Life in Brazil and Perserverence!
Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro: 25oC, hottish, sunny, and slightly overcast. It is Tuesday, and my first class back with an old pupil. Dona Vera, I think she is eighty-four years old; she had fallen down a month ago and broke her arm and shoulder. She was rushed to hospital by her next-door neighbour and her maid and went immediately into […]
Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro: 26oC, hot and sunny. Just a note from yesterday: I do not think that my ex-wife and my daughter really appreciate living in the south zone of Rio and the sacrifices that go into and are needed to maintain them there. If you ask them, yes, they will act in a way of appreciation, but I […]
Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro: 28oC, hot and sunny. OK, it is Sunday, and the flat is full of women. Sunday is usually a sacred day for me, on which I either like to do something for myself or stay quiet. As the flat is full of people, mainly women, I thought it better to accept a barbecue and birthday invitation […]
Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro: 28oC, hot and sunny. It is Saturday, and today will be a full house. Yasmin’s aunts, Nalva’s sisters, and one of Yasmin’s cousins, Caio, will be coming to commemorate her birthday. I got up at 7 am and worked out for about an hour and a half at the park. On the way back, I had […]
Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro: 25oC, hottish and sunny. It’s Friday and, technically, the start of a long weekend. If I were a civil servant in Brazil, I would be free to travel or do nothing at all. However, as a freelance teacher, I am always at the beck and call of my students. If it’s necessary to reschedule a missed […]
Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro: 25oC, hottish and sunny. It is Corpus Christi, a religious bank holiday that I do not know what it represents in the Roman Catholic religion as I am neither Catholic nor very religious. Traditionally, the Brazilian population was Catholic, with the most prominent Catholic following out of Italy. I believe today that the Catholic following has […]
Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro: 25oC, hottish, sunny, and slightly overcast. It is the first day of the new working week after a very enjoyable weekend. This week is also unique because it is Yasmin’s birthday. Brazil is in a state of decay at the moment, with every day you hear about a new bad story with possible terrible consequences for […]
Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro: 24oC, hottish and beautifully sunny. I am writing this entry one day late, on Monday, June 5th. I am writing my journal at 9 am on a concrete bench and table in Carmen Miranda Park in front of Aterro and the Bay. The only benches with tables in the park are on an elevated hill overlooking […]
Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro: 24oC, hottish, sunny, and slightly overcast. What an enjoyable Saturday! We went to a new cooperative outdoor food truck that looked more like a circus tent from a distance. Since I have been living in Botafogo/Flamengo, I have noticed that at the weekends, a food truck with circus tarpaulins is erected in the square at the […]
Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro: 25oC, hot, sunny, and slightly overcast. Today is Friday, the second day of the new month. It’s been almost a month since I started living with my ex-wife and daughter. Living with Yasmin is not a problem, even with her mood swings. It’s bearable, and interestingly enough, living with Nalva is not so bad either. We […]