Taking Time to Smell the (Fill in the Blank)

As I've mentioned in previous entries, I walk a lot here in Rio. It's really an unavoidable fact of life in Brazil. While walking, I find myself thinking. Sometimes it's productive (how to organize my thesis chapters, etc.) but mostly it's just nonsense. The other day I was walking along, minding my business, when I was suddenly assaulted by the most horrific smell ever. My inability to place that smell, much to my dismay, led to me to think about smells in general.

Smell is, for me, the most fascinating of the senses. It's the only one directly tied to another sense (taste) and it's been scientifically connected to memory, happiness and love. And, from a literary standpoint, it's the hardest sensory experience to replicate with words. I don't know about other people, but smell ties me to place more than anything else. For example, there are smells that I will forever associate with the place I grew up, my grandparents' house, my parents' house, Nashville and Brazil. Brazil, and Rio in particular, offers a unique mixture of aromas.

Positive Smells:

Anyone who has lived or even visited Brazil in the summer knows that the smell of ripe mangos (or almost any other tropical fruit) is just about strong enough to cross a street and punch you out. The smell of the beach here drifts into the city for at least 2 blocks in Copacabana, Ipanema and Leblon. The vast number of bakeries and confectionery shops in the city adds bread and sugar to the lost list of smells. Strange as it may sound, construction sites smell great to me--- freshly cut wood, freshly turned earth, metal tools-- so, the building boom around here has been very enjoyable. Freshly laundered sheets flapping on lines in the sun and the hot, steamy smell of soapy laundry mat exhaust is nice too. The libraries and archives here, like most places filled with old books, smell awesome to me; ancient binding glue mixed with aging paper equals awesomeness.

Negative Smells:

Clogged and over-running gutters full of cigarette butts, leaves, garbage and dirt baking in the sun. Icky. Open or loosely closed sewer covers let out all kinds of nastiness into the air-- especially when it's hot. Car/bus/taxi exhaust (while not as bad as in the US-- fuel is mixed with other things-- some public transport runs on natural gas....you can imagine, I'm sure). Doggy poop-- there's no "pick up after your dog" law here....and there are a LOT of dogs. Fun times. Body odor. Oh lord. Some people just don't believe in deodorant and it makes me sad. Mold/mildew. We're currently in a muggy, humid, rainy period and it seems like everything--- towels, clothes, sheets, furniture-- gets moldy easily.

So, all in all, this city is a virtual cacophony of smells-- good and bad. Some are enough to make you naseous and others make your mouth water. What's my point in all this? Well, I've never cared for the phrase, "stop and smell the roses". Personally, I think roses smell like feet. I've never liked them. I prefer to advocate that people simply stop and smell. Smelling is really very sensual. You have to stop, breathe deeply and concentrate to identify a smell. Smelling things is sort of the epitome of living in the present. I'm trying to do a bit more of that. Taking things as they come, enjoying the little things and being content with reality.

Oh, and in case anyone was wondering, the one smell--above all others-- that I will forever associate with Rio/Brazil is: the pipoca (popcorn)/churros cart. Ohhhh....the delicious combination of salty and sweet that drifts from those carts can make me hungry even after I've just eaten a huge meal. It's uncanny. Mixing buttery popcorn and caramel popcorn into a big ball of fatty goodness is one of life's greatest pleasures; perfect in it's unhealthy simplicity. And the churros-- fried sticks of dough stuffed with chocolate or dulce de leite and rolled in sugar-- are the food of the gods, pure and simple. On the note, I wish everyone a day of interesting and enjoyable smells!

Until next time...