I survived. That's all I can really say. My first summer in Floripa (2009) was merely a warm-up. This one was more like hell week of Navy Seals training where at the end you're just happy to be alive and have all limbs intact. Summer in Floripa really has it all: beaches, surfing, parties, sun, yachts, more parties, girls, churasscos (the Brazilian version of barbeques only taken much more seriously), sports, more girls, more parties and on and on and on. The hard part is through all of this somehow you need to find time to get your work done and stay somewhat productive. Since we opened Cactus in December and were running a strategy based more on trial and error than on experience (probably not what they teach in restaurant management), this summer was all the more intense. Between working at two restaurants, including many 12 hour days at Cactus, constantly moving back and forth between my house and apartment, and trying not to let the summer pass without enjoying it at least a little bit, it really is a miracle to be alive. All things considered, I shouldn't be surprised at how fast it flew by. Three months felt more like a week.....but what a hell of a week it was!!!
One of the highlights this summer was again Carnival. Last year I spent Carnival up north in Salvador so this was my first Carnival in Floripa. There is an incredible amount of energy in the Brazilian culture and during Carnival that energy skyrockets, which really you have to see to believe. It's parties 24 hours a day: day party, night party, after party, after-after party (this was a new concept to me but I loved it nonetheless). Honestly, it's mindblowing. In those four days alone I saw Sharam, Kaskade, Steve Angello, and Erick Morillo play in some of the best, energy-filled clubs in the world. It was really spectacular. Sharam played at Warung, my favorite club in the world, for 9 1/2 hours. I arrived at 3am and left at noon and he still wasn't done. For music lovers, it was one of those rare "I can't believe I just saw that" moments. These are the things you only see at Carnival in Brazil. Luckily, I made lots of videos and took lots of pictures because one day I'm going to need help remembering all of this so thank God for my Canon.....
The good news about living in Floripa is that the sun sticks around for a few months after summer is over. With the sun out and the madness gone for the most part, those of us who live here can enjoy some more peaceful time on the beach in our "recovery mode" (sort of like Betty Ford on the beach). We like to call it "locals' summer." I've said it here before and I'll say it again, March and April are absolutely wonderful months to be in Floripa. Things at Cactus have calmed down quite a bit so I'm enjoying it even more, and I must say it's nice to get back to a normal schedule. The only downside is that as the summer slips away and fall takes over, that means winter is just around the corner. Winter in Floripa is hard. It's cold and, quite frankly, there isn't much to do. The joke in Floripa is that guys ditch their girlfriends right before summer and go on a mad girlfriend search right before winter because that's about the only thing that's going to keep you busy in winter. I still haven't perfected this strategy and as time ticks down I might need a buzzer beater, but in Floripa a buzzer beater is a wife in the US..... ;)
My two year anniversary in Floripa passed in early March and like summer, it's amazing to think how quickly the time has passed. I'd like to think I have accomplished a few things in this period, but really it's just been more of a learning process for something bigger (I hope!). I've definitely made some mistakes along the way, but the learning curve in a country like Brazil is demanding to say the least (I think you need a master's at Harvard just to understand the tax code alone). The key, as we all know, is to learn from these mistakes, and I like to think that I wouldn't be in the position that I'm in now if I haven't learned from those mistakes and moved forward. Now it's time to take advantage and see what the next thing Brazil has in store for me....fingers crossed for a prosperous 2010!!!!!
6 comments:
Dear American goof,
Why don't you learn about Brazil before writing down so many bullshits. You've writen a post which says that before the creation of LEI SECA, drunk driving in Brazil was allowed. Why didn't you ask a lawyer about the Brazilian criminal law?
Things are not that simple. In the USA your parents didn't teach you how to read and research?!
I'm not surprised your country is now a symbol of bankruptcy!!!
Alex,
Usually I wouldn't take the time to respond to a message like this but it's so absurd that it actually merits a response.
First of all, you've clearly missed the message of my blog. Obviously, I love Brazil as I changed my whole life to live here. I invest here, I pay my taxes, I employee 35 people, I learned Portuguese, I treat Brazilians with respect, etc. etc. Therefore, if for some crazy reason you feel offended by something I wrote, then seriously I can't help you. You have bigger problems. Yeah, I can't say I'm an expert on Brazilian law but this blog is mostly meant for my friends and family and is written for entertainment purposes so I think contacting a Brazilian lawyer or doing research, as you suggest, before writing anything is about as moronic as your comments. It's ok to make fun of things from time to time (certainly, using your example, you could poke fun of the US for their financial problems), and the anger in your comments over this is almost as funny as what I wrote. This country, as with any, has a lot of problems and as I've said before, if you don't have good sense of humor here then you will go crazy. I'm guessing that you've read the journals in Brazil (when you're not busy reading my blog of course) and have noticed how many of the comics make fun of these same sort of things that I have mentioned. So I'm curious. Do you get mad at them to (perhaps even write them a letter) or is it just because I'm a foreigner who you think is somehow disrespecting your precious laws?
As for you comments about not being surprised that my country is a symbol of bankruptcy, is that supposed to offend me? I love how you read my blog and then tell me that you're not surprised by this like they are somehow correlated. The ignorance in this comment alone is mind blowing.
As you might have heard, the internet is quite large and there are many things out there to entertain you. If all you can do is read my blog and post comments that are so unbelievably stupid, then I suggest you go find something else to read. Or perhaps you should go have a beer and relax because you certainly seem like someone who needs one.....
Regards,
American Goof
Hi Chris,
Didn't you recognize me by the way I've written my post? You should not disregard your old friends.
Incidentally, I'm not a native Brazilian. I wish I were, but at least I respect the country where I live and where my daughter was born.
I'll keep reading your awesome blog. Please, don't drink and drive, ok? The penalties are too great! Regards,
Alex (The stupid immigrant who don't drink and drive)
Hej Chris
How can I get in contact with you?
I have some business related questions
How can I see the videos you posted on facebook?
no new updates in forever now, was enjoying following the blog being a fellow foreigner here.
Hey Chris, we want an update :)
It's been a year now since the last one.
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