December 24, 2011: Seeing
some temporary friends after a failed attempt to go to a midnight mass, Cecile
and I sat down with them for a drink at these makeshift bars in the Praca da Se
in Salvador. Not going over my two drink
limit, yet I failed to realize the power of a Caipirinhas - a popular yet potent
drink here in Brazil.
While sitting in the Plaza, the sharks (thieves) were
circling us sardines (tourists). It
started with a kid walking up to the table and casually grabbing someone’s cigarettes
and walking away…assuming that nobody was going to do anything – and, nobody
did. Next it was a dirty drug user asking
for money standing around the table. Oddly
she leaned over my shoulder as she was reaching for some object on the table –
remembering that I was happy at that moment that I don’t have hair in case she
had a nice colony of lice living in her crusty unkempt hair.
Later that evening after getting back to the hostel, I was
laying there replaying the night in my head and something accrued to me. I normally don’t carry money in my top shirt
pocket but tonight was the exception, holding it for Cecile when we went out. Getting up and going to my shirt, I reached
into my pocket and no money was in there except for perhaps the fecal residue
from the woman’s fingers as she quickly slid them into my pocket. I could do nothing but smile and say Merry
Christmas because she was good.
I have not been so fortunate the past month. It all started with my camera, then my
computer and now this. Even though
events like this will add to my water cooler stories when I am working again
10+ hours days under the florescent lights, I just I hope this doesn’t become a
new trend.
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