Coffee, Scythe, and the Right Way to Wash a Bell Pepper

Escrito por Anna Bär

The day we first met online.
Anna in Germany, Ivo in Israel, Marcus in Canada, Erika & Pedro in Brazil - August 2016

When I remember Pedro, I mostly think about the time we spent at his and Erika's place in Belo Horizonte during Covid days circa 2020. My husband, Ivo, was one of Pedro's best friends and when I flew from Germany to visit him in Brazil we usually stayed at Pedro and Erika's place for a few days. They were so welcoming, and staying with them was always full of good food, great stories, and a lot of fun.

Pedro was a funny guy with some very specific habits—I'd call them "lovable quirks." He had a way of doing things that just had to be his way.

One of my favorite stories is probably the "Bell Pepper Quarrel." We were in the kitchen together getting ready to cook. I took a bell pepper, cut it in half, and was about to wash the seeds out with water. Pedro looked at me like I was doing something crazy. He was shocked! To him, you HAD to wash the pepper with water and soap before you ever touched it with a knife.

We had a sort of argument about it. In the end, I kept doing it my way, but Pedro couldn't even watch me. He had to turn around because it stressed him out too much to see my "wrong" technique. He was so quirky about things like that. He had these little compulsions, but he always maintained a sort of humor about them.

Then there was the coffee. Making coffee was like a ceremony for Pedro. He had all these different pots, filters, and tools. He didn't just "make" a cup; he crafted it. It took time, but it was worth it because he made some super delicious coffee. I think that was one of Pedro’s best qualities: he knew how to slow down and really enjoy the small things in life.

We also spent hours playing board games, like Scythe. It was always hilarious because the rest of us would sometimes try to make up our own "house rules" to make things easier. But not Pedro. He was a total stickler for the official rules. He would argue for the rulebook while we all just wanted to play. We always had a great time together.

I’m so happy I got to know him. Between the coffee, the games, and the "discussions" in the kitchen, Pedro and Erika made me feel like part of the family. He was a unique, funny, and kind person, and I’ll always have these great memories of our time together.