"The Silence of the Rain"

Currently, I am reading the "Silence of the Rain" by Luiz Alfredo Garcia-Roza-- this title could not be anymore correct for Rio lately. As I sit on my veranda dressed with my sweatshirt, jeans and tennis shoes, watching the water stream down from the roof, I am reminded that I am in Rio de Janeiro: it should be warm with rays of sun hitting the pavement instead of gallons of rain. The rain has been relentless for the past week, and on and off for the month I have been here.

It's a good day to be lazy and tuck into a book. My book happens to be a mystery novel that takes place in Rio de Janeiro: Downtown, to be more exact, but meanders throughout the city as Inspector Espinoza tries to uncover a peculiar killing in a parking garage downtown that is morphing into more and more killings.

As I frequently look up to watch the rain while reading my book, I can't help but to feel like I haven't accomplished anything today. That poses another question: what really is accomplishment? Accomplishment is so subjective. I went to the bank today in Copacabana and waiting in line for one and a half hours to be attended without blowing a gasket, when it should have taken 30 mins. That's quite an accomplishment. A couple people waiting gave up and left. Not I! Also, I accomplished adding more pictures to my facebook account with my snail connection that similarily took forever, but I did it! It seems to me that today has been a productive day. The best news is that it isn't over yet.