Yesterday, I decided to attempt a call to my grandparents. For the most part, it went well but my Skype connection just did not want to hold up so the conversation with my grandmamma was cut short. I was a little sad about it, but I have started to learn that when things like this happen I simply take it as a sign that I am supposed to be doing something else.
While talking to my granddaddy, he asked me what I had learned today, and I was at a loss for words. Most days, I definitely have a story that I can rattle off about an adventure taking a new mode of transportation, buying something at a store or successfully communicating in Portuguese.
After a few minutes, I concluded that maybe every day in Rio would not be a day for learning an obvious lesson. This was going to be my story to stick to because otherwise I would agonize over the fact that I had been up since 5:22 a.m. and had not learned one new thing for the day.
The progressed and, around 7:30 p.m., I finally decided to go have dinner. I was slightly annoyed by the fact that I was patronizing a particular establishment. I will not name the restaurant (because it is an American establishment) but I go there because of the price, convenience, vegetable selection (rice, beans, salad) and quantity of food.
[As an aside, I know many of you are thinking that I eat out a lot, and why I just don’t go to one of those Brazilian all-you-can-eat buffets. Here’s the quick response. The place I am staying in doesn’t have a kitchen, stove or refrigerator so I can’t store or cook anything. Secondly, there are lots of those Brazilian buffet places here (ones that do not look like those $40 per person places in America). However, they charge you around 2.69 Reals per 100 grams of food! It is pretty hilarious and scary at the same time. This is how people are able to stay so slim here. They do not eat a large breakfast (usually bread, butter, fruit and coffee) and they eat around 200-300 grams of food at the buffet restaurant. I don’t know the conversion rate of grams to ounces offhand but I will tell you that 2 pieces of pineapple, 2 small pieces of watermelon, 2 slices of mango, 2 dinner rolls, 4 miniature slices of turkey luncheon meat and one slice of bolo costs me around 7.15 Reals ($4.28) for breakfast. ]
Back to the original story- Since it is more expensive for me to order the vegetable choices separately, I usually end up with a meat option which puts me at a crossroads. I don’t want to waste it, but I really don’t want to eat it. Also, since I come to this restaurant after training every evening, the workers are really nice with the vegetable portions that they put on my plate.
I decided to make an executive decision yesterday, and it was amazing to me that I had not thought of this earlier. I did not want to stuff myself with mashed potatoes and meat. I owed it to myself and my stomach. I would just slice up the meat and put it in a small container with the leftover mashed potatoes for someone else. Who was this person? I wasn’t sure, but I would at least try something new.
I will be the first to tell you that I had several thoughts in my mind about whether I should go through with my new course of action. Would I find someone nearby? Would the person accept the food?
Then, out of the clear blue, I thought about a person that I know who absolutely will have nothing to do with pennies. The person hates pennies so much that they will literally throw them in the trash. I remember when they told me this I was, in my heart, pretty much shocked. You know how many times pennies have saved my day? Pennies have bought me gas, food, served as donations and bought me Debbie cakes on occasion!
After I recalled this story, I felt really good about giving my leftovers away. My intuition told me that someone was in need of “a few pennies” and would not be too proud to receive them. I walked out of the restaurant and headed down the street. I was at the second light when I noticed, on a corner across the street, a gentleman sitting on the ground outside of another restaurant. He was asking people for money and people were passing him by. I made my way over to him and he didn’t ask for money. He had his hand extended for the small container in my hand. I gave it to him and he had a look of pure shock on his face.
Last night, I realized that when you are in desperate situations, any gift (be it pennies, leftovers or a word of encouragement) is better than no gift at all. I can safely say that most of the readers of this entry have the ability to literally Feed the 5000.
There maybe a day when you don’t want to eat some left over vegetables or your wife may have missed the mark on seasoning a piece of chicken. Whatever the case may be, I would like you to consider giving that food (before it simply spoils in your refridge) to someone. We all know that you won’t miss it, your refridge will definitely smell better in the long run and you will have easily helped someone in need.
While talking to my granddaddy, he asked me what I had learned today, and I was at a loss for words. Most days, I definitely have a story that I can rattle off about an adventure taking a new mode of transportation, buying something at a store or successfully communicating in Portuguese.
After a few minutes, I concluded that maybe every day in Rio would not be a day for learning an obvious lesson. This was going to be my story to stick to because otherwise I would agonize over the fact that I had been up since 5:22 a.m. and had not learned one new thing for the day.
The progressed and, around 7:30 p.m., I finally decided to go have dinner. I was slightly annoyed by the fact that I was patronizing a particular establishment. I will not name the restaurant (because it is an American establishment) but I go there because of the price, convenience, vegetable selection (rice, beans, salad) and quantity of food.
[As an aside, I know many of you are thinking that I eat out a lot, and why I just don’t go to one of those Brazilian all-you-can-eat buffets. Here’s the quick response. The place I am staying in doesn’t have a kitchen, stove or refrigerator so I can’t store or cook anything. Secondly, there are lots of those Brazilian buffet places here (ones that do not look like those $40 per person places in America). However, they charge you around 2.69 Reals per 100 grams of food! It is pretty hilarious and scary at the same time. This is how people are able to stay so slim here. They do not eat a large breakfast (usually bread, butter, fruit and coffee) and they eat around 200-300 grams of food at the buffet restaurant. I don’t know the conversion rate of grams to ounces offhand but I will tell you that 2 pieces of pineapple, 2 small pieces of watermelon, 2 slices of mango, 2 dinner rolls, 4 miniature slices of turkey luncheon meat and one slice of bolo costs me around 7.15 Reals ($4.28) for breakfast. ]
Back to the original story- Since it is more expensive for me to order the vegetable choices separately, I usually end up with a meat option which puts me at a crossroads. I don’t want to waste it, but I really don’t want to eat it. Also, since I come to this restaurant after training every evening, the workers are really nice with the vegetable portions that they put on my plate.
I decided to make an executive decision yesterday, and it was amazing to me that I had not thought of this earlier. I did not want to stuff myself with mashed potatoes and meat. I owed it to myself and my stomach. I would just slice up the meat and put it in a small container with the leftover mashed potatoes for someone else. Who was this person? I wasn’t sure, but I would at least try something new.
I will be the first to tell you that I had several thoughts in my mind about whether I should go through with my new course of action. Would I find someone nearby? Would the person accept the food?
Then, out of the clear blue, I thought about a person that I know who absolutely will have nothing to do with pennies. The person hates pennies so much that they will literally throw them in the trash. I remember when they told me this I was, in my heart, pretty much shocked. You know how many times pennies have saved my day? Pennies have bought me gas, food, served as donations and bought me Debbie cakes on occasion!
After I recalled this story, I felt really good about giving my leftovers away. My intuition told me that someone was in need of “a few pennies” and would not be too proud to receive them. I walked out of the restaurant and headed down the street. I was at the second light when I noticed, on a corner across the street, a gentleman sitting on the ground outside of another restaurant. He was asking people for money and people were passing him by. I made my way over to him and he didn’t ask for money. He had his hand extended for the small container in my hand. I gave it to him and he had a look of pure shock on his face.
Last night, I realized that when you are in desperate situations, any gift (be it pennies, leftovers or a word of encouragement) is better than no gift at all. I can safely say that most of the readers of this entry have the ability to literally Feed the 5000.
There maybe a day when you don’t want to eat some left over vegetables or your wife may have missed the mark on seasoning a piece of chicken. Whatever the case may be, I would like you to consider giving that food (before it simply spoils in your refridge) to someone. We all know that you won’t miss it, your refridge will definitely smell better in the long run and you will have easily helped someone in need.
1 comment:
Hi again. Sorry your conversation with your grandparents was so short. Skype is kind of problematic, but it's better than nothing. I've got to baby sit Damon's boys tomorrow. I'll see if I can contact you then (Saturday). Thing is I can't figure out what time your online.
I'm usually up at 5AM PT.
That might be too late your time, but I'll try a Skpe call to you anyway.
Keep writing, I'll keep reading :)
Les
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