Açaí you there!

I was instantly reminded of my amazing month in Brazil as I walked by this stand. I haven’t had Açaí since then (August 2016), in fact I don’t think I have seen anywhere to buy it until now.

I guess a city with a population of over four million is bound to offer a great variety of food and drink, cuisines inspired by the countless nationalities that have settled here. This isn’t always the case in the smaller cities, Newcastle for example, the city I lived in before moving here. It just cannot compete in terms of diversity.

Have you tried it? With Summer around the corner there is no doubt I will tuck into this little tub of heaven again, and I look forward to doing so.

Obrigado in advance!

Monday motivation

What could lift that Monday morning mood more than a giant yellow poodle?

Spotted in the entrance to a store in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Mondays don’t have to be hated. In fact, I feel if I am ever in a job that requires me to hate a Monday, I am not in a job that I enjoy. And if I am not in a job that I enjoy, I will try to find a job that I enjoy.

Blogging is that job for me. I love getting up on a Monday knowing that I can put a post out there and if I enjoy it more than my full time job that actually pays me, I am going to keep doing it. Too many people moan. I know that is what I did right there, sometimes we have to fight fire with fire. If you are in a job that you hate, find something outside of that job that will inspire you to get up and look forward to the day. We are here against incredible odds, we are way too fortunate to hate the opportunity we get to get out of bed every day.

Sunday evening shouldn’t feel like staring down the barrel of a cannon. It should feel like the cannonball being launched into another incredible week of discovery, opportunity and happiness.

Have a fantastic week!

Dreams

After waking up today I looked for this photo. I have no idea what was in the mind of the street artist during this piece but it is one I remember more than most. Whether or not there is method to the apparent madness, I may never know.

I woke up, wide awake at 3am this morning and realised how many dreams I was having. My mind was incredibly active despite the fact that I have now forgotten most of what I was dreaming. It felt like a conveyor belt of different scenarios, a roller-coaster taking me through new scenes that my mind is conjuring up on the spot. Did you ever play video games in the 90’s/ early 00’s? The way city landscapes only appeared/ generated as you got closer to them? I guess we never know what we are getting into until we arrive.

I also felt like I discovered a whole new level of this thought machine we know so little about, like looking under a plank of wood and seeing a whole army of ants doing their own thing without our acknowledgement. When I woke it felt like I remembered something that I shouldn’t, like kids caught playing when they should be in bed. My brain was just farting out all kinds of weird, wacky, colorful situations that I have no option but to watch as I restore my energy. Although it has almost completely vanished from memory, I know it happened. Sometimes this reality terrifies me, other days it astounds me.

It is hard to believe that I am using my brain to analyse my brain and come to the conclusion that I do not know everything about it. Despite the fact that it is still me. It is pretty incredible that this is our reality.

Do you get so deep in thought about your own life experiences? I guess we all do to an extent. Maybe the art above is just a direct copy of what the artist was thinking just before his or her morning coffee. What is seemingly nonsensical during the day may make complete sense every night, we just forget about it most of the time.

Firsts.

Beco do Batman, São Paulo.

I’ve always been one to stick to my comforts. This may be a result of bullying at school, anxiety or simply a lack of motivation to change. I had always stuck to the same path and daily routine.

I think this is what has made me want to travel more than anything, the years of tip-toeing in the shallow end suddenly built up and a sudden sense of urgency weighed me down. Thankfully this sense of urgency hasn’t died. The older we get the more we lose, this keeps this snowball rolling. I still find myself wanting to go back to that old mentality at times, why should I go on holiday somewhere different? The last place was fine. Why listen to new music? The songs I have listened to a thousand times have served me well. Is it worth risking number 68 on the menu when I know number 75 is delicious?

Before I tasted my favorite food, I was content. Before I discovered my favorite band, I was nodding my head to something else. Before I found my favorite destination, I was telling my friends how good the last place was. Would I go back in time to one of little discovery and experience? Hell No.

Climb the steps before turning back, you can always come back later, if the thought ever crosses your mind.

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Thank you to my followers for inspiring me to keep posting. I hope to keep my blog growing and to explore as many of your blogs as I can, a follow is greatly appreciated.

Muito obrigado!