Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro: 26oC, hottish, sunny, clear, and slightly cloudy later.
It is Saturday, the weather forecast is for sun, and everything is good. Today, my early routine was a little different. Instead of going straight to the baker’s for a coffee after my workout, this time, I decided to go home first and then go. Why?
Because it is Saturday and I don’t have to get up as early as usual, I can work out a little later, shower at home, and then go out for coffee and write an entry in my journal. Some people go to the café part of the baker’s to work, write, study, or even have online conference calls or meetings whilst having a coffee or breakfast, so I thought, why don’t I do the same?
So, I did a really good heavy workout in the park in front of the Bay. It was already light when I arrived; it is usually dark. I walked back home along the cycle path in front of the Bay, taking a few photos and observing the people passing by, doing their stuff: running, walking, or biking.
I am only an amateur photographer. I took a very simplistic online photography course to learn the basics, the rest learning from point-and-shoot photography, which involves seeing images in your head as you walk, appreciating them and finally shooting a photo.
I have been doing this for over five years now, and with gratitude, many people like my photos. One of the secrets is always looking for a different angle or perspective, which can provoke the viewer’s eye and mind.
Like all art, it is not necessarily meant to be understood but to make the person think, to provoke thought and a reaction. Each person has their own way of thinking, seeing, appreciating and interpreting something in front of them.
Photography gives me that pleasure, especially street and landscape photography, where you can shoot whatever, wherever, whenever and whoever you want. I want to become a professional professional photographer and try to make some money from it at the same time. Let’s see.
When I arrived home, Nalva had already gone to work, and Yasmin was still sleeping. It was about half past eight, neither late nor early in the morning. I had a shower and a change of clothes, picked up my diary, and went to the baker’s. This was my first time doing this, and I loved it!!!
When I arrived, the girls automatically knew what I wanted and served me my strong black coffee in less than a minute. I took off my bracelets because they were awkward to write with, and I began to write and write and write.
The words flowed like water coming down a mountain from my mind to my hand and onto paper. It was good because I was falling behind because I had a backlog of journalling to do.
The idea was to catch up at least two days today and two more days tomorrow, which worked. I think I was in the bakery for at least an hour; I wrote two days of journal entries and drank three medium black coffees. After leaving the baker’s, I had a short walk around Flamengo; I went to the supermarket, one of the largest chains in Brazil, and, for some reason, had terrible service at the check-out.
When I lived in Copacabana, I always went to Ultra supermarket, a small supermarket chain with one literally two minutes’ walk from where I lived. As a regular there, going at least three or four times a week, I made friends with those who worked there. Besides being convenient, it was clean, reasonably priced, well-organised, and with no nasty smells, etc., which you sometimes encounter in Brazilian supermarkets.
This more prominent, more well-known supermarket was taken over by a French group about ten years ago, and now, for me, at least where I live, it is dirty, poorly organised, and expensive. The cashier who attended me made it clear that he was not happy working there.
I bought some stuff for the home and went home; when I arrived, Yasmin was waking up and in a bad mood, as nearly always. If you speak to her before noon, you might lose your arm. Nalva arrived in the early afternoon, and everybody had an afternoon rest. In the evening, I opened a bottle of red wine, and everything was good.
WINE HELPS A LOT!!!
In bed by 10 pm.
Thank you.
Thanks for reading my blog. Check out my other posts and share your thoughts in the comments.
Richard
