The 10 Bahiano Commandments
People in Bahia are know to have a relaxed, easy going attitude towards life. Somebody told me that it was something similar to the “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” attitude of Jamaicans, but without the “Don’t Worry”. Actually, I was amazed at the fact that I saw some stickers in a window in Salvador that said just that… “Be Happy”. Besides the stickers, Bahians like to poke fun at themselves, so you can find the following commandments on t-shirts and posters in stores everywhere. This is my translation of the portuguese version. Enjoy and Be Happy!
1. Live to rest.
2. Love your bed, it is your temple.
3. If you see some one resting, help him/her do it.
4. Rest by the day, so you can sleep at night.
5. Work is sacred, don’t even touch it.
6. Never leave for tomorrow anything you can do after tomorrow.
7. Work as little as possible; if work needs to be done, let somebody else do it.
8. Don’t worry, nobody has every died from resting, but you can get hurt working.
9. When you feel a deep desire to work, sit down and wait for it to pass.
10. Don’t forget, working is healthy. Leave it to people that are ill.
