to many foreigners who visit and live in rio de janeiro, one of the great appeals of carioca culture is the perceived 'presentness' of the city's people - while in so many other cultures there is a strong preoccupation with rigid scheduling, or rumination on the past, the people of rio have a charming ability to 'be' and 'do' now - an attitude which is much celebrated in buddhist teachings.

the 'now' is the moment that the carioca inhabits, and the only way to enjoy and learn from their free, spontaneous, and expressive spirit, is to forget the past and the future and join them in it.