Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro: 29oC, hot, sunny, and slightly cloudy.
This is the second or third day with zero funds. There is no money to eat, no money to buy anything, not even any money to catch a bus to collect money. Am I concerned? Yes, just a little. If it were 10 or 20 years ago, it would have been easy to fall into a rabbit hole of despair.
Nowadays, I know that everything is temporary. I know that today or tomorrow, money will enter, sometimes when I least expect it to. I see it as a test if you are going to despair with day-to-day problems, especially in a country like Brazil, even more so in Rio de Janeiro.
Then, if so, it would be better to give up completely because living in Brazil is a test every hour of every day. Brazil keeps you on your toes all the time, and if you do not act quickly and accordingly, you fall behind and get swallowed up alive.
So, what am I going to do to eat? The cupboard shelves and the fridge are bare. What am I going to do? First, do not panic; there is always a way, and if you cannot find a way immediately, you will find it sooner or later. It is a question of just looking a little harder.
As I mentioned yesterday, I love quentinhas or marmitas(packed lunches). They are cheap, good food in the right amount, even though I always eat everything. Besides all of this, I have credit with the quentinha street sellers.
How do I have credit? I always pay a little extra and tip for everything I buy related to the food service industry. When I go to a restaurant and service is included, I still pay more or round it up. I always pay a little more whenever I go to a coffee shop or café.
I have gotten into the habit of doing this for a long time, and I think I really do this without any real interest or advantage; it is just a small gesture of recognition to the people serving me.
I have been doing this for the last 20 years, always paying a little more and noticing the appreciation on people’s faces when they realise they are making a little more or just being appreciated for their work.
So, what did I do? As I have just stated, I like to tip my suppliers, and this sometimes indirectly provides me with a credit facility when I am broke.
At 11 am, I went to the corner of Rua Rodolfo Dantas with Rua Barata Ribeiro, waiting for the old man who usually arrives there around this time to sell his quentinhas. Despite his unremarkable appearance, bordering on ugliness, I have developed a deep affection and respect for this old man, with his missing front teeth, a crooked smile and a hunched posture.
Still, as soon as he opens his mouth to speak, he transforms himself into a prince or a king in the making. He is always courteous and well-mannered, never complains, and is always happy to serve you.
I admire this man deeply for his kindness, and how he treats me and others so respectfully, and you know, you can feel the sincerity without any ulterior motive in his acts.
And so, with a little hesitation, I went there and asked him if I could pay tomorrow, and without hesitation, he kindly obliged me in the nicest and simplest of ways. So I got to have lunch, and in the evening, I did the same with another person who sells churrasquinho de gato(barbecue on a spit) in an adjacent street.
Again, he kindly obliged me without thinking twice, and again, I was grateful for his comprehension and generosity.
In bed by 8.30 pm.
Thank you.
Thanks for reading my blog. Check out my other posts and share your thoughts in the comments.
Richard
