Well, it’s been a while. But, hey, its like “they” say right? Better late than never? So, without going into excuses (we all have them, much like what we are sitting on you know) I would like to reflect some about a couple of things. My leg, Brazilian efficiency and Christmas in a warm country.
So, first of all, due to some idiot teens taking up the entire bicycle lane in the beautiful Ibirapuera park I had to jump not to crash into them or an old lady while skating with my rollerblades. This mighty fall would then cause a lot of pain and also pulling the large backside muscle of the upper leg. My leg shifted in many different colors (hematoma) but is actually healing quickly. So soon I can resume my skating, after all I promised the two bicycling teens that “If I find you I will f***g k**l you” at the top of my voice while lying in the dirt, so of course I have to start searching right? Or perhaps, in a great mood of being “christmas:ie” I will forgive them but secretly hope that they will not receive any gifts this year since they obviously been very bad?
As some of you already know I am starting my own business here in Brasil. A consultancy company named “Penguin Consultants”. I started this endeavor in the beginning of August, signing the partner contract and a whole lot of other contracts. Now, more than four months later we are approaching the goal of actually opening this company formally. This is a really looooong history but still some of the details are rather amusing. I conclude that:
- In Brazil we do never know what comes next in the process. We only do what is now, next step is someone else’s headache some other day.
- In Brazil, we do not try to be efficient. Considering the next step, preparing documents and other things, we do not do. Rather we like to do everything the exact same second as we are forced to do them.
- In Brazil, we have at least 5-6 inter-related agencies and/or other organizations that have to be managed in sequence when trying to do something with public organizations in general. However, clearly, there is no sequence but rather as many registrations, and thereby included procedures, as there are organizations.
Well, this might sound negative. Of course, to some extent it is as for example the element of time. But as a Swedish dude becoming tropicalized I am becoming used to the ways of working and my view of what is really important in life has altered some. For example, there are other things in life much more important than efficiency. But, it is impossible not to be amused by the lack of coordination. After all, opening a company should be fast right? Gaining tax money, creating jobs and all in all being positive for society. But, that is someone else’s headache right? And, while waiting for things to happen it is always possible to solve things in another way, for in Brasil it is always possible to solve things. However in doing so you must be prepared for taking turns you did not know existed when starting the project, because here everything that involves any type of administration is a project.
Well, this turned out to be a rather long blog already… so I think I will blog again about how strange it is for a guy that celebrated Christmas in snow and cold weather 37 years in a row for the first time being in a tropical area for Christmas.
Tudo bem!
// Brassenick
Brassenick 