Journalled on Tuesday, 19 September 2023 | Flamengo, Rio de Janeiro: 28 degrees, hot and sunny.
It’s the 19th of the month, almost spring, but with a summer flavour.
When the sun appears, everyone is out on the street doing something. Especially in England, where summer seems to be so short nowadays. As soon as summer arrives, and there are lovely days, everyone is out and about, and there are events for everyone. There are always events in Brazil, especially in Rio, where it’s hot for ten months of the year.
The weather makes it easy for us to go out and do something; there’s always something to do. I work out in the park at least four or five times a week. I don’t have to pay a gym fee; I can do it there. It’s not typical or expected, but it happens, and I prefer it because the weather in Rio is perfect for this.
When it is cold, overcast, and rainy, people tend to feel withdrawn, depressed, and sad. There is a theory that in cold climates, people are more aggressive. I don’t know if it’s true, but it’s supposedly a tendency. The colder it is, the more aggressive people are. I want to think it’s not necessarily true, but it is a fact. It isn’t easy when the weather is not conducive to bringing people together regularly.
Rio has many problems, more than the average large capital city in Brazil and around the world.
These include overpopulation, public safety, heavy traffic and pollution, economic and social issues, and a rising homeless population. Yet despite all these problems, it is a happy city where people are happy, and that happiness is contagious.
I know people who live in Rio but are from other states in Brazil, where they were less happy than in Rio. They found what happiness means when they came to live in Rio. It is a place where you can meet people, go out, and, with a bit of money, have a good time. And it’s not just the beach; there are many cultural activities, museums, galleries, etc.
When I had the dogs, I used to love taking long walks with them, often with a beer in hand. I don’t drink beer anymore, but back then, it was enjoyable to walk with them while listening to music through a good pair of headphones. I would discreetly enjoy a beer on the walk, especially since the weather in Rio is perfect for it year-round.
Happiness lies in simple things.
I understand that walking down the street with a beer in hand may seem tacky or even silly, but at the time, I loved it. It reminded me of England, with its summer beer gardens and everyone outside, drinking, chatting, and having a good time.
Rocha, in Rio’s North zone, is another example of how Rio is a happy city, or how it propagates happiness. I lived in Rocha, which means ‘Mountain’ in Portuguese, for over a year. Slums surround it, and I probably consider it one of the poorest places in Rio. Even though it is not a slum, it is an impoverished, very ugly place.
I had the opportunity to get to know the locals there, and before long, they accepted me as one of them. In many ways, they were incredibly generous and hospitable, always willing to share what they had. It was quite an experience for me, as a foreigner, to live at the end of the world in Rio, where I wore a Panama hat on sunny days and spoke with a very strong gringo accent. When Petra, my dog, was alive and living there, she was my last boxer, a pedigree dog among the street dogs.
Despite being an outsider, I was never threatened or excluded from their community or social events. I may have been different, and many didn’t even know where England was. I was a foreigner with a heavy accent who looked strange but seemed nice.
The truth, however, was in a way the opposite. I showed that I wanted to learn their ways and was willing to accept them and their reality without judgment. This experience taught me never to judge, because you don’t know another person’s war. In return, they oénly brought me into their way of life.
I am always open to new situations, realities, and circumstances. What is the point of complaining or feeling sorry for oneself? The art is to make the most of what you have and get on with your life. Life is full of ups and downs; who are we to complain?
When we’re going through a tough time, I’ve found I often come out in a better position and stronger than before.
It’s just a matter of continuing, moving on, and not giving up. It’s about accepting the situation and knowing that with belief, work, and doing the right things, there will be better days, or we’re getting closer to them. Everything we do affects the final result. We have to be accountable for our actions, and the more positive actions we take for ourselves, the better we will be in the future.
In the afternoon, I went to Copacabana to give a class to Dona Vera, who is 82 and still recovering from a fall a couple of months ago. Falls can be hazardous for elderly people. My grandmother fell and was never the same again, and shortly after, she passed away. This is one of the main reasons I’m going to England; my mother is getting old and has already fallen once or twice.
I haven’t drunk a bottle of wine in almost a month, and I don’t miss it at all.
In bed by 9.30 p.m.
Thank you.
Thanks for reading this blog post. Please explore my other posts and share your thoughts in the comments section.
Richard
