by on

I just came from a three-week trip. It was my first post-pandemic trip abroad and it was with disappointment (but no surprise at all, which is pretty sad, too) that I confirmed my the entire process involving traveling long distances continues to head in the same direction as before 2020: getting worse and worse.

From incomprehensible rules such as having to leave your bottle of water at customs and, after a few dozen steps, having to buy a new bottle at a convenience store (for an absurd price, obviously), to practices of clear bad faith, such as in the case of airplane seats, which are increasingly smaller and lack space for hand luggage for all passengers, as well as the hospitality sector, in which the rarest thing is… hospitality, it seems that traveling has lost much of its fun side, without talk about glamour, which has long disappeared.

Personally, I gave up on understanding what people find so attractive about sitting on the floor at airports, even when there are seats available in the lobby, or the insane fight for access points in cell phone recharge towers at the gates boarding, considering that the vast majority of aircraft have a USB outlet in the seats, but anyway, overall, these are minor though terribly unpleasant aspects of traveling.

On the other hand, traveling can be a transformative, enriching experience in many aspects. Among them, what always impresses me most is how we transform ourselves in relation to time. It is amazing how, simply by stepping out of our routine, we can completely immerse ourselves in the present, making time seem both fleeting and expansive.

Traveling makes mindfulness a natural response, as opposed to the habitual mode of distraction we tend to practice while going about our daily tasks. When we immerse ourselves in a new environment, we perceive time differently, noticing the rhythm of life in a way that is unique to each place: the hustle and bustle of a busy city, the relaxed pace of a coastal town, or the timeless tranquility of a rural village – each setting offers its own perception of time.

It is as if time is fluid, adapting to the atmosphere and culture that surrounds it, and by moving our bodies in space and immersing ourselves in different environments, we can experience a shift in consciousness. This shift allows us to perceive the world from a new perspective. We have the opportunity to momentarily step into an alternate timeline, where the boundaries of our everyday reality are blurred.

The departure from our conventional existence allows us to gain unique insights and knowledge that we can then bring back home. As we return from our explorations, it feels as we are journeying back from the future, bringing not only memories and souvenirs but also a wealth of new experiences and a deeper understanding of the world around us and of ourselves.

Be seeing you!

G.F.

by on

The friendly couple who hosted me and my friends the first time I stayed at a bred and breakfast in London were as polite as only British couples can be. After showing us the facilities, the tall and elegant gentleman asked us what we would like to have for breakfast. He was quite surprised by our answer: “Darling, they are tea drinkers!”, he exclaimed to his equally elegant wife.

I have never forgotten the way he phrased it, not only because of the delicious “pompous ease” (totally British!) but also because it was the first time anyone had ever called me a “tea drinker”. Although I have inclination for tea, the coffee culture is so strong in Brazil that there is no such division between “tea drinkers” and “coffee drinkers” simply because the first, as a category, does not exist for the average Brazilian.

Yerba mate drinkers? Okay, we have a lot of them, mostly in the south of the country, but even they do not consider themselves “tea drinkers”. Brazilians and coffee are so strongly connected that the expression in Brazilian Portuguese for breakfast is “the coffee of the morning” (o café-da-manhã).

From production to consumption, coffe is a beverage strongly linked to the history of Brazil. Understanding who produces what type of coffee and for whom means understanding a lot about the Brazilian society.

Anyway, since the London event, I believe that a reasonably efficient way of cataloging humanity is to divide it into coffee drinkers and tea drinkers. Here is where I am in my reflections so far:

  1. tea people seem to be more attentive to details, while coffee people would go more for the big picture;
  2. coffee people speak louder, while tea people tend to speak longer;
  3. tea people are zen while coffee people are drama queens.

Okay, it is a pretty debatable short list, but it is what comes to mind when the playlist of the day ranks two classics: Tea for Two and Black Coffee. Compare the energy of these jazz standards, their lyrics and the images they evoke and you may no longer consider my list so crazy.

And do not forget to do your listening in the right company, escorted by a nice cup of tea. Or coffee. After all, what kind of person are you?

Be seeing you!

G.F.