SURFING THE COVID WAVES
As you know, I flew to France at the end of June when Rio de Janeiro was in the middle of the Covid onslaught. The first day of my tropical-style lockdown was March 15 and I had been wearing a face mask since. Mask-wearing was mandatory in the city (apparently still is, but mask fatigue is taking a toll!). I landed in mask-free Montpellier, breathed deeply the blissful Covid-free air and felt safe for the first time in three months. Finally, I enjoyed a welcome taste of normality. The French looked oblivious and care-free as if they had forgotten that Covid -19 had sent tens of thousands to intensive care units, killed 30 000 people and caused an economic mess that will take years to fix. Tropical Rio never sleeps, and a tropical-style lockdown is more akin to self-confinement for 30% of the population who can afford to stay home and toiling as usual for the other 70% less fortunate people. All non-essential shops and businesses were cl...