Man, what a day! Seriously, I can’t even. So, I woke up in my tiny flat on Rua da Liberdade, right? The sun was shining, birds were chirping, and I thought, “Today’s gonna be chill.” Spoiler alert: it was NOT chill.
First off, I had to head to the fish market. You know, the one down by the river? Mercado do Peixe, or whatever. I’m an ichthyologist, so fish is my jam. But when I got there, it was chaos! People everywhere, yelling, haggling. I swear, I thought I walked into a fishy version of a mosh pit.
I was trying to get some fresh sardines for my research. But these old ladies were like ninjas, swooping in and grabbing the best ones. I mean, c’mon! I’m just trying to do my job here! I finally snagged a couple, but not without a battle. One lady gave me the stink eye. Like, lady, I’m not here to steal your fish!
After that, I decided to take a stroll along the riverfront. The view from Avenida da República is stunning, man. The water sparkled like diamonds. I was feeling good, you know? But then, outta nowhere, this seagull swoops down and snatches my sandwich right outta my hand! I was like, “Are you kidding me?!” I mean, I know I’m not the best at sharing, but that was just rude.
So, I’m standing there, sandwich-less and a bit hangry, when I bumped into this dude named Miguel. He’s a local artist, super chill. We started chatting about fish and art, and he told me about this mural he painted on Rua da Alegria. I was like, “Dude, I gotta see that!”
We walked over, and wow, it was epic! Bright colors, fish everywhere, and a giant octopus. I mean, who doesn’t love an octopus? I snapped a pic for the ‘gram. Gotta show off, right?
But then, outta nowhere, it started pouring. Like, monsoon-level rain. I was soaked in seconds. I was laughing, though. Just my luck! Miguel and I ducked into a café on Rua do Comércio. I ordered a bica, because caffeine is life. He got a pastel de nata, and I was like, “Dude, you gotta share that!”
We ended up talking for hours. He told me about the history of São Romão, how it used to be a fishing village. I was vibing with his stories, but then I remembered I had to get back to my research. I was like, “Crap, I’m gonna be late!”
So, I dashed out, but the rain was relentless. I slipped on the cobblestones of Rua da Liberdade and went down hard. I mean, I ate it. My dignity? Gone. My notebook? Soaked. I was furious! But then I saw this little kid laughing at me, and I couldn’t help but laugh too. Kids have a way of making you feel like a total goofball.
Finally, I made it back to my lab, drenched and exhausted. But you know what? I wouldn’t trade that day for anything. São Romão is wild, unpredictable, and full of surprises. I love it here. Even if the seagulls are thieves and the rain has no chill.
So yeah, that was my day. Fish, art, rain, and a whole lotta laughs. Can’t wait to see what tomorrow brings!