A Dan of all Trades

Well, it's been another busy week in Rio, though thankfully significantly less riotous and wild as the last. A more noteworthy element of my time since I last wrote has been the fact that the bar job I alluded to fell through due to management issues, however, never being one to shy away from more practical jobs (in spite of a distinct lack of professional experience) I have been recently labouring in construction and maintenance. Well, what else was I going to do?

Working for a half-Serbian, half-Australian named called Elvis, I have been breaking holes in walls, sanding, drilling through several feet of brick and concrete, fixing electrics and painting walls, amongst other things (photos to follow) in Copacabana. Elvis, the son of an army General, recounts to me his service in the Serbian army (fighting against NATO), having been shot twice in the leg, his house in Australia being bombed, and being a significant part in a number of large international arms deals, as well as how he has set up a successful chain of hostels in Romania and Brazil. He is quite the character as you might imagine and a great guy to work with (though certainly not to be on the wrong side of).

It is certainly eye opening to see the work ethic of the locals in this kind of industry. There is clearly a huge lack of training and apprenticeship programmes here for construction workers, combined with a general haphazard approach to the job at hand that I recall being analogous to my efforts of cleaning the family car at the age of 9 - a blitz of water and soap with highly questionable precision and care. Quickly I was completing twice the work in half the time of the professionals, all to a to a soundtrack of bellowing and gall from Elvis at the magnitude of their constant mistakes - all a group of men whom he assures me are the best workers he has been able to find in the city in four years (being that others have been known to take drugs and sleep at work, amongst other things).

On the excursionist front, I have finally managed to go and see Christo Redemptor - Christ the Redeemer, otherwise known as 'Big Jesus' to locals and tourists. This is, of course a must-do trip even if the visit lacks religious influence, and it has to be said, that on a sunny day (of which there are many to choose from at this time of year) there are some amazing views ascending the Corcovado Mountain in the Tijuca Forest and even more so at its summit. As you wait for your tram, you are given a somewhat limited history of the statue, which was opened in 1931 as a symbol of the nation's Catholicism, and relies on Brazil's first ever electric tram to reach the top. For a more illuminating experience, it is clearly worth doing some extra-curricular reading, but well worth going nonetheless.



Last week I was invited to join a Frenchman and an old Belgian lady from the hostel to go on a forest trail in one of the national parks - a truly fantastic experience. Walking up a well-guarded private street voluminous of millionaire's homes, we reached the beginning of the forest trail, just in time for my right sandal to break. It was as if I had been dropped into a David Attenborough documentary, witnessing an array of bright butterflies passing, each with wings the size of your hand, giant beetles and armies of huge black ants - all of which became an obstacle for me to avoid treading on, wearing only one shoe. Finding a hollow in the vegetation, we lay on the rocks, watching and listened to the roar of a beautiful waterfall in front of us. The tranquility of the day was only somewhat broken when I had to strongly insist to the old Belgian lady that I was quite capable of applying suncream to my back without her assistance, despite her somewhat overzealous attempts to get her hands on me.

There is also continuing entertainment being provided during my language acquisition in Brazil. There is a phrase book that I have borrowed which assists with helpful day-to-day translations for when you are about town. There is a large amount of very useful content, though my favourite has to be with, "Excuse me, I did not understand, could you repeat again for me please?" the suggested translation in Portuguese being quite simply, "Huh?" - certainly not to be knocked for being concise at least. On a slightly different vein, last night, I was speaking with an English friend I had made when a Brazilian came over and spoke to me in Portuguese. He was explaining how he had a very tough day because his wife had recently left him and had taken custody of his 10 year old daughter and ownership of the family home, gesturing that he was heart-broken by grabbing at his chest. I translated this to my English companion, who immediately looked highly embarrassed. He informed me that the Brazilian was trying to explain this to him earlier that day but he did not understand, but in an attempt to help the situation of the man's broken heart, he had misinterpreted his hand gestures as heartburn and had offered him medication to ease his pain... an offer that was rejected with much confusion.

On a final note, I am pleased to inform you that, I have managed to escape the clutches of construction work, albeit both enlightening and entertaining, and moved on to greener pastures. Following a successful interview for reception and administration work at a wonderful guest house in Santa Teresa - Casa579 - I am now moving out from the now somewhat cramped Samba Villa hostel in Lapa. It will be a great feeling to be settled and have secure work over the New Year celebrations and Carnival, giving me plenty of time to become more grounded in Rio and prepare for the rest of my trip. Now if you will excuse me, I have some packing to do.