No, not the season you think. It's almost Smelly Man season. Oh yes, outside of Rio de Janeiro, people refer to this season as summer.
Today was one of the first very warm days in a while, and I was lucky enough to get to take the metro downtown. There's nothing like the sway of the metro swinging you into the stink ozone of a sweaty person to make you say, oh summer is finally arriving.
And you know what, I think I have finally adapted to it. For starters, I was pressed up between two sweaty men on the metro today, one exceptionally hairy, and I found that I wasn't nauseated at all. Hell, I even noticed that one man's sweat was beading up on his hair like dew on a spiderweb... I really need to start bring a book or something.
I've adapted to the sweaty man because, I too, am a sweaty man. We are all sweaty men. That is the beauty to Rio de Janeiro heat, it does not discriminate. Rich or poor, fat or thin, hairy or bald, you will be uncomfortably warm.
Welcome summer! May you bring warm winds, cool waves, and plenty of deodorant.
Yeah, except the only deodorant is that sticky roll-on shit that just makes you feel slimier!
ReplyDeleteI felt the heat today too. Speaking as a gordinho gringo, I have never adapted to the heat. In the summer I begin sweating (really sweating) the moment I turn off the cold shower. I wander the apartment dripping with sweat, drenching my cotton shorts. My MIL just shakes her head with pity and comments on how I am melting before her eyes.
ReplyDeleteWhen we first arrived we could find Speed Stick deoderant at one grocery store, but it has long disappeared. Now the Speed 'Stick' comes in the slimy roll on form.
Something tells me I'm going to be bringing back a bunch to deodorants for bloggers! lol. I actually have a couple in the closet. Funny enough, my Brazilian husband is the one who taught me to bring the stuff here.
ReplyDeleteStick deordorant is a definite request in the care packages, I'm loaded up Nancy if you want one :)
ReplyDeleteRachel,
ReplyDeleteIs there any A/C in the Rio Subway system? in the trains or platforms?
Also loading up on deo!
ReplyDeleteRay, there is AC on the subway. Actually there is new improved AC! But on the platforms it's just fans and the breath of other people as they pant from heat exhaustion.
I was in Rio in November for 18 days, actually I was there the day this post was written but I didn't know about this blog then. It being my first time in AND coming from South Carolina where we were in our autumn, the heat was ugh.
ReplyDeleteI had brought my Degree Clinical Strength deoderant with me and let me tell you...that stuff is GOLD!
I sweat like a P-I-G and it really works! So much so that my Carioca boyfriend I was visiting used it once and he loved it so much that I ended up leaving it for him as a going away present...LOL
I'm bringing more back with me when I come next month. :)