Carnaval

   For as long as I've considered myself a person, Carnaval has had a bad conotation for me. Granted it is one of the world's biggest parties (if not THE biggest) but to me that just translastes into crowds, mess, drunk people and even bigger crowds.
 
   At this point I find myself at the beach, the last place you want to be at if you, like me, dislike human contact. Yet something pretty awesome happened today and it was even worth paying the R$5 (gasp, I know) for internet to be able to share a quick story here.

    So there I was, lying on the beach, thinking of my poor snowed in friends in the Northeast of the US, hating everybody around me for the sheer fact that they were too close. I admit, I jude people on the beach.I have been working on it, but it is still ingrained in my being to judge other people so I don't have to feel too bad about the fact that I wasn't exactly beach ready myself.

    So there was this guy selling food walking around carrying all his stock in a heavy and hot container. I didn't see exactly what happened, but he must have tripped or something, next thing I know all the food is all over the sand. His entire haul for the day gone just like that. I assume this guy makes his money off of the tourist here during Carnaval season and he probably counts on a specific amount a day to be able to at least buy more things to sell the next day. Now here comes the cool part; although it wasn't anybody's fault all the people around me (who I was previously judging) gathered up and gave the man a couple bucks, nothing too extraordinary but enough people did it that the guy was probably able to at least break even.

    Carnaval still has a bad conotation for me, I still don't like crowds, and I like sand even less now, but I was inspired by people's genuine desire to help this complete strager.

   Happy Carnaval for everybody that can enjoy it, and those of you stranded in the cold regions of the Earth, be safe.

   M.