Photo Post: Rain in Rio
My first job interview in Rio went pretty well. We spent about 10 minutes talking about what the new role would be, then another 20 minutes talking about my skills and past work experience. Then, at the end, one of the two interviewers turned to me with a quizzical look on his face and asked: “Just one thing – why would you leave a job like that in London to come to Rio?“. The way he asked the question made it clear that he thought I was crazy!
Conversely, I know that many Brazilians who move to London are asked by incredulous locals “Why would you leave sunny Brazil to come to this miserable place?”. I guess next door’s chicken is always fatter, right?
Well you know what? You might not see it on the postcards, but it rains a lot in Rio. In fact it rains more in Rio than it does in London!
It has rained pretty much non-stop every single time I’ve left the city of Rio to explore other parts of Rio state. This was a nice bamboo sprout I saw in Petrópolis.
I imagine that Londoners will be reading this and thinking “Oh sure, you get more actual rain in Rio because of those crazy tropical storms, but I bet we (Londoners) have more rainy days than Rio”. Well that’s where you’re wrong:
Average annual precipitation:
Rio: 1,173 mm London: 592 mm
Average annual rainy days:
Rio: 112 London: 110
All those figures are from Wikipedia. To be fair, the days of rainfall figure doesn’t include the average 16 days of snow that London gets each year. But snow is fun right?
Anyway, as if to prove my point, it is absolutely horrible in Rio today – the rain is pouring down and it looks set to stay unsettled over the weekend. If you’re in Rio and looking for something nice to do which the rain can’t spoil, why not check out the newest item on Eat Rio’s list of Things to do in Rio: MAR!
I suppose, if you have lived all your life here, you may not appreciate how wonderful Rio is, even on a wet day.
When people in England asked me why I wanted to live in Rio I just answered “You’ve never been there have you?” Those who had always said something like “Have you got room for me in your suitcase?”.
As for snow, the novelty wears off after a while, especially if you have to drive in it. 60 years of English winters are enough for me.
Hi John – I know what you’re saying about the English winters – I only suffered 30 odd before I cracked! ;)
Tom,
I’ve concluded that I prefer places where I am allowed to hear myself, and be with, well, just me. And that these situations not only occur in a protected dwelling (a home without a rude and noisy neighbor for instance) but is also commonplace in public venues. I know this is somewhat bizarre but just hear me out.
In the past my understanding was that the so called cold places – where people are supposedly distant – make me happier; but now I’m thinking that what I really appreciate is a society where people don’t overwhelm each other as much as they do in Brazil, and the rest of Latin America, plus Latin Europe (perhaps France is the exception here; but not by much). The thing isn’t necessarily that people like this seek to be distant; they just need a lot more solitude to then feel comfortable, or relieved enough, to seek togetherness.
So I am starting to conclude that behind all of this lies the different levels of solitude required by individuals, sometimes even during certain periods of their lives.
http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/200308/what-is-solitude
I wonder if you have been engaging in more nature related activities since moving here, and if so could it be due to not only the love of nature but the alone time contemplating it offers – without the loner stigma one would receive normally in Brazil for just being that way in everyday life.
Wow Gritty, I feel like I should lie down on the couch and tell you how I feel about my mother! ;)
Ha ha, just kidding. It’s a an interesting question actually. I’ve always been at least a little bit introverted and I think this video is quite a nice exploration of what it means to be an introvert.
I don’t think I have a problem with Brazilian culture itself (in it’s entirety), but I do feel quite overwhelmed with the overbearing nature of Brazilian family (the constant family events which I am expected to attend). This is compounded by the fact that apparently everyone thinks I hate them when I opt to miss out on the odd event.
But maybe that’s just because I came from a less ‘full-on’ family. There are plenty of British families who are close-knit as what I think of as the ‘typical’ Brazilian family – if I’d come from one of those then I probably wouldn’t have even noticed it here.
Solitude is an interesting thing. There are times that I revel in it – most people like a bit of ‘quiet time’ once in a while don’t they?
Now Tom, let’s explore your childhood memories: relationships with siblings; the taste of marmite as a toddler and so on. Just lean back and relax, no pressure here. Remember, you are in a safe environment. :-)
Tom, I’m from Glasgow. You know nothing about rain.
Equivalent figures for Glasgow:
Average annual precipitation:
Glasgow: 1,245 mm [Rio: 1,173 mm London: 592 mm]
Average annual rainy days:
Glasgow: 167 [Rio: 112 London: 110]
Alan – I (and my fellow residents of Rio) bow to your expertise on this issue! ;)
Only 167 rainy days a year? In my memory, it seems like it was 367…
Is the rain in Rio seasonal, or do you get it all year round? In Glasgow, it would start raining in November and hardly stop before April. Except when it snowed, of course. You’d get lovely sunny summers though.
We get rain pretty much any time here, though in theory it gets rainier during the summer months and then dries out (a bit) during ‘winter’. I have to say I don’t miss the cold of the British winter, but after 3 years in Rio I do think there is something to be said for having real seasons you can actually see and feel.