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You know you are in Brazil when
You know you are in Brazil when the worker refurbishing the four story building across the street is barefoot. He´s hanging by a rope on a makeshift wooden seat from which he has a bucket of plaster attached which he is using to patch the walls - and has a pried-open 10L can of paint tied by rope to his wooden seat through the lid of the can from which he alternates some painting activity.
I watched him attach his "secure suspension system" by taking out several roof tiles and locating a roof beam onto which he tied his humble rope.
He did not seem confident, at first, about his mechanics. I cold barely watch!
But apparently he is an experienced, fearless, acrobat construction worker. He´s been up there all day and doing fine.
I hope he is getting paid a decent wage... (fat chance)
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13 comments:
Soooooo true! There was a guy painting the pharamcay, and he was on scaffolding. One leg wasn't long enough, so he just put a small plastic bucket under that leg. Agh.
But wait, there's more! He also was right in the middle of the sidewalk, around a corner, so there was no way to see him until you rounded the corner, and by then you were almost under the scaffolding.
No caution tape, no cones- crazy.
Soooooo true! There was a guy painting the pharamcay, and he was on scaffolding. One leg wasn't long enough, so he just put a small plastic bucket under that leg. Agh.
But wait, there's more! He also was right in the middle of the sidewalk, around a corner, so there was no way to see him until you rounded the corner, and by then you were almost under the scaffolding.
No caution tape, no cones- crazy.
Jim,
You are most definitely witnessing a dying "art form"! :)
These improvised, highly risky practices have largely been forbitten by law in Brazil for over 40 years now.
There are strict laws regulating that these guys use proper scafolding structures, safety ropes, hard hats and steel point shoes.
It looks like Niteroi and some other areas still need to beef up the enforcement of such laws and regulations.
Ha, you described a funny visual, and I bet that guy won't get hurt or fall as easy as it looks...lol... :)
Ray
Carlos said the same thing...it is the frontier town mentality out here.
@Ray and Gill
If Brazil is this civilized, why don't you go back?
Yeah Ray and Gil...why don't you go back? Foreignors out of USA. Smirk.
Sheesh Anonymous. If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all!
A mere preview of what it will be like here once the right wing deregulates everything, pushes unions out of the picture, and steals so much from us that we'll do whatever it takes to make a few coins.
Annon,
If you were a part of our blogger community and read our blogs you would know how desperately we are trying to go back to the super civilized Brazil we all love so much! ;)
You sound bitter, sorry you are having a bad experience in Brazil.
Ray
Ha! Jennifer, thank you! :)
We can't wait to be kicked out of here!
Don't get me wrong, we love the US and will miss it dearly but we miss family and friends too much to continue to stay away.
Ray
Alex,
Knock on wood!
If the radical right wing fringe continue to grow in the US, I am also afraid this country would become and 3rd world country before they can approve another tax cut to the wealthy.
Ray
Hm, looks like someone stole my name. There is only room for one ALEX in this blogging community.
Completely kidding!
But I would not be able to watch this if I were there. No siree!
Abracos,
Alex
Ha! Lol!!!
Alex, I really thought the first Alex was you! :)
Didn't notice the "no picture" on the upper right corner!
Ray
I cringe.
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