Mudando

Terminei a faculdade e me mudei para o Rio. Aluguei um quarto na casa de uma Senhora, Dona Emília, em Botafogo e passava o dia ao léu. Treinava capoeira, vendia umas camisetas que eu pintava. Na verdade nem sei como sobrevivia nesse tempo, mas a grana começou a rarear após uns três meses. Não queria voltar para a casa de meus pais. Queria continuar viajando. Fui ao prédio do Shopping Rio Sul, pois soube que tinham empresas de navegação. A ideia era trabalhar nos navios e viajar.

Porém, surgiu algo no caminho. Nesse prédio tinha um escritório do Club Mediterranee do Brasil. Não tinha absolutamente nada a perder e entrei . Na recepção blefei dizendo que era professor de tênis. Eu batia umas bolas com aprendizes em troca de grana, mas professor? A recepcionista disse que fariam entrevistas logo. Deixei meu contato e depois de uma semana me ligaram. Fui à entrevista, um cara bacana chamado Fernando me encheu de pergunta e eu garanti que faria jogos apresentação de boa.

No dia seguinte, acreditem ou não, estava eu andando de bike em Ipanema, quando para um taxi ao meu lado. Era o Fernando da entrevista. Reconheci-o e falei oi e garanti que se precisasse eu estava pronto.

Dois dias depois , me ligam do Club Med, falando que no dia seguinte, logo no começo da tarde, passaria um ônibus em frente ao Shopping com destino a Mangaratiba, e que se eu estivesse no ônibus estaria contratado

Despedi-me de quem eu tinha que me despedir e no dia seguinte, pontualmente, estava lá eu pronto para o embarque.

 

Moving

 

I finished college and moved to Rio. I rented a room in the house of a lady, Dona Emília, in Botafogo and spent the day at leisure. She trained capoeira, sold t-shirts that I painted. In fact, I don't even know how she survived in that time, but the money started to thin after about three months. I didn't want to go back to my parents' house. I wanted to keep traveling. I went to the Shopping Rio Sul building, because I knew they had shipping companies. The idea was to work on the ships and travel.

However, something came along the way. In this building there was an office of Club Mediterranee do Brasil. I had absolutely nothing to lose and I went in. At the reception I bluffed saying I was a tennis teacher. I used to hit some balls with apprentices for money, but teacher? The receptionist said they would do interviews soon. I left my contact and after a week they called me. I went to the interview, a nice guy named Fernando filled me with questions and I guaranteed that I would make good presentation games.

The next day, believe it or not, I was riding a bike in Ipanema, when a taxi stops beside me. It was Fernando from the interview. I recognized him and said hi and assured him that if I needed it I was ready.

Two days later, they called me from Club Med, saying that the next day, early in the afternoon, a bus would pass in front of the Shopping Center bound for Mangaratiba, and that if I were on the bus I would be hired

I said goodbye to who I had to say goodbye to and the next day, punctually, I was there ready for boarding.

Sem lenço e nem raquete

Cheguei ao Club Med, sem raquete de tênis, e eu seria o professor de tênis. Sem roupas praticamente, tinha umas duas bermudas e algumas camisetas. Fui bem recebido pelo pessoal e fui para o jantar. lembro que tinha lagostins, empanturrei-me pois tinha a certeza que não duraria uma semana aquela minha experiência. No primeiro dia de trabalho, cheguei atrasado porque não tinha despertador. O cara do tênis eraa um carioca meio repugnante, que logo foi embora, pois iria viajar. quando recebeu a notícia de que seria transferido pra Israel, Istambul, sei lá que diacho, chorou que nem criança. Eu, hein...

daí ficamos sem chefe de tênis. Eu jogava com as Metalplas, raquete meio peba, que o Hotel oferecia. Com meu primeiro salário, fui a Mangaratiba, cidade ao lado, e comprei umas roupas. Meus pais me visitaram e trouxeram uma raquete de tênis. E eu não fui demitido.

O chefe de esportes jogava squash, e eu jantava ele toda tarde na quadra, o que gerou uma amizade. O chefe do Village, tipo o gerente, batia um tênis e sempre ia lá, e eu trocava bolas com ele. Ele saía da quadra às 18h30 e às 18h35 já estava no bar fazendo o 'misencene'. Banho? E assim eu fui ficando: casa, comida, roupa lavada, as hóspedes , as colegas de trabalho. Enfim, a jornada continuava.

eu velejava, fazia shows à noite, inclusive de capoeira, atirava com arco e flecha. E comia. Muito. Que saudades dos pães, dos queijos, dos vinhos, dos pratos. Todos os caras da cozinha eram franceses, então o rango era bem apresentável. E os caras eram gente boa, no meu aniversário, me deram um porre daqueles. Todos iam jogar tênis.

Então, em dezembro, eu pedi demissão para passar o Natal com a família. Pior ideia de todos os tempos.

No scarf or racket

I arrived at Club Med, without a tennis racket, and I would be the tennis teacher. Practically no clothes, I had a couple of shorts and a few t-shirts. I was welcomed by the staff and went for dinner. I remember I had crayfish, I gorged myself because I was sure that my experience wouldn't last a week. On the first day of work, I arrived late because I didn't have an alarm clock. The tennis guy was a rather disgusting carioca, who soon left, as he was going to travel. when he got the news that he was going to be transferred to Israel, Istanbul, whatever the hell, he cried like a child. I, huh...

then we were left without a tennis boss. I used to play with the Metalplas, a medium-heavy racket, which the Hotel offered. With my first salary, I went to Mangaratiba, next door, and bought some clothes. My parents visited and brought a tennis racket. And I didn't get fired.

The sports chief played squash, and I ate dinner with him every afternoon on the court, which created a friendship. The Village boss, like the manager, would play tennis and always go there, and I would trade balls with him. He left the court at 6:30 pm and at 6:35 pm he was already at the bar doing the 'misencene'. Bath? And so I stayed: house, food, laundry, guests, co-workers. Finally, the journey continued.

I sailed, did shows at night, including capoeira, I shot with a bow and arrow. And ate. Much. I miss the breads, cheeses, wines, dishes. All the guys in the kitchen were French, so the range was pretty presentable. And the guys were good people, on my birthday, they gave me one of those drinks. Everyone went to play tennis.

Then, in December, I resigned to spend Christmas with my family. Worst idea ever.