Ping Pong with the Risk of Losing an Eye

A rainy day in Rio de Janeiro is like the Grand Prix with obstacles.

There is the foot traffic. All Cariocas are out with their umbrellas, even if it not technically raining in the opinion of us foreigners. If it had rained at one point in the day and no sun is out, there is a Carioca with an umbrella.

There are also sects of umbrella people. You have the group that are willing to spend more than R$10 for rain protection and the group that only buy from the carmelo (illegal stands) for R$10 or R$5 depending on durability and design. The tackier the umbrella the more expensive it is, don't even ask about the ones with the hooked handles. It's all about fashion in this city.

The thing is that the cheap ones break. There comes a point in your Rio de Janeiro life where you say "Fuck it" and use the freaking broken Umbrella. It really only rains a fraction of the time here and you just can't be bothered to waste any more coconut water money on another ugly umbrella. That is why you find the broken umbrella people. They are the ones walking around with the metal umbrella frames sticking out, threatening to attack anyone not paying attention .

Seriously, it's like ping pong with the risk of losing an eye. Since I'm about height level with most Brazilians' umbrellas I actually prefer to go out in the rain with my glasses. While raindrops are a put out, I consider protective eyewear a smart choice.

So take any given rainy day in Rio de Janeiro. You come out to go to the store or take your kids to the store and you are faced with many things. For starters there's the incredable traffic. Secondly there's the bad drivers mixed in with the bad drivers who don't normally drive (it's raining so they bust out the car to go tot work). Add in the assholes (about 90% of the above mentioned drivers) and you have yourself a lot of hellish traffic.

Then you add in the umbrella people. They come big and small. Yes, people let their obnoxious children attempt to walk around a busy city with an umbrella that is twice their size. I think it's quite obvious to say I'm not in that group but I would like to point out that their children are normally wearing raincoats anyway as children under 10 yrs old can't seem to use an umbrella for it's actual function. It's more like an annoying kite.

All in all I go out in the rain in Rio ready for war. It's me against the cars, motorcycles, broken umbrellas, and obnoxious toddlers who don't belong to me. With this comes an understanding of time. When in Rio de Janeiro, leave a half an hour early when it's raining people.

Oh and for all of you who think that you'll just call a cab, yeah like I'm that stupid! Good luck. If it is actually raining, instead of spit style spinkles, there will not be a taxi in sight. You may get lucky but I prefer to be realistic. Glasses, wellies (for the Brits), and my good umbrella. With the kids it's wellies and raincoats.

If you can, just stay at home with a good book and some Brazilian coffee.

You'd think a tropical country would be more prepared for rain, wouldn't you.

Indoor Activities for Kids in Rio de Janeiro

Picture by: http://veja.abril.com.br/multimidia/galeria-fotos/imagens-do-dia-4-de-agosto

There is NOTHING to do in Rio de Janeiro when it rains. As I mentioned before, Cariocas (Rio de Janeiro locals) are cat-like in their preference to stay out of the rain.

This goes double with children. Besides the mall and the movies, there is not much to do on a yucky day in this city.  On long stretches of crap weather you end up spending a lot of time inside your place.

And let me tell you, being stuck inside with children on a rainy day in Rio de Janeiro is an art form.  We are talking serious survival skills if you want to make sure that everyone in your party will come out alive at the end of the day.

Just imagine hours and hours with active kids trapped in a space of about 130 m² (1399.308 ft²).  That would even challenge our annoying friend Barney.

So without further ado: Rachel's Rant's version of Rainy Day Activities!

 1. Pull all my folded clothes out of my closet organizer. When in a pinch, my toddler will do this for an entire half an hour. So fun for Mommy. If patience is running thick, we make an activity out of folding and putting them back.

2. Painting. We paint pictures, cardboard, old toys, and anything else paint will stick to without lowering the value of my apartment.

3. Baking. Rainy days are not a time to worry about weight or nutrition. Comfort food, kid help, and a big mess is just what the doctor ordered. I like to let them enjoy the flour and them make them clean it up afterward. This is a long activity and may be best in the evening with a bottle of wine for Mommy.

4. TV. This has never been "restricted" in my house but on a rainy day it's usage has got to be controlled to maximize distraction. Turn it off during the above mentioned activities and then bust out the favorite movie at an unexpected time works great. I like to use it after lunch because they are stuffed and have slowed down momentarily. It works doubly well if you rent or download a new movie they want to see. Not that I ever download.

5. Run up and down the apartment. Small apartments limit this cardiovascular activity but you still feel that you are being somewhat active. A couple laps around and you'll all feel that you deserve a snack.

6. Snack time. Anytime you can get them to sit down. Let's plump ourselves up for winter.

7. Puddle hopping.  Now this isn't as pleasant as normal in Rio de Janeiro because you don't know the percentage of rain water to sewage in the puddles. Makes a Mom cringe. I try to take them to spots where it would be harder for leaking sewer systems to contaminate the childhood pastime.

8. Paint nails. I have boys and in a pinch I will paint their nails. Hell, I'd dye their hair, give them a tattoo, and teach them to apply mascara if  they were enjoying themselves and it made time pass quicker.

9. Prank phone calls. This is not only a way to enjoy yourself at another's expense, it is also a great way to practice Portuguese.

10. Go to someone else's rainy day prison. It's amazing how a change of scenery will help both yours and your children's sanity. That and your children get master the art of destruction somewhere other than your home. 

Good luck! May we all survive this rainy week!

What do you do on a rainy day?