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 has been 2 days since I went no contact with Julie. I feel guilty, but I also think it had to be done.

I am not proud of it, but I felt I needed a break, and the constant sense of being manipulated was too much. I thought it was beginning to affect the core of who I am and my mental health. It sounds dramatic, but the problem is the toxicity and the cost to yourself; respect is not.

I am starting to look back, gaining a perspective outside the fishbowl. Now I can see many details, situations, and things that happened that were oblivious to me at the time, even though I felt that something was wrong, but could not specifically put my finger on it, understand it, or spot it as clearly as I think I am now.

I am angry with myself for letting it reach such a point. How could I let myself get so involved, receiving so little? We had not gone to bed yet, so in a way it is a kind of blessing in disguise.

When thinking about it in this way, it gives a perspective that, to the normal person, without consummating the relationship, it could not have been so intense, but it was. It was enebriating. I became intoxicated by the situation and by what I was living, not by the actual person.

Again, I ask myself how I could have let myself down so easily. The most straightforward answer is that it can happen to anyone. I have repeated this many times on this blog: the importance of setting boundaries.

I think I had, in some ways and forms, and maybe if I had not been indirectly conscious, the damage could have been much worse. If I were completely and madly in love, I would be truly at fault, but what I truly feel is that I should not have got involved with the wrong person.

My intuition told me to walk away after the first date. I had seen the signs, tried superficially, but I gave in to my instincts.

That night we went to see Dune 2 at the cinema, which was a bit of a disaster for me. It was cold, clinical, a detached meeting. The next day, I felt disappointed about the night before and called her to say that maybe it would be better to be just friends. She insisted on continuing, and I gave in to her insistence, and now I’m paying the price.

I have said this many times, and I’m repeating myself about the same error: not listening to my intuition. Every time I do not listen to my intuition, I fuck myself. It happened in the past and has happened again now, and I am stupid for letting it happen.

At least I am old enough to see what has happened and try not to repeat it in future. We have to be humble enough to recognise our mistakes and learn from them. If not, we are stupid. These recurring mistakes are more than this. They are patterns, and that’s not just a one-off.

A pattern is something repetitive. With any psychological or behavioural pattern, we have to be intelligent and humble enough to see it, read it, and learn from it. Otherwise, it will be like a dog running in circles, chasing its own tail, which isn’t very intelligent.

We must see what our patterns are, accept them as a kind of weakness or something that needs attention, and work against them to improve; it’s not rocket science.

In bed by 11p.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 10th of July 2024: “Breaking Free and Recognising Patterns”!!! first appeared on The Long Gringo.

I am still a little shocked by what happened yesterday between Julie and me, and to make matters worse, I went no-contact with her.

I could not take any more of the stress, the lack of peace and respect, and the feeling of being both manipulated and taken away from, diverted from my priorities.

I’m certainly not proud of it, but maybe, for now, it needed to be done. I’m feeling a little lost at the moment. It’s as if I’m taking two steps forward and one back all the time. I need more clarity in my life, and when I think I’m getting it, something happens to knock it down or apart.

I have doubts about my mother going back to England, staying in Brazil and Julie.

This last trip to England showed me how toxic living with my mother was. When I go back, staying with her will be unbearable, and I would be stupid to do it. Finding a place to live, with all the documentation and paperwork, in England, and me being out of the country for such a long time, makes it not impossible but difficult.

I need to open a bank account and have a decent credit score to rent something. What I’m trying to say is that there is always a way; it is just a question of being positive, having faith, and letting the solution emerge through a strategy. If the strategy is wrong, your will and way will reveal themselves to you, eventually leading you to the solution.

Staying in Brazil is possible. I would not want to, but if I have to, I will. The short-term economic forecast for Brazil is, to say the least, dreadful. I am tired of Brazil’s uncertainty and insecurity, and of knowing that every year I’m getting poorer and poorer while living here.

And Julie, this beautiful, perfect little woman I so much liked even before going out with her, is not so perfect now, and neither am I. Is Julie the principal reason I want to live in England? If so, am I crazy, blind, and not thinking properly?

In the last weeks we were together, I felt alone, even when I was with her. I had liked this woman, had done everything to please her, and received very little in return. Maybe because of that, I am more wrong than she is.

I love the tranquillity of England, the contact with nature, and walking along the canal. It was a safe haven for me from the confusion of Rio, the big city with 6 million people and the pollution and noise that come with it.

If I bought land in Terasopolis, the mountain area not far from Rio, and built a small house there in the future, maybe I would have my peace, and I might have more favourable weather than in England, even though I had got used to the cold there.

Let’s see again.

The exchange rate at the moment is 7 Reias to 1 British pound. Living in England will not be cheap, but that is really not the issue. The real issue is Julie, or it was, and I do not know anymore.

Am I trying to please everybody and not myself, or am I being selfish and just thinking about myself, or is it that I’m stupid, last, broken, the word of the moment about people, and there’s no hope?

Again, let’s see.

All lined up, I have to continue and stay focused. Alex is configuring the site. Once he has done that, I will ask him to do other work on other sites until I’m making money.

And I want to live alone. Enough of living in other people’s places, my mother’s, Nalva’s, etc. I should be back at my own place, in my own bed, with my own schedule, my routine, without upsetting or bothering others.

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 Tuesday, the 9th of July 2024: “Uncertainty and Self-Alignment”!!! first appeared on The Long Gringo.

Today I was meant to have lunch at the Yacht Club with Dona Regina and her husband, Roberto.

They had invited both Yasmin and me for lunch there, and we had already enjoyed a meal with them at the club a couple of years ago.

Because of the sudden cold I had developed from Wednesday onwards, it would be impossible to have lunch with them; sneezing and coughing in front of them could be very difficult or even dangerous for them, so it would be best to cancel without putting them in danger.

I sent a message to Dona Regina very early, apologising for not being able to attend the lunch. However, she was still recovering from a cold, so everybody was feeling bad, so it was better to cancel.

This was the disappointment of the day; the pleasant surprise was Yasmin and me working out together at the park. Yasmin had asked me the day before if I was going, if she could go with me, and of course, yes. Although I wasn’t 100% and I had a cold, getting out, walking, and doing a little exercise was good.

A little bit of sun, fresh air, and exercise are some of the best kinds of medicine.

We had arranged 8:00 a.m. Yasmin was already up; I did not have to wake her; she was ready, and in half an hour we were out in the street, going to the Portuguese bakers for breakfast. I’m just having a large, dark black coffee, Yasmin, some toast, and orange juice.

The day is lovely: the sun is shining, a gentle breeze blows, and, since it is a Saturday, many people with dogs are out on the street, even though it is still relatively early.

We arrived at the park, placed our belongings on a concrete bench, and started with five minutes of skipping each, then moved on to the TRX straps, and finally, some elastic band exercises.

Yasmin said she loved it, and I told her that her muscles would be sore and aching tomorrow, but it’s all good; it’s part of the game. On the way home, we passed by the convenience store at the petrol station and bought some sparkling mineral water.

As we were talking, always talking when we are walking together, father and daughter, it is so good for both of us for different reasons; I as a father trying to tell my daughter something for her to learn or understand, or she as a daughter trying to tell me something vital for her and for me to think about, understand, or appreciate.

At home, after my shower, I did a bit of work, and Yasmin studied a little. I am planning for the second half of the year, which begins on 1st July and is only a week away. I’m finishing the last journal entries in my diary, and I plan to revise all blog posts on the website.

Since I have been back in Brazil, I am working much more than when I was in England. I’m trying to be more focused, whether it’s to quickly resolve everything to go back to England or to improve myself by being more focused and objective; I do not know.

I bought lunch for us from the restaurant next door and worked all day, but I was always thinking about Julie and the situation I’ve found myself in, whether directly or indirectly. We haven’t exchanged messages in two days now; for a couple who once exchanged hundreds daily, it’s a shock.

I believe it’s better at this moment. I’m in Brazil, and she is in England.

What can we do?

In bed by midnight.

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 22nd of June 2024: “Disappointment That Makes a Surprise”!!! first appeared on The Long Gringo.

It has been 11 days since I returned to Rio, and I feel somewhat back in the rhythm of things. I manage early exercise in the mornings when I can, along with classes and blogging, but it still feels like it’s not enough.

I am profiting from the exercise and classes, but the blog is not yet monetised. I tried to do it in England, and I failed. Now, all my energy must go into monetising my blog and YouTube channel from  July. I had put YouTube on hold because I didn’t have a good enough camera, but I felt I needed another one and wanted to focus more on the blog and its posts.

After six months of blogging, I know there is room for improvement, but I have accomplished quite a lot, and for my first experience, it is going reasonably well. However, I still need to find its exact niche, and with a bit of luck, everything will go well.

I’m finishing one of my diary journal books, and then I will revise all of the 200-plus posts when I continue blogging. All the posts are of roughly the same quality.

And my YouTube channels that I have been managing for such a long time, thinking about now, need to progress in the second half of this year. In some ways, I feel I should have set up the blog and established it before everything else, as it is the backbone of all my content.

What was unclear before is now clear: faceless YouTube videos of daily blogs, and videos of me discussing life, problems, trips, restaurants, places, or reviews or discussions on subjects I find interesting for a post.

All of these together should create interesting and engaging content for viewers, and, besides helping people, could also generate a small income for me in my old age.

So my plans from July onwards are set: I will continue what I’m already doing and aim to monetise my blog while preparing YouTube videos from blog posts. The sooner I do this, the sooner I will be able to earn more money.

In the afternoon, I visited Copacabana to give a class to Dona Vera, who is 84 years old.

She gave me a present for my birthday in April, a T-shirt from a well-known shop in Rio,  although technically the class was not perfect, as most of it was in Portuguese instead of English. It was indeed lovely to see her after seven months and to catch up on what had happened in the meantime.

I’m quite surprised. I expected Dona Vera’s health to be worse, but it isn’t; she appears very well. She had a fall last year and broke her shoulder and part of her arm. She needed two or three operations with pins inserted, but now she seems fine.

As soon as I had given her class, I took the metro home to give online classes to Dona Regina and others from 5:00 p.m. onwards.

All this running around I did for over 20 years when I was younger, it was necessary to support my family in Brazil through private classes outside the school. For four or five years, I also had to teach outside the school because the school wouldn’t have survived otherwise.

In life, we often have to do what is necessary, whether we like it or not!

This running around was good for keeping me active, and not just sitting at a desk all day, but Rio, when it is very hot and with all the dirt, grime, noise, and traffic, etc., is sometimes too much, and not forgetting the safety factor.

Food for thought for today!

In bed by midnight.

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 Tuesday, the 18th of June 2024: “Starting to Get Back in the Rhythm in Rio”!!! first appeared on The Long Gringo.

It’s Monday again, the start of a new week, so there are many tasks to tackle. At the moment, I don’t have any early classes on a Monday, and I am currently in sync with Brazil, with no time difference. In England, I was either 3 or 4 hours ahead; now, it is the same time as Brazil.

Up early and out to do exercise at the park, walking, skipping, TRX and elastic, all in an hour and a half session. On the way back, I bought a coffee from the Portuguese bakers, journals and prepped and posted a blog at home.

I had arranged to deliver a present I had bought for Rafael, a newborn boy whose parents are my pupils. Marcella stopped having classes because of Rafael’s birth and the chaos that comes with having a baby for the first time. Victor, the husband and father, continues to have classes, but I am unsure for how long.

His English is good, so the classes are less productive than they used to be; they are more about maintaining his English than teaching new material.

Both of them work as IT consultants, which allows them to work remotely from home. However, Victor has to go to the office in Praia do Flamengo at least once a week, a 15-minute walk from where I am currently living.

We had arranged to meet in his office building, the same building where Eike Batista’s office is located — an old, renowned yet fallen Brazilian billionaire who became involved with PT, the workers’ political party, a mixture of corruption, confusion, and theft. I know the building well because I had taught classes there briefly in the past.

Stupidly, I had forgotten my ID at home so that I couldn’t go up to the office floor. I spoke to the receptionist, and Victor came down to receive his son’s present. He kindly thanked me, and we had a brief chat about everything.

The first time I gave him lessons was about 15 years ago. I think it’s been about 4 or 5 years since I started teaching him online. I believe the last in-person lesson we had was at the school in Copacabana, probably 10 years ago.

I know, obviously, that I have grown older, but for me it is interesting to see how time and ageing have affected others. He’s still the friendly, very well-educated, and correct person whom I have always known him as, but now he’s rounder, plumper, from at least 10 years of us not being together in person.

It was terrific to see him, and I am glad that everything in his life appears to be going very well. His flat in Recreio, a nice and new neighbourhood in Rio, is paid for. He is very well established in his work and profession, and over the last six months, he has become a family man with his equally lovely wife, Marcella.

What has always caught my attention with Victor is his correctness and his strong sense of ethics. He is an extremely good and competent professional, respected by everyone; only compliments and praise are spoken of him. I have never heard him say a bad word about anyone, not even when that person deserves it.

For me, someone who doesn’t speak ill of others is rare these days; people often seize the chance to belittle others to boost their own sense of importance or strength. It is sad, but sadly, it is a reality today.

Your own actions and hard work will always reveal who you truly are. So, you don’t need to worry, think, or speak about others; let them live their lives, and focus on yours. If someone does something wrong to you, it is their problem. Truly, what they say is none of your business, even if it concerns you, so just let them get on with it.

On my way back from meeting Victor, I invited Nalva for a coffee at the baker’s as she’s off work today. I took the opportunity to talk to her about the importance of saving money and not spending more than she earns. I have tried to speak to her about this many times, emphasising the reality of what we are living in Brazil at the moment, especially since I’ve been back.

For me, she is living a lie, as the only reason she’s living in Flamengo, the southern zone of Rio, the best part or at least one of the best parts of Rio, is because of me. If something happens to me, her situation would change very quickly.

Basically, what I’m trying to say is that she is living beyond her means, and when you do that, you become highly vulnerable to external forces. If you live below your means, it makes you stronger. Very few people truly understand that, but it’s true. And instead of seeing it as degrading, it is the opposite: an uplifting.

She needs to save money before it is too late. I know how to live within her means; it is the basics of surviving in today’s world, while also having a fulfilling life. I will help her in the future buy her own place, but she needs to prove to me that she will have the means to maintain it and won’t lose what I could help her with because of poor financial management.

I believe she understood what I was trying to say, and now let’s see what happens.

Talking about women, Julie is a bit of a mystery to me; we spoke a lot at the weekend, but it felt stifling. I have doubts about what the future holds. I miss her. I enjoyed being with her when I was in England; we had many great times, but something more profound was missing, and there were a few warning signs, including feeling suffocated and blackmail.

A simple and productive day.

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 Monday, the 17th of June 2024: “ A Reflection on Friendship and Personal Growth”!!! first appeared on The Long Gringo.

I have been back in Rio for five days now, and I am trying to get into the old or maybe a new adapted routine.

1. Exercise.
2. Journaling.
3. Blog preparation and post.
4. Classes.

I had been doing all of this in England before, and now that I am back in Brazil, I want to improve it.

1. Exercise: The activities are nothing new; I have been doing early-morning workouts for nearly 3 years now. Now that I am back in Rio, I can combine walking, skipping, elastic bands, aerobics, and TRX, which I left behind in England. The combination of all five activities is very effective and should work wonders soon.

2. My journaling: My daily entries in my diary have never stopped since I started two years ago. I am always trying to improve myself and what I do. Although it is a daily journal, I try to include the past, the future, and the present. It has become an essential part of my life and is necessary for maintaining my mental health. It is clear to me that without my journaling, I would probably be in a worse situation, if that makes sense. It has been a support for me.

3. Blog preparation and posts: I have written over 200 blog posts so far, some I believe are good, and others not so much. I am currently revising all the posts I have created, refining them to make them better and more engaging for readers. Based on my previous experience creating educational books for schools, which involved a lot of repetitive, tedious work, I can quickly revise all the posts. The act of preparing and posting a blog: It has become a matter of discipline, alongside the natural satisfaction and pride that come from creating something positive, not just for oneself but for others. All I hope is that it can help others on this crazy roller coaster we’re riding, the one we call life, and that I can earn a little money from it someday.

4. English classes: I have been teaching for almost 30 years; there is really no mystery for me in delivering a quality class. There is always something to learn in life, and I have learned to be proficient at it. I aim to transfer this knowledge to the Internet or YouTube, etc., and earn some money from it. I have been giving classes for a long time; I have relied on them for too long. Now I need to break this mould, and the measures I have taken to diversify should lead to an alternative source of income. This is what I am constantly trying to do and improve so that someday I can achieve a better quality of life.

I have also noticed that women often distract me. I am heavily distracted by females, and I believe this originates from my childhood with my mother and a tendency to give too much, co-dependency, and to seek validation that I lacked as a child.

Now I see that my mother has consistently had a strong negative influence on my life. As much as I respect Nalva, Yasmin’s mother, she has always been a burden in my life for nearly 20 years since I met her, and it must stop, or at least become less prominent than it is now.

And with Julie, it seems to be heading in the same direction. That beautiful, perfect little woman, whom I admired and desperately wanted to be with, is not as perfect as I once believed, and this is beginning to get me down. I recognise that it is my fault for allowing it to reach this point, and I see a pattern repeating from my childhood with my mother. However, I am now 58, and I know I need to heal.

As men, since birth, we are taught the importance and doctrine of being good men, good husbands, and good fathers, regardless of the circumstances. Sometimes, it’s not just about virtue but also about choosing the right partner, because when we select the wrong spouse, we pay dearly for the rest of our lives.

I believe many men suffer daily from choosing the wrong partner, and I have been one of them for a long time. I have been socially and emotionally blackmailed into doing what is right and prioritising a better future for others over myself. However, the little time I have left, I want to make the most of it for myself or with the right person who truly values me.

My relationship with Julie has become quite toxic for me, and in retrospect, I see it has always been that way. It’s just that I didn’t want to realise it, nor did I set the necessary boundaries. I must break free from this; I need to do good things for myself, not for others, or I won’t be able to survive, let alone thrive, in the final years of my life.

It is only up to me!

I got up, went to the park, had a tough, vigorous workout, journaled, did the housework, which I really don’t mind but immensely enjoy, and had a serious conversation with Julie. Well, at least I tried. I gave classes, of course; without them, we would all be living under a bridge, and Henrique, the computer guy, came to fix my laptop’s keyboard.

The weather in Rio is lovely, warm and sunny, providing a change from England’s, which is seldom warm and pleasant. Even when it is sunny with blue skies, it is often chilly, or there is a chill in the air.

In bed by 11:00 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 Tuesday, the 11th of June 2024: “Change and Personal Growth Back in Rio”!!! first appeared on The Long Gringo.

It’s my first workday back in Rio. In England, it was four hours ahead of Brazil when I left, so I had the morning until 11 a.m. free to do what I wanted.

Usually, I exercised and journaled in the local café near my mother’s. Here in Brazil, it’s roughly the same, but much earlier. My first lesson starts at 7:00 AM, so it’s better to get up at 5, or even earlier, before 4:30 or 4:45, to allow at least an hour and a half for walking and outdoor exercise.

It’s nice to be back in Rio. I have mixed feelings; sharing with Nalva and Yasmin isn’t ideal, but it has to be until I decide exactly what I will do. I know I will return to England this year; I told Julie in July or August, let’s see, but I also don’t want to feel pressured.

What I do know is that I want my own place where I can go to bed whenever I want and have my own little office or workspace to work without any interruptions or interference. The question is, should I do it in Brazil, which at this moment seems highly unlikely, or go back to England, which may be more difficult at first but better in the long run.

Since I’ve been back, it is clear to me that people here are happier but not more polite. Familiar English people tend to be much more courteous and sometimes more talkative, but not as happy. It is related to the weather; the weather has a significant influence, both directly and indirectly, like culture.

I am feeling happier here in Rio; it is contagious, but at the same time, I am disappointed and frustrated. The reality of Brazil is very evident around me; I would have to be blind not to see how difficult it is at the moment.

I got up at 4:50 in the morning, had a quick wash, got dressed, and left for the park by 5:20. It was still dark; I was heading to probably the most important and iconic park in my life.

It is not large, relatively small, actually, with a tall stone wall surrounding its perimeter and offering views of the Bay and Sugar Loaf Mountain, where I used to take my boxers, the dogs, every day from 5:00 to 6:00 a.m., almost twenty years ago.

When I lived with Nalva and Yasmin before going to England, it was where I would go daily to work out and take Perola. This quaint little park has its ups and downs, where the local council sometimes neglects it and leaves it for a while with long grass, litter, and signs of abandonment, which is a significant issue in Brazil, especially politically.

Many times, Brazilian politicians know how to start something, set it up, and implement it. However, they do not necessarily know how to maintain it, keep it functioning, and manage it well so that it does not fall into disrepair. Which, in many cases, can be a great pity.

This is very common in public administration and projects, including existing ones that require maintenance—such as public parks, roads, streets, and infrastructure. The usual pattern is that suddenly, during an election, an elected politician appears, reforms or refurbishes what is needed, which is usually the minimum, and then showcases it for the next election as if they are doing us a favour.

Sometimes, what was good and proactive for the community from one politician is reversed, removed, or destroyed by the newly elected politician. It is a very selfish and thoughtless approach, but it is very common here in Brazil: cancelling what the previous politician did, even if it was beneficial for society.

Lula, since taking power a year and a half ago, has dismantled many positive initiatives and resources from previous governments. He is at the top of the pyramid; as president, he occupies the highest point in society, from which influence flows down and affects all the other layers below. Again, it is pitiful, and this is why Brazil currently has no clear future to grasp hold of.

Nothing is planned; there is no medium- or long-term plan for the well-being of this country and its people, just rape, pillaging, and plundering, precisely the same as the Portuguese 500 years ago. Nothing has changed!

So, the day was spent tidying the flat, trying to put everything in its rightful place, which is tricky when your ex-wife is a bit of a hoarder.I don’t need to do everything in one go; little by little, I will start organising things and discreetly dispose of those Nalva doesn’t need and won’t notice right away.

I will eventually need to speak to her. I know it will do little good, but I must do it for both her and myself, and at least try to preserve my own sanity.

As I mentioned before, Brazil and Rio are happy, and it’s contagious, which I feel has already influenced my classes. Why and how do poor choices and compulsory voting oppress happy people?

A nice, productive day, the first day back.

In bed by 10:00 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 June 2024: “Getting Back into the Groove in Rio”!!! first appeared on The Long Gringo.

Today is the first day my mother has left home after her surgery, apart from when she went to the doctors to have the surgical staples removed, and for physiotherapy at the hospital.

My mother had booked a minibus service with ‘Ring and Ride’ that can take you anywhere. In our case, it was Sainsbury’s supermarket. They take you there at a pre-arranged time, and you have two hours to do your shopping, have a coffee or tea, and then they will pick you up and take you back home. Obviously, for pensioners or younger people without a car, it is a cheap and convenient form of transport to go locally.

We had a similar arrangement in Brazil 20 or 30 years ago, though in a more informal way. It started with a man offering a service for elderly people who wanted to attend shows, the theatre, and other events. He would sell a package that included tickets, pick them up from their doorstep, take them to the event, and return them home afterwards. Many other drivers and day operators recognised the potential, and it quickly spread across Rio and all the major capital cities of Brazil.

It became so popular that it evolved into a covert, parallel commuter service connecting the slums, suburbs, and favelas of large cities, as well as key commercial and industrial districts.

It reached a point where it threatened traditional bus companies and complicated traffic, especially during peak rush hours. As a result, the local, state, and federal governments stepped in and restricted it. I believe it persists in some areas of certain cities in Brazil, but not on the same scale as before. I also think that the emergence of taxi apps over the last decade or so has contributed to its decline.

So we went to Sainsbury’s, and a lovely lady driver took us. We did the shopping, which is always more than we need, and whilst waiting for the minibus to return, we had a coffee and a sandwich in Starbucks.

I personally dislike Starbucks and food franchise restaurants in general. My mother paid for the shopping; I had offered to pay, but she refused, so I insisted on paying for the coffee and a sandwich. The total came to £15, which I thought was expensive—a feeling I dislike—yet when I saw the message on my mobile phone from my bank informing me that the total would be almost 100 Brazilian Reais, I nearly had a heart attack.

So, what are all the four lessons and observations from this?

• When you pay for food at a franchise restaurant, you are paying two profit margins: one for the franchiser and another for the franchisee. Usually, you end up paying above the market value for food and drinks. And if it is cheap, it is probably of very poor quality.

• Starbucks, to me, is vastly overrated, with steep prices and coffee that is often terribly cold and weak.

• I don’t believe in food franchises, especially in a country like Brazil, where personal service is essential but lacking, and with little quality control and a very weak relationship with its customers.

• The Brazilian Real is worth very little nowadays, both in Brazil and abroad. With terrible exchange rates and a hefty IOF tax every time you make a purchase abroad, Brazil and Brazilians are increasingly drifting away from a truly free trade environment and the global economy. You literally face sky-high prices and heavy taxation in Brazil, and when you are abroad, you’re still affected negatively; it is inhumane.

After the shock of Starbucks, the minivan picked us up and took us home. We experienced a slight delay in picking up another passenger. My mother became a little impatient, wanting to get back home as she was feeling very tired and a little stressed, but everything went well.

For the rest of the day, I taught classes and enjoyed a lovely dinner—mackerel with salad and chips. I was also contemplating which camera to purchase. Now that I have sufficient funds, I would like to make a decision soon so that it can arrive by mid-March or earlier.

Now that I have money to do whatever I want within reason, there are no more excuses. Things are happening, I’m on a roll, and I can’t wait for the right to end too soon.

In bed by 11:00 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 Friday the 16th of February 2024: “Our Ring and Ride to Sainsbury’s and Back”!!! first appeared on The Long Gringo.

Although it is not raining, it is extremely damp, and you can feel it in your bones. I wanted to get up early to go out and do some exercise, but it didn’t happen.

Yesterday, I drank too many glasses of wine, and as a result, I didn’t sleep well. I think I only really fell asleep after 3:00 in the morning, resulting in only getting up this morning at 9:00 AM, which, if I were in Brazil, would have been unthinkable.

I am also feeling a slight hangover from the wine that is telling me that I’m not used to drinking anymore, but I still sometimes insist on doing it.

Why do we insist on self-sabotaging ourselves?

We know that something is not good for us, but we still continue to do it. Is it human nature for us to self-destroy ourselves like wars and the facility to do negative things against ourselves rather than positive ones? It is strange how human nature, in some ways, is so twisted and distorted.

In theory, logically speaking, we should always strive to preserve and care for ourselves and do what is best for our own interests. However, it seems that we often do the opposite, or we tend to do so. We tend to lean more towards hurting ourselves and sabotaging our efforts, rather than being fully devoted to improving and doing the best for ourselves.

A classic example is smoking; we all know that it’s bad for us, but many continue to do it until it’s too late, that person or relationship that we know is not good for us, but we still stay and continue and invest in it, knowing that deep down, in the future it will get worse. If we want to be happy or improve, we should have left a long time ago.

What I did yesterday was obvious: drinking, like smoking, we all know it’s not good for us, but we do it, and I did it yesterday. Did it kill me? No, I don’t think it did, but it also didn’t make me stronger. If it did, I don’t know precisely where, but because of my weakness, I did it. This morning, I suffered or am suffering because of it, and this is what we are as imperfect human beings.

January is ending, the second of the two silly months.

I have only now realised that December and January are the silly months of the year; nothing really gets done or is taken seriously in terms of work, unlike the other months. Especially in Brazil, where everything slows down in December due to end-of-year parties and the focus on having a good time rather than being productive—again, a form of escapism and letting go.

After December, the summer holidays in Brazil take place in January, similar to those in July, August, and a portion of September in the United Kingdom. During this time, people are travelling, and many companies and offices are either half or fully closed. School holidays are also in effect, so many families are travelling. Additionally, you’ll face a lot of bills to start the year.

IPVA for the car, IPTU for your residence, enrolment fees for private schools and universities, and not forgetting school materials in Brazil, which can be quite expensive in some cases, along with the end-of-year credit card bill from Christmas and New Year spending sprees. For me, December and January are typically slow months in terms of work and business.

This is why, as the end of January and the beginning of February approach, I prepare my goals and objectives for at least the next six months. I have always liked the number 3, as it is more than two, which is too little, but less than four or five, which can be too many. In some instances, multiplying 3 seems to facilitate more than any other number.

So, when I think about setting goals, I like to use 3 or multiples of 3 as a guide. Usually, 3 is enough because there are generally many implications from that one point, which can essentially branch into many other sub-points. Just as an example, when I lived in Copacabana, my three points were:

• Exercise: Exercise, good food, good health, look good and be different.

• Work:  Work, give classes, hustle, pay bills, save money and invest in Bitcoin.

• Study: Study, improve, explore new business opportunities, undertake new projects/new companies, diversify, increase revenue, hustle, invest, and learn more about Bitcoin to make informed decisions.

These are the three main points: exercise, work, and study. From these main points, several areas contribute to the overall goals. Additionally, some sub-points or goals may appear within other primary goals, demonstrating focus and showing how the points complement each other. This alignment helps clarify your objectives.

These points, which I had printed, written, laminated, and then stuck on the walls and fridge of my flat, helped me stay focused and kept me on the right track for the rest of the year. I can sincerely say that 80% of my goals were achieved. You don’t have to reach or achieve 100%, or even 90%; at least a part of your targets must be hit. If you only hit 50%, you can always aim higher or improve in the future and roll over your goals to the following year.

You just need to be willing to do it!!!

This week is dedicated to preparing for the rest of the year, starting from February 1st. If you think this is useful, I suggest you try it yourself. Choose your three targets/goals, then create sub-goals for each one. Print out at least three copies and have them laminated to prevent them from getting dirty. Stick them in strategic places in your residence, workplace, or wherever you work, and see what happens.

In bed by midnight.

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 29th of January 2024: “Silly Months and Goal Setting”!!! first appeared on The Long Gringo.