Problem "solving"

Problem solved

Accident #1

We have had 2 car accidents since I arrived, within a few days of each other. I was driving for the first one, stuck in traffic, when a car rammed into the back of me. Luckily the other driver, a lawyer, accepted responsibility and the issue was resolved in a civilised manner,as he paid for the repairs. Few people have insurance here so it could have been more complicated.

Accident #2

A few days later, a motorcyclist ignored Sonia's indicating and drove into her (indicators here are at best ignored, at worst, serve to confuse people who are not used to such habits). Thankfully no-one was hurt, but the lack of a ‘victim’, means that the police refuse to respond to the call or intervene in any way. This motorcyclist, receives the minimum salary of less than £200 per month. The estimated damage was around £500. No insurance. So we have had to pay for the repair, and the motorcyclist pays nothing.

We have now had the door replaced. It doesn’t shut properly. Similarly, we bought a washing machine second hand. It doesn’t work properly and smells of burning. We paid a guy to fit our gas cooker. It leaks gas.

I bought a glass oven dish. I spent hours cooking for guests. As they arrived Sonia called to tell me the motorcylist had just tried to overtake her through the passenger door. I took the moussaka out of the oven to go and meet her. The whole thing exploded when I placed it on the counter, glass everywhere, including in the rest of the food.

We bought a new dish and resolved not to place it on a cold surface. We invited the same guests round. I cooked for hours. While in the oven the new dish exploded, scattering glass throughout the food and food throughout the oven. There is no recourse for complaints, for investigation, for refund or apology. It’s just how it is.

As an ironic wedding present for these guests we bought an oven dish. Someone broke into our car the day before we were due to deliver the present, and stole the oven dish. I have resolved not to buy any more oven dishes inn Brazil.

My friend recently had an electrician do some work. Afterwards, when he opened the fridge door the TV turned off. But only while watching a Blu Ray. After 3 other electricians’ visits, one identified the problem, but he has not been back to fix it, and doesn’t answer my friend’s calls. So he now just accepts that he shouldn’t open the fridge while he’s watching a Blu Ray – Brazilian problem-solving.

The evaluation step is often skipped.

Brazil's love affair with plastic bags

18 plastic bags used

The supermarket is one of those places that is riddled with staff. One person at the til, one to collect the trollies that people scatter across the car park, one to stamp your ticket to receive free parking, one on rollerskates with change that the cashiers constantly run out of. 45 people to stock the shelves and block the aisles with pallets and empty boxes and stray clingfilm, a few cleaners to throw water all over the floor. People on the cheese counter, bakery, meat counter. A guy with microphone advertising the latest offers. A girl to store your bag or motorbike helmet while you shop. Promoters trying to sell individual products.

The other day I was in the queue, with 4 people attending one customer in front of me for 15 minutes without resolution. I was looked at with disgust when I started packing my own bags to speed up the process. No wonder people sink a couple of beers in the queue.

(In other shops you have the salesperson who then transfers you to the payment person, who then transfers you to the finance department to pay in installments, then you go to another person to collect the goods you've bought).

Key to this tale is the guy who packs your bags. It is below the customer to pack their own bags, or return the trolley to the trolley park. I've touched on this before, but I wanted to share my latest trip.

On this particular trip, I spent the equivalent of £30. My goods were packed into, wait for it, 18 plastic bags. Eighteen. On top of the plastic bags that all fresh produce is put it (on this trip, 10 bags).

Here is a blow by blow account of a typical shopping trip, and what went into each bag (please forgive the brand advertising).

2 apples

300g box of cereal

3 bell peppers

Small amounts of individually packaged deli produce

1 avocado, 5 limes

1kg bag of rice

One melon

1.5l bottle of water

3 bars of soap

2 x 1 litre of milk

Some bread

1 medium sized bag of crisps

260g jar of corn

3 carrots, 1 garlic bulb and a red onion

A small pot of chewing gum

Potatoes and beetroot (I must have packed this one)

Some bread

Herbs and spices

I am not going to indulge in the environmental consequences of this, as we all know them. But I remain shocked at the unnecessary waste. Aside from the environmental impacts, it's actually, simply, annoying, to have to carry so many small bags, and to unpack everything from individual bags. And it takes the bagging guy longer to bag your things, which creates longer queues, which means people drink more beer in the queue. Perhaps it's all a ploy by the beer companies.

At last - end of the Palmas winter

I arrived in Palmas in December and have been fortunate to have experienced the "winter" before the "summer". The "winter" means that it rains most days and it's not and hellfire hot as it is in the "summer". In the winter it's usually 30 ish degrees, rarely drops below, even at night. 24/7, 365 it's flip flops and shorts weather. 

Now it's starting to warm up a bit. It will be in the 40s soon. The first question everyone asks me about how I'm finding living here is "and the heat?". My response is always the same: "ask me again in September" when it's proper hot. I am saving my complaining tokens for then, as I believe I will need them.

To commemorate the end of the winter, I thought I'd share some photos I've take so far (apologies for the quality of my phone camera).

Music

Brazil has a reputation for being in love with music, a place where everyone dances and has a good time, all the time. Many regions have strong traditions and distinctive styles of music and dance – samba, axé, forró (please don't search for "bate com a bunda" at this point). Basically, it's not just samba and carneval.

Although Palmas, given its young age, lacks such musical identity, music remains important. Live music is common, in bars and restaurants, and even churches, and people are often dancing on the street outside restaurants. We went to a blues bar recently and watched a rock band. I was stood up with a drink in each hand, there were alternative people hanging out and pictures of Jim Morrison, Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix on the wall. It felt, briefly, like I was back in England.

Chico Cesar

Aside from that rare experience, it’s very much Brazilian style. The other day we went to a free gig by Chico Cesar, quite a famous Brazilian singer, performed in the open air Cultural Centre. It was well supported, especially by the zany and wacky people of Palmas, which I didn’t know existed.

One day we bumped into a friend, who is a singer, at a bar on the beach. She happily took her guitar out and sang a few songs at our table. She has a wonderful voice and sang some great songs to get our group all up and dancing. Shortly an accordionist walked past and joined in for a couple of numbers. The event passed by without much reaction from the bar staff or the customers.

Another day, another singer friend, another bar. She also sang us a few songs. It’s impressive to see such talented, close up, with no effects, no equipment, just their voices, doing what they love. We then moved to a karaoke bar, where a group of lads were laughing at everyone’s efforts. After our friend sang one or two songs perfectly, she gave the microphone to them. All but one of them chickened out and left one to sing alone under our intense gaze. Afterwards he seemed traumatised, hopefully enough to not ridicule other singers again.

Karaoke is usually sung sitting down here, and they often take the music from well-known international songs, such as David Bowie, Led Zeppelin, etc and rewrite the lyrics into cheesy romantic ballads. This disappointment is balanced by the 2 litre towers of chilled beer with a tap that they deliver to your table, after one or two of which everyone sings a little better.