Rio de Janeiro: 27 degrees, overcast and rain.
What a great day and with a twist!
It is a bank holiday, the third of three for November, and it is raining outside. I got my diary early and went straight to the Portuguese bakers to write and put in my entry for the day. A farewell lunch has been arranged for 1:30 PM at Jessica’s.
Yasmin and I caught a taxi and went to Leme. Depending on the traffic, it’s only a 10-minute ride. There was a small flower stall at the beginning of Jessica’s Street, so we decided to buy a cactus for Jessica besides the bottle of wine we were already taking.
We walked around Leme to kill some time and eventually arrived at Jessica’s building. It was good to see my elder daughter after about four months. My only real gripe with my daughter is that I don’t see her as much as I would like. When she began dating Mario, it was evident that she had also chosen his family. I don’t know whether it was her conscious or unconscious decision, but it was the way it was and is until today. The main thing is that she is happy, only this.
Her common-law husband Mario was as happy to see us as ever. He’s animated and funny in everything he does. Yasmin says he’s very similar to me in terms of laughing and joking with everybody, etc. Dad, “Jessica married a copy of you.” We cracked open a bottle of wine, and everything was good. Even Jessica, who is usually more closed and reserved, was the opposite and more open about our banter, conversation, and a little gossip.
The lunch was served. They made stroganoff, which is very popular and very nice when we go there. Jessica ordered a carrot cake to be delivered, and that was our dessert. We left at 4:00 p.m. because I had a class at 5:00. Even though it was a bank holiday, I had to give two classes at 5:00 and 6:00 p.m.
I forgot to mention that I had called my mother in the morning to confirm that I would be arriving at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday evening at Wolverhampton train station. She asked me to buy something from the chemists in Brazil and to take it to England for her.
Everything was good. I talked to my mother in the morning to confirm everything, and I had a very pleasant lunch with my daughters, with everybody laughing and joking. Everything was good until about 8:00 p.m., just before preparing to go to bed, when there was a message on my cellular phone from KLM Airlines.
I accessed the message, which advised me that my flight had been cancelled, that there were three or four options for alternative flights during the following days, and that I should choose from them or receive my money back.
My first reaction was to feel a little nervous, but when I saw that things like this could happen and that there was precisely the same flight, connection, etc., with the same airlines just the next day, but with everything else the same, the flights, the times, etc., I took it Immediately.
I also had to buy another train ticket, as the one I had bought originally, which took me from Birmingham International Airport to Wolverhampton, was lost because I couldn’t rebook it for the next day, nor was it refundable. So, with the Train Line app, I bought another train ticket, and now everything is good again, just one day later than originally planned.
It is funny how everything is planned, and then suddenly it changes, or it’s broken, or we must start again or rearrange what had already been arranged, but this is part of life. It’s the way it goes, and one of life’s lessons is to understand that it is not what happens that is important but what you do and how you react to diverse situations and arrangements that do not go to plan.
It is easier to go off, explode, complain, and be the victim. However, accepting what happened, adapting, and finding a solution is much more intelligent and interesting. Sometimes, the solution or the new plans can be better than the original ones. We never know. It’s just a question of keeping cool, having an open mind, and adapting to new circumstances, and this is a rule we can use for everything in everyday life.
I spoke to my mother in the morning, had a great lunch with my daughters and Mario, and rebooked my flights without stress in the evening. How good is that?
What a great day!
In bed by 11.00 p.m.
Thank you.
Thanks for reading this blog post. Please explore my other posts and share your thoughts in the comments section.
Richard
