The Mystery Woman in Rio

Last night, while returning from a robust dinner, pure Brazilian type in a traditional restaurant, with chairs and sofas hanging in the air above our heads, and with wine, chevas regal, and local drink caipirinha, I had a great experience walking close to the beach. A young lady, should be in late 20s, approached for the obvious purpose. I said I am from India and I am not interested in paid sex with a stranger. Thankfully, she could speak in English a bit (people speak Portuguese here and a few Spanish). Hearing about India, she said that she was fascinated by the stories and images of Himalayas and the Ganges in her childhood and asked me to talk to her about them. I said that she would lose her working time of the evening. She said she does not mind, as she has been having good business these days due to tourist influx, and more importantly, she has not met with an Indian ever earlier.We sat on a piece of a stump of a tree close to the beach and we chatted for almost 90 minutes, on Himalayas, Ganges, Indian ethnic dresses and jewelry, music and history, changing face of India, corruption and communalism, and on Brazil in the last 150 years after the colonial Portuguese left, on drugs and drug-lords of Rio and their control over the flesh-trade, the football frenzy, and all that.Good chat.Felt a trifle sad while leaving her. She gave a soft hug and thanked me profusely as she said that she had spoken to a stranger purely like a friend, which she had hardly done earlier.She did not come close to the hotel lest I might be misunderstood by the hotel staff. Not that they care too much. But I was touched by her concern.

I left her on the other side of the road, my silent, unknown Brazilian friend, whose name and address I did not take, neither did she ask mine.There was an interaction between two nations of two different cultures without the individuals being present therein.I don´t know what you will call this.But it is ALL TRUE.With love from Rio.
June 12, 2006