or allocated to someone else. We paid the bill, which I thought was reasonable for Paraty, as everything in the upper-class historical parts has a reputation for being much more expensive.

We re-entered the street we were walking along earlier, crossed the small bridge over the canal at the end, and within five minutes, we reached the drive of The Condessa guest house.

Thankfully, our reservation was standing, and in no time at all, we were in our suite. You enter through the back door, and when you open the front door, it opens onto a kind of balcony on the ground floor, and in front of you is the pool.

Julie was impressed, and looking out of our room onto the swimming pool is very nice!

We unpacked, had showers, made love, rested a little, and then, in the early evening, it was time to go out, explore the town, and eat and drink something. The only problem was that it was raining hard, but we had no choice if we wanted to eat.

At the reception, which I thought was very good and considerate of them, there was a large stand of umbrellas that guests could borrow. Walking out of the grounds of the pousada-guest house in the direction of the historical centre, it was literally pouring down. We shared one large umbrella between us; I held the umbrella, and Julie held my arm.

Walking on the wet cobbled street isn’t easy and can be quite slippery, almost causing you to fall.

We found a very lovely restaurant, low-lit and with excellent taste. We ordered some chops, but for some reason, there was something wrong with the place and its ambience. The waitress was a little off, bordering on almost being rude. The service was slow, and the ambience felt unwelcoming. We and another couple were the only ones there, so we decided not to stay.

Facing the rain once again that hadn’t stopped or slowed, we turned into another street. From the outside, the small, discreet Italian restaurant was unassuming, but as soon as we went inside, the aroma, the lively atmosphere, and the bustling people with positive vibes hit us instantly, and we wanted to stay.

We asked for a table and were promptly shown to a nice, discreet table on the left-hand side of the room, against the back wall, completely different to where we were 10 minutes ago.

We ordered some beers, of course, and decided to share a pizza. Julie has this thing where she likes sharing food with me; she prefers to order dishes that can go in the middle of the table so we can both share or pick at them, rather than ordering separate plates.

The pizza arrived at just the right moment, and it was very tasty. For the rest of the evening, we enjoyed pizza and drank beer at one of Paraty’s most charming restaurants.

Unfortunately, we had to leave eventually. We paid the bill, faced the rain, got wet for the second or third time today, and were back at the guest house in 10 minutes.

What a day!

What a night!

Thank you.

Thanks for reading this blog post. Please explore my other posts and share your thoughts in the comments section.

Richard

Photos by Richard George Photography

The post Paraty | Our First Trip together first appeared on The Long Gringo.

It is Friday, the end of a good and productive week, and Yasmin is travelling through the interior of Brazil by plane. She will return on Sunday.

I am free for the weekend, or so I thought.

I received a message from Nalva asking me to visit her tomorrow to discuss Yasmin. They haven’t been getting along for the past month or two, and matters have worsened notably since she decided to implant an anti-contraceptive device in her arm without informing her mother first.

I don’t really want to go; I don’t want to get upset, and my free time on the weekend is very precious to me. What can I do?

Fridays have always been light days for me, but even more so these days; it’s a time to do whatever is necessary or whatever I wish to do without any rush. I like to go at my own pace and stay calm.

Because of that, I took two large bags of dirty laundry to the launderette inside the condominium. I don’t think I’ve been to the launderette in over ten days. I dislike dirty laundry piling up, just like anything else in my life: debt, dirty dishes, work, going without exercise for a long time, etc.

I don’t like anything piling up in my life because usually, when it does, it means it is already out of control.

Daily maintenance to uphold obligations, duties, workloads, money management, and even friendships and relationships is all-important. Once a gap of some sort develops, recovery becomes difficult, almost impossible at times, but not entirely.

We are discussing limits, setting them, and sticking to them because, if we don’t, we might get caught out unexpectedly, bitten in the backside or knocked to the ground when we least expect it.

There in the launderette, I met an old lady whom I had seen several times walking around the condominium, smoking like a chimney while I was skipping at the back.

She has a very attractive middle-aged daughter whom I have spoken to a couple of times when we crossed paths in the corridors, lifts, or the courtyard. The conversation with her mother was very pleasant.

I had to do two loads of laundry and then put both washes in one dryer. A load takes 35 minutes to wash and 45 minutes to dry. This amounts to roughly an hour and a half of waiting, which I spend journaling.

Time is precious, so it must be used wisely.

While waiting, I am making the most of it by catching up on my journaling. I managed to make two very good entries during this time, without wasting it on doomscrolling of any kind.

I have, for the last week, given social media platforms a break; for me, they are too much of a distraction and a source of noise in one’s life. I am only really focusing on YouTube because of the channel, and that is not really a social media platform.

Facebook and Instagram, I have put on hold; I haven’t accessed them or my accounts or profiles since last weekend, and I’m not missing them at all.

Too much noise, bullshit and distraction voluntarily injected into one’s mind is pure mental poison in itself. I have felt a general change in quality from not accessing the platforms, whilst also being more disciplined, focused, and productive with my work than I was before.

If you’re not paying, then you’re the product!

In the afternoon, I went out for a walk to complete my exercise programme for the day, and later attended the condominium’s first-anniversary party.

I was not planning to go, but my curiosity was stronger than my self-control. It was in the main event space where the gym is situated, and the whole complex had been opened a week earlier.

It was raining, I wore a black V-neck T-shirt, loose linen trousers, and flip flops, very casual but nice. There were many people there. I chatted with those I knew, drank a couple of beers, had some snacks, listened to the speeches, and within 45 minutes, I was home. That was enough for me.

In bed by 10 pm.

Thank you.

Thanks for reading this blog post. Please explore my other posts and share your thoughts in the comments section.

Richard

Photos by Richard George Photography

The post Friday Life | And Balance first appeared on The Long Gringo.

It is Friday, and it has been a relatively busy week with its share of highs and lows.

‘The long gringo’ blog is not yet monetised, but I am not too worried or disheartened. It is just a question of time, even though it has taken much longer than planned. That is the way it goes.

I have also set my priorities for the rest of the year. I want to develop my bracelets and put ‘Placebeads’ online. I have already set up the site superficially; it just needs a professional touch and Alex to finish it off. However, as a financial concern, it is not so interesting for the moment.

The following 5 or 6 months are 100% focused on ‘The long gringo’ for blogging and vlogging, and ‘Teahogui’, for an online digital agency for languages and culture, and ‘The right way’, my old school is being resurrected for online didactic classes through YouTube.

Even though progress may be slower than planned, it’s essential to recognise that you are still making progress and have not come to a complete stop. Being halted is one of the most difficult feelings to endure.

Many negative emotions and thoughts, such as frustration, bitterness, and aggression, stem from a deep sense of stagnation, feeling stuck in the mud with no way out, immobilised, with our hands tied and our eyes blindfolded, unable to see a solution. However, it’s essential to remember that there is always a way forward.

Sometimes it is just a matter of staying still and quiet, stopping, standing still in the eye of the hurricane, letting it pass, and watching everything pass by and around you at 100 kilometres per hour. All you need to do is wait for it to pass by slowly.

For sure, it will take longer than you want or expect, but eventually it will be gone. Another storm may be brewing on the horizon to take its place. Still, it is normal. Life is just a matter of weathering, sometimes battling against the storms, and between the storms, there is sunshine, and when we can stand in the sunshine with the sun on our faces.

When there is no wind or rain, we must learn to appreciate it and make the most of it, because it won’t last long. Remember, a new storm is already forming far away, so make the most of the nice days while you can, because they won’t last long.

Yesterday, I paid Alex R$1000 to start ‘Teahogui’!

This is a major project, and its scale and what it represents concern me. It is more of a start-up than a small site and company, and it may be too large. Venture capital will need to be injected, but again, it’s all part of the journey, and I’m doing a lot of wishful thinking to contemplate it.

I have sometimes put the brakes on when doing something so exciting because of insecurity and low self-esteem, or a sense of worthlessness has held me back. Exercise and a positive daily routine have changed that. Both ‘the long gringo’ and ‘Teahogui’ ought to go stratospheric in the future, and it’s good for me.

Besides thinking about the week and realising not everything had been done, it was a good Friday, with only a few classes because of midterm holidays, a good morning workout, and a bottle of wine in the evening.

In bed by 11 p.m.

Thank you.

Thanks for reading this blog post. Please explore my other posts and share your thoughts in the comments section.

Richard

Photos by Richard George Photography

The post A Reflective Friday | The Storms We Face first appeared on The Long Gringo.

It’s Wednesday, and in just over two weeks, Julie will be arriving in Rio.

Am I excited?

I don’t know if ‘excited’ is the right word. I am calm, slightly anxious, but pleased to know she will arrive soon. It’s a mystery to me, and probably to anyone else, how it will turn out. As I just wrote, this will be a holiday for me, the kind of holiday I have never truly had!

A solid month without teaching classes, worrying about money, and spending special time with someone I want to be with. I haven’t told her this yet, but I will, just as she told me she has never really had a holiday where she can relax with someone she truly wants to be with; it’s pretty much the same for me.

I want to make the most of every moment to enjoy our time together.

The only work I’ll be doing during this period will be blog posting and uploading some YouTube videos. Whenever I can, I want to set aside an hour and a half each day for these activities. Classes no.

Although I will miss teaching, and it will feel quite strange, it is good to take a break from teaching during this time to recharge my batteries and invest a little more in myself as well.

I’ve always carried the burden of teaching; the pressure of having to instruct has consistently weighed on me, along with the stress of bills and supporting others.

Now that I have a bit of financial freedom, just enough to breathe, relax, collect my thoughts, consider the future, and properly bid farewell to the old year while welcoming the new one with someone special.

Not much happens in the first couple of months of the new year here in Brazil, so for many, giving classes won’t make much difference. In a way, I’m doing my pupils a favour by giving them a longer break because everything really only restarts after Carnaval.

This brief month that Julie will be here will be very special for me, and hopefully for us in many ways.

We have not slept together yet; it will be our first time. We haven’t lived together in such a short-term, permanent arrangement before. If this month goes well, what will our plans be? Will we stay together in the future, or part ways even if everything is good?

We can love someone but not necessarily be able to live with that person. We might enjoy their company, but something minor could prevent it from progressing further. There are so many variables and possibilities that the whole situation, like any, remains a mystery, and all we can do is try our best in the sincerest way possible.  

It’s not easy, no, but we must try.

I feel that our relationship experiences some minor fluctuations, but overall, it is clear we enjoy each other’s company very much. It is normal for us to talk for hours without noticing how long it has been. I am not used to it; it is something new and strange for me, although I appreciate it greatly.

When I was in England, our time together was very meaningful. We cherished each other’s company deeply. It seemed that the time we spent apart there acted as a catalyst for what we are experiencing now.

We talk every day; we have spoken honest and sincere, frank words to each other, but never unkind, and I believe that is very important.

It all depends on when she arrives and what will happen. I expect only good things, and it is our responsibility to ensure that, only ours, nobody else’s.

There is a lot to happen in the next couple of months with Julie, my work, Brazil, and England. I feel that I have been planting, and I still am, and that next year I will be able to start harvesting what I have already planted.

Let it come, and I will receive it all with open arms!

In bed by 9 p.m.

Thank you.

Thanks for reading this blog post. Please explore my other posts and share your thoughts in the comments section.

Richard

Photos by Richard George Photography

The post Wednesday, the 11th of December 2024: “Anticipating Julie’s Arrival”!!! first appeared on The Long Gringo.

It’s Saturday, and I’m alone this weekend. Yasmin isn’t with me, so this is my time to do whatever I want within reason.

Sometimes on weekends, I do slightly less exercise than during the week. Today has been lighter, with only stretching and meditation first thing, and 20 laps of the pool later.

The truth is that I had two short spinning sessions, the last one on Thursday, along with some squat exercises at home in the evening. I think that because of these exercises, my leg muscles are killing me; it’s even difficult to get up and walk properly.

For some reason, squats cause me to suffer the next day, leaving me unable to walk properly, let alone bend down to pick something up from the floor.

I need to write and publish a blog post that I am always happy and proud of, make two journal entries, and keep everything well-maintained at a relaxed pace without rushing.

Teaching classes is very important to me because it pays my bills and supports Yasmin and her mother. However, when I’m not teaching, it allows me the freedom to do whatever I want or need, peacefully, without rushing or stress.

This is very good, even when I am working or carrying out some sort of duty or responsibility, it is done without rushing, which makes a huge difference for the work and for me.

Doing what you have to do under pressure is very different from performing the same task with ease, without the pressure of a specific situation.

I have come to believe that everybody in Brazil lives and works under pressure, in survival mode, and in a state of despair or desperation.

A typical example that can be applied to other areas of Brazilian society is that of people working in shops, such as clothing or shoe stores, in Brazil, who only earn commission; there is no basic minimum wage to ensure that, if they do not sell well or have a poor month, they can still cover their living costs or make ends meet.

Because of that, all shop assistants pounce on you when you enter the store, as they are desperate to sell; otherwise, how will they pay their bills to survive?

A doctor in Brazil has at least four, five, or even six jobs, unlike a doctor in England who would typically have one or at most two.

When I was in England, I noticed that people were not desperate; there was no sense of desperation in the air like what we experience in Brazil. If they have a job, that’s great, and if they lose it, no worries, the government will help somehow. There is no form of desperation, stressing over bills, making ends meet, and surviving.

In Brazil, the government claims it wants to help, but in reality, the opposite is true; they seek to harm and belittle you from all angles, aiming to make you dependent on the state so they can dominate you. Metaphorically, they want to stamp on your neck while you’re down.

I don’t believe any government genuinely cares about its people anymore, and because of that, it’s quite sad. However, in Brazil, it reaches an extreme point that is quite perverse, to say the least. It’s a bit like they steal your car or motorbike, then call you later to say they have it and will sell it back to you at a good price!

How crazy is that!

In the afternoon, I enjoyed a pleasant hour or two at Guaribira’s Bar in Santo Cristo. There was a barbecue, and the place was bustling with people. I had never seen it so crowded. I’m happy for him!

I had to sit on the stairs because there were no seats. I met some people, had a few beers, and then went home. It was a good, simple, and nice Saturday.

In bed by 10 p.m.

Thank you.

Thanks for reading this blog post. Please explore my other posts and share your thoughts in the comments section.

Richard

Photos by Richard George Photography

The post Saturday, the 18th of October 2025: “One of Brazil’s Hard Realities”!!! first appeared on The Long Gringo.

Happy New Year. In Brazil, it is a new year, the first Monday after Carnaval.

In theory, Brazil should roll like a heavy steam engine, seeking enough inertia from its first push of power from the boiler to move forward and gain speed.

I have written many times on the blog that Brazil’s economy should traditionally take off, with production picking up after Carnival.

Brazil is a vast country, the 5th largest in the world, with almost 220 million people.

That is a lot of people and a large market if a company knows how to tap into it, and if the country’s economy is strong and buoyant. If everybody has money and wants to spend their disposable income, it is burning a hole in their pockets and bank accounts.

Sadly, for a long time, this has not been the case in Brazil, if not ever. The majority of the population is lower-middle class or poor, with some even extremely poor. At the same time, only a small percentage is middle-class, and a minute percentage is upper-class or wealthy.

The only real reason a company would want to invest in Brazil is its large population, and, economically speaking, that is a contradiction.

Poverty and unemployment are rising, and the middle class is getting poorer and poorer. Brazil was slowly on the road to recovery and improvement under the last government under Bolsonaro as president. Still, with this re-elected left-wing socialist-communist government that does not know how to control public expenditure, inflation is rising, and growth is declining.

The upcoming presidential elections are scheduled for September and October 2026. If Lula’s government wins and secures re-election, then Brazil is effectively digging its own grave. Endemic corruption, the misappropriation of public funds, and the government’s disregard for the people are driving the final nails into its coffin.

Lula is a know-it-all, and his inflated ego makes him believe he is the be-all and end-all of politics and running Brazil. I see a power-hungry little boy in an old body who does not know when to give up or stop.

Since his government began, the administrative and international errors in managing Brazil have been endless. Every day, there is a new foolish act, mainly committed by him but also by his recently married wife and his team.

Besides the 220 million people who are suffering and enslaved by one man’s ego, which is perfectly clear to me and many others, it is also obvious that in his third government he relies on and trusts the same incompetent, poorly prepared, and corrupt politicians from his previous terms, which were marred by scandals, problems, and embarrassment.

One of his trusted right-hand henchmen was caught smuggling thousands of dollars hidden in his underwear during an international flight out of Brazil. Shockingly, that same disgraceful, hypocritical politician has now returned as the head of Lula’s government in the Brazilian Congress.

How crazy is that?

How stupid is that?

How disgraceful is that?

How can a country the size and potential of Brazil, with so much going for it, including its good, hardworking people and its unlimited natural resources, some of which are still not properly tapped, be in such a shameful and disgusting situation?

I have been in Brazil for over 35 years, and I love the country and its people. However, I am deeply disappointed with it. I thought it would realise its true potential, at least in part, during my lifetime, but I no longer believe that is possible.

Brazil is like the stripper girlfriend you love so much. She is attractive in a rough way, the sex is excellent, but you can never take her home to meet your parents!

In bed by 9 p.m.

Thank you.

Thanks for reading this blog post. Please explore my other posts and share your thoughts in the comments section.

Richard

Photos by Richard George Photography

The post Monday, the 10th of March 2025: “Brazil: My Stripper Girlfriend”!!! first appeared on The Long Gringo.

It is Thursday, and another denial from Google to allow the site ‘the long gringo’ to be monetised. I think it is now the 3rd or 4th denial, but every time, after we find something else that needs to be done, something else is missing.

Every day, we are one step closer to monetising the site. It is nothing personal; it is the way it is. We start out on something thinking it is easier than it really is, but it isn’t. It is usually much more than we initially imagined, and we have to go through a whole process to reach the final point we want to be at.

Life is this.

We want something, we want to achieve something at a higher level than what we already are, and, thinking it is relatively easy, we embark on the journey. Again, we are discussing the journey more than the actual destination.

The journey itself is much more challenging than we expect. We have a choice. We can give up and make up a lot of excuses for ourselves, for whoever asks, and for whoever knows what we’re trying to achieve. Or we can weather the storm, the challenges, the rain, the disappointments, the pain, the tears, and the more pain. Maybe, eventually, we will get closer to where we want to arrive.

For many of us, and perhaps even all of us, the journey will not be what we expected at the start, and the final destination will not be what we set out for at the beginning, but it will be what it really is and what is necessary.

The pain, tears and the energy to fight are the price we must pay; there is no free lunch. Even stopping before the end, before reaching where we initially set out for, is a high price to pay, the cost of frustration, this content, deception, discomfort, and with the “if only…?” playing in our minds all the time.

I am being patient with the current situation. I trust Alex’s capacity, and it is just a matter of time. With the monetisation of ‘the long gringo’, done and dusted, so to speak, I can then move on to other projects that are in line, such as faceless videos for YouTube based on my long gringo journal posts, whilst also developing Placebeads and finally ‘Teahogui’, a digital agency for teachers, hosts and guides.

I think I have work until my grave. I do not have to look for a job for the next 10 years or so because they have already been planned and decided.

Now it is just a question of lowering my head, rolling up my sleeves, and getting on with it, and making enough money so I can continue doing what I want.

Money is the vehicle for doing what we want and for getting to where we want to go. Money is the fuel to get there. Our force, strength and resilience in the face of disappointment transport us.

You, yourself, choose whether you want to be as fast as a Ferrari, a helicopter, etc., or as slow as a child’s three-wheeler.

Alex and I had originally arranged to meet this evening, but for some reason neither of us managed to confirm it. It’s no problem. He’s doing his part, and we will talk tomorrow.

In bed by 10:30 p.m.

Thank you.

Thanks for reading this blog post. Please explore my other posts and share your thoughts in the comments section.

Richard

Photos by Richard George Photography

The post Thursday, the 18th of July 2024: “Managing Frustration of Denial”!!! first appeared on The Long Gringo.

It is the middle of the week, the middle of the month and the middle of the year, and I feel I am at a turning point in my life.

Obviously, I know what has passed, where I am, but more importantly, where and what I want in the future, and for sure, more importantly again, what I do not want:

• I want financial freedom to do and go wherever I want without worrying about money.

• I obviously want my daughters to be happy, but that also depends more on them than on me. If they need my help, I will be there for them.

• I want peace, preferably living alone, so I can go to bed and get up when I want, not because of anyone else. If I am living with a woman, only if it is mutually beneficial for both of us, not just for the other, because that would be abusive.

• I want to continue working but not be a slave to it.

• I want to invest more and more in myself, in my own time and at my own pace, without having to explain to others, especially those closest to me.

• I want to have a tiny house in the middle of a woodland with no neighbours, but with a few dogs.

• I would like to have a partner, a woman, who, besides good sex that pleases both of us, is also a spiritual journey between us of understanding and complicity.

• I want to be happy and to have happy, positive people around me who value each other’s friendship and who share a sense of complicity between us all.

• I do not want to be with a toxic and abusive person who does not know how to deal with her own traumas, who consequently spills and spits her internal problems onto the people around me and me.

• I do not want to be a slave to my work, where it affects my inner peace and leaves me without time or the ability to contemplate, think, or be creative.

• I do not want to be unhappy, frustrated, or overthinking the past. I do not want to ruminate on what could and couldn’t have been or happened. I want to be free of the chains of the past to live my short future in peace.

• I do not want to worry about money.

• I do not want to live for someone else’s life; only for my own, if it is mutually proactive and positive for both.

I think that is about it!!!

The rest of the day was productive as usual, with a good exercise session early in the morning, classes, blog prep and post, and Alex working on the monetisation of the blog.

In bed by 10p.m.

Thank you.

Thanks for reading this blog post. Please explore my other posts and share your thoughts in the comments section.

Richard

Photos by Richard George Photography

The post Wednesday, the 17th of July 2024: “A Mid-Year Turning Point”!!! first appeared on The Long Gringo.

It is Sunday, and I always like to say that Sunday morning is reserved solely for me.

Nobody knows my name. It is not Dad, Richard, love, etc. Nobody can call me or ask me to do anything. It is my time, and it is good. It is a boundary where I am usually available to everyone else, but on Sunday morning, it is reserved for me alone. And because of that, I have reserved some quality time with myself, which is very good.

And even better than that is to do one of the things I most like doing in Rio: walking around Urca. Since I have been back in Rio, I haven’t had a walk around Urca until now. I went to the Yacht Club for lunch.

The Yacht Club is at the beginning of Urca, but I didn’t go for a walk inside the neighbourhood and have a drink on the Mureta, the wall in front of the Bay, as I had done so many times in the past.

So I got up early. I did not do any exercise. I washed the dishes and cleaned the kitchen from the night before. I was too tired, and it was too late to do it last night. I do not like leaving the kitchen a mess overnight. It is bad energy, and when I do, I do it immediately before anything else the next morning. I had a shower, put on some clothes, obviously, and left.

Yasmin and Nalva were asleep, and I was off. I went to the Portuguese baker’s to get a coffee to take and drink while walking. I love drinking something while I’m walking. For me, it is a simple pleasure of life.

I crossed Aterro, the dual carriageway in front of the Bay that connects the South Zone of Rio with the city centre. So now I’m walking along in front of Botafogo Beach, heading toward Urca. In front of me is Sugarloaf Mountain, and behind me is Flamengo.

Walking up to Urca, I passed the Yacht Club entrance instead of continuing up to Praia Vermelha (Red Beach), where Sugarloaf Mountain is. I bore left into the heart of Urca, where you have the Mureta wall in front of the Bay that runs from the beginning to the end of Urca, where there are the army barracks and the famous bar Barurca.

I passed by Urca Grill at the beginning and bought a glass of wine to drink while walking towards Baruca at the far end. Many people are walking, following the Mureta in both directions, including couples with dogs, old and young, etc. The day is beautiful, the sun is shining, and it is not too hot. The water of the Bay has that beautiful shimmering effect from the sunlight, which is quite divine.

Arriving at Barurca, the final stop at the end of the Mureta, I noticed what I had seen at Urca Grill: there were fewer people at the bars and restaurants than in the past. Traditionally, on a Sunday, both these places would be completely packed, and it would be a fight to get a drink quickly.

Now, at prime time on a Sunday, I could walk in and, in a few seconds, be attended to and on the Mureta, which would be difficult to find a good place to sit; it was now easy. What is happening?

People do not have money; they do not have the disposable income they had before, not even enough for a simple beer. Lula’s government is destroying Brazil and its economy through excessive taxation and robbery. The only thing they have not taxed yet is the air we breathe, and that will probably be taxed very soon.

It is clear to me that, over the seven months I was in England, Brazil has worsened, and consequently, Brazilians are poorer. The streets are dirtier, and people are poorer. I do not believe it will improve; it will only get worse.

It is reaching the point where it is no longer favourable to live or work in Brazil. I am fortunate to have the option to leave, but for others, or for most, I see a kind of unofficial, covert slavery. The majority of the population does not have the choice to go, either because of financial, family or cultural constraints.

They are trapped in a sadistic stronghold where, at the end of the day, you are living to support a perverse, false, corrupt government run by psychopaths who are not accountable for their actions. It is very sad because Brazilian people are very good people.

All they need is a good, decent, honest leader, and the country would be on the right road to peace and prosperity.

Walking along the Mureta and the Bay brought back many happy memories of time spent in Urca. I am very privileged and grateful to have had these times, but now my priority is more towards the canals of England.

I had a glass of wine from Barurca and sat on Mureta in front, watching the movement of the Bay, the boats coming and going from the Yacht club, and another glass of wine from Urca Grill on my way home.

When I arrived home, we had a late lunch. I worked a little and rested in the afternoon. I’m happy to have had such a nice day, doing something I had done many times before that gives me pleasure, and to do it alone.

Solitude and time alone are excellent, and time with a loved one is even better. Being with people you love is always good, but alone time is also very precious.

I suggest you try it sometime!

In bed by 10 p.m.

Thank you.

Thanks for reading this blog post. Please explore my other posts and share your thoughts in the comments section.

Richard

Photos by Richard George Photography

The post Sunday, the 14th of July 2024: “Quality Alone Time Through Urca”!!! first appeared on The Long Gringo.