A genius for gossip

Have been indulging our tastebuds and stomachs in various local buffets, or rodizios, as they call them here. Found a delicious and super-healthy one today, for 30 reais a head (about £12). The food was natural and tasty, which is perhaps why the restaurant was named Natural & Tasty. No doubt every inch of creativity went into the cooking, leaving nothing left over over for the naming.

The street lighting in our neighbourhood is almost non-existent so ironically it may actually be more dangerous than Bom Retiro in the evenings. We've heard from several sources that attacks in this area have increased.

Last night we went with Mark and Angelica to Teatro Municipao to watch a wonderful concert of (mainly) Dvorak and (a little) Tchaikovsky. Hired a new nanny for the evening's babysitting, who seemed fine if a bit expensive (about £50, including travel which it is normal to pay here).

Talking of nannies, we just heard from P's mother that our ex-nanny had been shooting her mouth off about us while employed, gossiping galore to the locals, eg the neighboring hirdressing salon staff, and telling them how lazy I / we were etc. Why am I not surprised ? I had a feeling that this self-professed pious godlover lived for her bigoted, malicious backbiting. In fact, I saw her doing it right in front of me a couple of times, obviously assuming I didn't understand what she was saying. If there were a Nobel Prize for gossip, Brazil would win it's first Nobel ever, thanks to geniuses like Maria.

On leaving for the last time, she apologized if she had done anything to offend me (guilty conscience?) to which I responded likewise. She subsequently phoned, wondering if we were moving and no doubt seeking more rich pickings from the gullible foreigner. Since she lives in a known dangerous area, I'm now pretty convinced that the timing of our robbery and her recent employ were more than a coincidence.

My fast-diminishing nostalgia for Bom Retiro has just taken another hit. It would be nice if there were a "normal" area we could have moved to at short notice. But since there wasn't, and perhaps isn't even with more notice, the current location will do very well. No cast of colourful characters, but equally no life-endangering gossips eager to devour the hand that feeds.