Abby, Zoë and Enzo

There was a party scheduled from 8 AM until 8 PM on the roof, so our plans to take the girls for a morning swim at the pool was in vain.  The girls were disappointed.  Usually Laura does not go up to the roof during those party times, but I checked it out around 4 PM.  The party was just a bunch of kids getting together to hang out and drink and listen to some loud music.  The music was being played so loud on such a horrible device that the sound was distorted and almost unrecognizable.  The place was a mess, as happens here in Brazil.  Cups and trash on the floor, olive pits spit wherever, beer cans in the pool as I am sure food and other stuff in there as well.  Nobody picks up after themselves, not at parties, not at restaurants, not at the beach, not in parks or public places, no where.  I get strange looks from customers and employees when I wipe the table, or throw our trash out after the meal, just doing common courtesy things, like being considerate to others.  Just last night, I watched a larger muscle bound guy keep leaning back in his chair at dinner, until he heard it crack.  Everyone at his table looked, he readjusted himself, and kept leaning back.  No consideration that he just broke this plastic chair that someone else has to use.  Sure at home this would be a minimal item, but here these cheap chairs cost more than US$10.  There isn't that level of courtesy or consideration here that we are accustomed to, that you are sharing this public space with someone else, as you have in other countries or parts of the world.  I guess here, they are providing jobs for others.  They must surely employ someone to do this clean up, but unfortunately it is too little too late, until cleaned up, it is litter, and very messy and pervasive.  There is a strong wind here, and the litter does not stay contained, so one party's litter, is a job for this condo cleaning crew, the street cleaning crew (monthly), and probably the cleaning crew of the neighboring condos that get debre rained down upon them, if they clean it up at all.  This is why there is trash in the streets, in the parks and at the beaches.