Journalled on Thursday, 2nd of March 2023 | Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro: 30 degrees, hot, sunny, and a little overcast.
It’s just a normal first couple of days of the New Year. I’m giving classes and receiving money that I neither feel, see, nor smell.
And I will have to leave my bubble of cold, refrigerated air in my bedroom, where my home office is, to go out into the street in the blazing sun and heat to give a class to Dona Vera. But she deserves it!
As for not seeing, feeling, or smelling, most of the money from many pupils who pay my fees directly goes into one of two accounts.
One account is for my second ex-wife’s child support for Yasmin. However, the truth is that it is necessary to pay the rent for Yasmin and Nalva to live in the south zone of Rio. For those who don’t know Rio well, the South Zone is considered by most to be the best part of Rio de Janeiro.
The best, or most exclusive, neighbourhoods in Rio are probably Leblon, Ipanema, Gávea, and Jardim Botânico. A little lower down the scale, we can consider Copacabana, Leme, Botafogo and one of my favourites: Flamengo.
Yasmin and Nalva live in Botafogo, which is great, with everything nearby, including the rest of the south zone on one side and the city centre on the other. On her salary, she couldn’t live there; I pay because it is for Yasmin and, out of respect for her mother, Nalva.
Sometimes, I think that I will probably be paying for her to live above her means for the rest of my life. I honestly don’t know if she appreciates the sacrifices I have made over the years to ensure they have at least the bare minimum, but that is life, and I don’t really mind.
I live in Copacabana, next to Botafogo. So, a lot of my income goes towards paying for my flat in Copacabana. Obviously, it is rented, and I’ve been living there for the last 2 years. Returning to live in Copacabana has been a pleasant surprise.
I had lived in Copacabana for 25 years before I moved to Flamengo because of the dogs. Flamengo has a vast public park; in fact, several parks are nestled together there. During the 20 years that I lived there, I loved it.
Flamengo became a reference point for me, and I never thought I would go back to living in Copacabana. However, when I was offered the chance to rent this flat, I was apprehensive about moving back, but it turned out to be a pleasant surprise.
I live in a reasonably sized one-bedroom flat with a maid’s room that has an en suite toilet and shower. I have adapted the maid’s room for Yasmin, so when she stays with me, she has her own bedroom and space.
The flat is on the 10th floor at the back of the building, with no buildings directly in front of the main living room window, offering a partial view of Copacabana beach and the sea.
Every morning, sunlight floods the living room, so I push the large plant next to the TV into the middle of the room to get some sun.
The apartment is simple yet clean, organised, and quite cosy. I may have to move out in the next few months due to various reasons. Nevertheless, I am grateful to have lived there for the past two years; it has been a ride! I will always cherish the memories of this little, nice, quaint, and cosy apartment that was my home for a little over two years.
I finished my day early, with my last class ending at 7 p.m., and then took a shower before getting into bed by 9 p.m. This new healthy routine I have been adopting is empowering me more each day in every aspect of my life.
Thanks again.
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Richard
