Journalled on Wednesday, 15th of February 2023 | Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro: 32 degrees, very hot, sunny and stormy.
A lazy day! Why a lazy day? No early-morning exercise, no online study, and few classes to give.
It is the eve of the carnival, and the atmosphere in Rio already feels different. People have slowed their pace, and now it is a countdown to Friday, the first day of the carnival.
Copacabana is packed with people, tourists, partygoers, etc, like faces pressed against a train or bus window. It is both good and bad. It’s good because there is movement in the streets, interesting and beautiful people everywhere, and some ugly ones, too.
Excitement fills the air as people eagerly anticipate the upcoming festivities. Street parades, processions, drinking, and flirting are all on the agenda. In fact, a kiss during carnival is almost a certainty, much like the inevitability of death.
Brazil is currently facing significant political and economic problems. I wonder if we have truly progressed much in the last 2,000 years since the time of the Romans.
This thought is especially striking given that Brazil is a young, relatively immature country, with a society only 500 years old.
During Roman times, Caesar controlled the people with bread, water, and spectacle. Today, in Brazil, we have the World Cup, the Olympics, Carnival, and even Brazilian soap operas to distract us and provide a little hope. However, these distractions are only temporary, and when they end, we return to our harsh reality.
In Brazil, most people struggle to survive and work hard to provide for their families. Distractions like a shot, a joint, or a flight offer only a brief escape from life’s hardships. When we return, we find ourselves in a worse situation than before.
The World Cup is a never-ending cycle. As soon as one tournament ends, the qualifying rounds for the next one begin shortly after. It’s one of the few international tournaments where Brazil is respected globally. However, Senna and Pelé, who were once Brazil’s pride, are no longer with us.
Carnival is an annual event that serves as a perfect escape valve for people. Brazilian soap operas provide viewers with bottled hope. They usually air for 10 months, during which the villains continually mess up everyone’s lives. However, in the last episode, the villain dies, and everyone lives happily ever after.
In bed by 8:30 p.m.
Thank you.
Thanks for reading my blog. Check out my other posts and share your thoughts in the comments.
Richard
