Never a Dull Moment in Rio de Janeiro

People commonly say that “Brazil is not for beginners”.  It means that there are such bizarre and unique situations in which only a native can understand and deal with it.  In terms of Brazilian oddity standards, Rio beats all the other cities.  The reaction of its inhabitants is typically a blasé shrug.  Lately, the catalogue of attention-grabbing news has unexpectedly outraged or amazed the Cariocas.

A major happening was Madonna’s Celebration Tour concert.  An estimated 1.6 m revelers flocked to Copacabana Beach to wish the Material Girl a happy 40 year-long career anniversary.  I was not one of them, I went to bed early.  Not only was the concert free, a milestone in the entertainment business, but it took place peacefully in a city notorious for its commonplace violence.  Rumor has it that Madonna was paid a US$ 3.3m fee; Itau Bank sponsored the concert (US$ 12m, an estimate), with the states and city of Rio providing a tenth of that. The extravaganza boosted Rio’s prestige and its economy; US$ 60m, not bad during tourism low season. Once again, Rio showed that it can successfully handle large crowds.  It was the Queen of pop’s largest concert yet, and one of her most provocative and sexually titillating.  

It was a fitting show for a city branded the Sodom and Gomorrah of Brazil by socially conservative Brazilians.  They regard Madonna as a “satanist”, a debauched woman, a virago, and the embodiment of leftish decadence.   Madonna’s performance brought to the fore the crass hypocrisy of the supporters of Jair Bolsonaro, the former far-right president.  Many among his big-name followers were spotted dancing and having the time of their life.  Among them was a senator and his wife from the state of Rio Grande do Sul, currently reeling from massive and deadly flooding.  The remorseful senator asked for voters’ forgiveness.  As a penance, he could endeavor to match Madonna’s US$ 2m donation to support the flood victims!

Rogerio de Andrade may also have attended the concert with his wife, but more discretely.  Rogerio was one of the seedy characters of my recent blog on samba schools and money laundering.  With a stroke of a pen, a Supreme Court judge recently released him from house custody.  This decision outraged the Cariocas, but his good behavior impressed the justice. He is probably the most infamous gambling boss of Rio de Janeiro.  In addition to his core gambling, drug trafficking, influence peddling and money laundering business, he is the owner of one of Rio’s most iconic samba schools.  During Carnival, he was stuck at home with an ankle monitor and missed the samba school parade.

Now, the Rio godfather is awaiting his trials as a free man.  However, not all is fine and dandy for Rogerio, his opulent real estate possessions have been impounded by the Justice department and his collection of luxury cars will be auctioned off.  To add insult to injury, the police has decided to keep the armored limos for the use of its crime fighting teams.

Unlike Rogerio, Erika will wait for her trial at home with an ankle monitor.  Last month, Erika made headlines by taking her dead uncle Paulo on a wheelchair to a bank in order to cash a loan on his behalf. I take a deem view of the Brazilian justice system, it is notoriously harsher on the poor than on the rich. Though, I do not feel too sorry for Erika.  She only needs a clever lawyer who will argue jurisprudence in her case.  Effectively, two years ago, in the state of Sẩo Paulo, a woman brought the corpse of her dead companion to the bank in order to cash his monthly pension.  Not only was she exonerated of any crime, but she was rewarded and now receives the pension of the deceased.  The judge saw no crime, according to his logic, one cannot steal form a corpse!

My catalogue of “bizarreries” is long enough, but two more Carioca oddities may make you smile. These two stories take place close to home, in my affluent suburb of Leblon.  A mother and a daughter spend 18 hours per day at the same table in the MacDonald branch of Leblon.  Susan and Bruna have called Mac Donald home for the last 6 months.  At 7am, they move in with five large suitcases and leave at 3am when the branch closes.  The remaining four hours are spent sitting under the fast-food awning.  The homeless pair resists help from public authorities and resents the publicity. They claim to be looking for an apartment in Leblon, but their budget seems limited and their family situation vague: there is a husband/father, who may live in Paris or maybe in London.  Apparently, they have defaulted on lodging and were kicked out of several hotels in Copacabana.  Since they pay for their meals, the branch manager cannot get rid of them. Stay tuned.

Leblon is a quaint suburb but some of its streets are very animated and noisy.  Leblon is renowned for its restaurant scene and restaurateurs can be very creative to make their business boom.  The need to reform a patrons’ toilet is no reason to close a restaurant.  A famous sushi bar rented an air-conditioned chemical toilet cubicle and with city hall’s blessing set it up on the sidewalk across the street from the restaurant.  During business hours, the loo operates with an attendant.  Befittingly, a large poster of the film Perfect Days is stuck on the cubicle, probably to help pay the rent. 

                                                           

                                                                  A perfect day in Rio de Janeiro.