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Smiles
By Carlos Lessa*. Translation by Monica Yasuzawa.
Source: Bafafa.com.br

I spent a week long holiday next to paradise. I went to the town of Governador Celso Ramos, Santa Catarina’s South Coast. It’s part of the coast where three consecutive bays suggest the shape of a hook. It was a place of whale hunting, that emerged in the 17th century by the name of Armação Grande. Colonizers from the islands of the Azores and Madeira came to this place with the purpose of settling the region. Their descendants, approximately twelve thousand people today, mostly dedicate themselves to fishing. Mariculture is being developed, mainly oysters and shellfish.

In the Ponta dos Ganchos Inn, where I stayed, I was overwhelmed with how easy the employees smiled. I found out that all of them were natives and that they smiled as soon as you glanced at them. Walking around the small town streets of the place, I realized that was a local pattern. The magnificent results of good property sharing and cooperation among the townsfolk, was amazing.

When I came back from my holiday, I came across a whole series of unpredictable events. Inside the Mundial supermarket, in Riachuelo Street, Rio de Janeiro, someone stole my wallet with all my documents in it. I only realized the fact when, after over two hours shopping, I felt it missing. I had some money and some checks. The supermarket didn’t believe me, though. I had to cancel the purchase. I then went to the 9th Police Station and, to my joy the place looked nothing like I remembered. I was very well looked after. The women of the legal department were helpful and smiling. While I waited for the crime record, they helped me cancel my cards and I realized this wasn’t any special treatment as everyone else who got there was being treated the same. In the last stage of the process of recovering my documents, I went to the Department of street traffic of Rio, there I faced an annoying bureaucratic ritual: bring your marriage certificate, pay this into the bank, etc.

I had a juvenile card from the Felix Pacheco Institute, but it wasn’t good enough. They demanded the wedding certificate. I’m no expert, but believe it is a lot easier to forge a certificate then an ID. I believe crooks must have so many fake identities easily without any problems. I made a comment about that with the Department staff. Lots of laughter and smiles. So I put up with the bureaucratic crap and left smiling. ?