Catching Up: Rio

I had taken my computer out briefly in the airport before flying to Rio and it wouldn’t boot up. I assumed it was out-of-charge. So when I arrived in the apartment rented for me for the next four days, I plugged it in, saw the green light and went to turn it on and… nothing. I tried out my new philosophy of not worrying about what might happen—ie, it would never turn on again, I would finish my next 9 days in Brazil without it and everything I might need on it and maybe lose all the things—too many— I didn’t have backed up. So I passed a morning without it, shopped for a little food and my friend Beth picked up at 3:00. And off we went to…

 

·      The Mall in Rio— Not my first choice of the first place to visit in the city where samba groups are gathering for Carnaval and enticing beaches are a taxi ride away. Everyone in a Mall seems the same— all there to get stuff. A marked contrast to the Samba rehearsal, jazz club, Hindu temple, Zen retreat or Orff workshop. But I needed the Apple Store! 

 

·      Too Old— That’s what the Apple Store guy said when he refused to work on my machine. I think he was referred to the machine, but maybe to me! Planned obsolescence sucks!

 

·      Ignored by Jesus—Coming out of the Apple Store, I looked up and there was Jesus up on the mountain looking over the city. I asked for help, figuring if he could turn water into wine, he could get my computer to turn on. Apparently, he couldn’t be bothered. Though I suppose one could make the case for him helping my friend Beth remember that she knew a guy who worked on Macs and I left my computer with him and 24 hours later, it was up and running! Jose Carlos is my new personal Messiah.

     So maybe the Lord works in mysterious ways, leading me to Jose Carlos. But I doubt it. Frankly, if one felt a need to name a Creator with omnipotent powers (I don’t), one should notice that he/she/they endowed us with the capacity to think, feels and help each other. As far as I can see, that’s all we have to work with. Pray if you like—and I certainly petition the gods even when they let me down—but better spend your time improving yourself and your fellow humans.

 

·      Life without computers— Who would we be without them? Scary to even ask that question, since their presence in our lives is a mere 30 years out of 100,000 or so. But how quickly we adapt to the available technologies and build our lives around them so that their absence becomes unimaginable.

 

·      Drinking soap—This I will never forget. I grabbed what I thought was a small plastic bottle of water from the house and in my workshop yesterday at the Brazilian Institute for Music and Education, I  got ready to teach again after a break and took a drink. It turned out to be dish soap!!! I had to excuse myself to run and spit it out and my translator Beth was laughing so hard, imagining bubbles coming out of my mouth next time I spoke.

 

·      Funny— I am. Or used to be. Beth, my Orff student both in California and Brazil, is helping me remember because she really cracks up at my comments. Which inspires me to make more. A bit sad that I haven’t felt permission to release that fellow in a while, but I like him a lot and am inspired to bring him back to the forefront. 

 

·      Humidity—Rio is hot, but also humid. I realized that very few of the hot places I’ve been in the last year—China, Australia, New Orleans, etc. — were humid. Heat and humidity mean that you take a cold shower and five minutes later, you’re sweating. I had forgotten. But my wife hasn’t. She is resolved never to visit a hot and humid country again. 

 

·      Taxis—There are a lot! Reminds me of New York.

 

·      50’s New York—In fact, a lot in Rio reminds me of 1950’s New York. Except for those amazing views of Corcovado. And the beachfront. 

 

Meanwhile, today was yet another soul-lifting day with 50 new people filling the room with such joy, laughter, playfulness and beauty. The same day I got a letter from my AOSA organization that my proposal to present at next year’s conference was rejected because I didn’t score enough points on their rubricked proposal form. Excuse me while I go outside and scream. Or vomit. Such a spectacular contrast to my experience here, feeling like Charlie Brown forever hopeful I’ll finally kick the football in my own country and there I am, flat on my back again. Oh America, is there any hope for us? Meanwhile, Viva Brasil!!!!