Yeah, I pretty much love my site. Although its about a 4km walk in from either direction, it is LOVELY! However, I'm not really looking forward to hauling my groceries that far. If you're trying to find it on a map its about a 20 min bus ride NNE of Villarica, a pretty sizeable city. The site itself is settled in the hills which pretty much ensures a firm rump by the end of my 2 years. The community is filled with really nice people including those firey Paraguayan grandma types that I love so very much. Although there's a good share of political issues that have been going on in the past few months, the community itself seems pretty motivated and hard-working. It is economically sustained by mostly sugar cane, as there is both a sugar processing plant and ethonol plant within a few miles. I get to learn about a new crop.
This week, I saw the COOLEST plant. It was a pitcher plant, but it was a VINE, which is really cool for the nerd within.
Anyway, I need to go pick up groceries for Thanks Giving. Plus its 2:15pm and I havent really eaten anything today. I Love you all
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Site assignment
Well folks, I know where I'm going to be living for the next 2 years: the Department of Guairá. I go to visit it this Friday. I'll tell you more about it when I have a better feel for what I'm getting myself into. Chau!
Camila
There aren't many options, living in the campo. It makes people grow up quickly. Camila is in her mid-teens. She dresses nicer than any of her family. Each authoritative broom stoke she leaves on the orange dirt floor of her house counts the days down to her still unforseen wedding. They say here that if you sweep well you'll get a handsome husband. She's well on her way.
I stayed with Camila's family during Long Field Practice and felt a little child-like in her presence. Here was a woman, several years my minor, who looked as if any day now she'd be prepared to run a household and make babies. The maturity train must have skipped the Ptates and gone straight to Paraguay.
The last day I was there, her suiter made a house call. He was just leaving as I emerged from packing my things. Passing the family sleeping area, I caught a glimps of this Paraguayan beauty laying on her bed, sucking her thumb. Sometimes I wonder if the campo makes people grow up too fast.
I stayed with Camila's family during Long Field Practice and felt a little child-like in her presence. Here was a woman, several years my minor, who looked as if any day now she'd be prepared to run a household and make babies. The maturity train must have skipped the Ptates and gone straight to Paraguay.
The last day I was there, her suiter made a house call. He was just leaving as I emerged from packing my things. Passing the family sleeping area, I caught a glimps of this Paraguayan beauty laying on her bed, sucking her thumb. Sometimes I wonder if the campo makes people grow up too fast.
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Well, its been a while. I find updating the blog to be a chore, but not because I don't want to keep you all updated, but rather because I have no clue what to write about. So much happens, and all I have time to write about is the frogs or the moon. Oh well, here goes.
This week we have Long Field Practice. In groups of 4 we go to a current volunteer's site and stay with families, help them with current projects, and generally see what its like to be in the campo (countryside). Side note to parents: remember when I was in 3rd grade and couldn't get the proper spelling of 'countryside' down? I still use the same ditty, you know, the one that goes to 'Camptown Ladies?' And I still remember that Concord is the capital of New Hampshire, thanks to that hampter and his silly fruit preferences.
In a week and a half we find out our site assignments. Throughout the history of Peace Corps training, this has been a major source of anxiety. For me, it's not really because I don't trust that they are going to put me into an appropriate site, but rather just the inability to plan and mentally prepare oneself. Like the states, Paraguay has many distinct regions that have their own way of speaking, traditions, ect. I'll be sure to keep you all posted when I find out.
Where did October go, anyway?
This week we have Long Field Practice. In groups of 4 we go to a current volunteer's site and stay with families, help them with current projects, and generally see what its like to be in the campo (countryside). Side note to parents: remember when I was in 3rd grade and couldn't get the proper spelling of 'countryside' down? I still use the same ditty, you know, the one that goes to 'Camptown Ladies?' And I still remember that Concord is the capital of New Hampshire, thanks to that hampter and his silly fruit preferences.
In a week and a half we find out our site assignments. Throughout the history of Peace Corps training, this has been a major source of anxiety. For me, it's not really because I don't trust that they are going to put me into an appropriate site, but rather just the inability to plan and mentally prepare oneself. Like the states, Paraguay has many distinct regions that have their own way of speaking, traditions, ect. I'll be sure to keep you all posted when I find out.
Where did October go, anyway?
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
These are a few of my favorite things...
Sunsets
For lots of reasons (dust, burning, humidity, pollution), there is always a lot of sediment in the Paraguayan sky, so even if there aren't any clouds to speak of, there is always a brilliant splash of orange and yellow behind all those spikey palm trees.
Frogs
There is a wetland area across from my house where the frogs like to hang out. Some nights are filled with maybe a dozen calls. Some sound like cats, some bellow, most just sound like they came direct from an old science fiction movie. Paraguayans say that when the frogs sing, its going to rain soon. Oddly enough, they also say this when a cat washes its face.
The Moon
The moon here is slightly askew from what I'm used to seeing, but recently it's been a brilliant white pearl in the sky. I was walking home with my host mom on a normally very dark road that last night was dappled with the shadows cast by the trees in the moonlight. It was lovely.
For lots of reasons (dust, burning, humidity, pollution), there is always a lot of sediment in the Paraguayan sky, so even if there aren't any clouds to speak of, there is always a brilliant splash of orange and yellow behind all those spikey palm trees.
Frogs
There is a wetland area across from my house where the frogs like to hang out. Some nights are filled with maybe a dozen calls. Some sound like cats, some bellow, most just sound like they came direct from an old science fiction movie. Paraguayans say that when the frogs sing, its going to rain soon. Oddly enough, they also say this when a cat washes its face.
The Moon
The moon here is slightly askew from what I'm used to seeing, but recently it's been a brilliant white pearl in the sky. I was walking home with my host mom on a normally very dark road that last night was dappled with the shadows cast by the trees in the moonlight. It was lovely.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
A day in the life of me
Ok, here goes.
6:45-- get up, drink cosido, get dressed, brush the teeth and I'm out the door by 7:30.
7:45-- Intensive language class. We're talking 4 hours of Guaraní here. At least we get two recesses. Bring out the frizbee!
11:30-- Walk back home and eat lunch with my host mom.
1:00-- technical classes, some times language. Topics include Paraguayan soils, farming calendar, small animal husbandry, cover crops, agroforestry, etc. It's all pretty interesting
5:00-- Jaha che rógape! Go home, drink more cosido, chill, study, dinner and chatting.
10:00-- bed!
Well, this goes for most days, but pretty often we have breaks in the routine. Wednesdays we go to Guarambaré for the big meeting of all 4 sectors.
My living situation: I live mostly with my host mom. My host sister, who's 20, comes home from Asunción on the weekends, and is really fun to hang out with. My host dad shows up when he feels like it/ when he's not traveling for work. My host mom is probably the sweetest lady I know. I know its in 2 months still, but I hope I can visit her regularly when I go to my site. She's also a great way to get to know the community since she's lived here all her life and knows pretty much everybody.
Mail: It makes me sad when I don't get letters when the post arrives. An email is dandy, but its not something I can hold and take with me to the campo. Write me letters!
6:45-- get up, drink cosido, get dressed, brush the teeth and I'm out the door by 7:30.
7:45-- Intensive language class. We're talking 4 hours of Guaraní here. At least we get two recesses. Bring out the frizbee!
11:30-- Walk back home and eat lunch with my host mom.
1:00-- technical classes, some times language. Topics include Paraguayan soils, farming calendar, small animal husbandry, cover crops, agroforestry, etc. It's all pretty interesting
5:00-- Jaha che rógape! Go home, drink more cosido, chill, study, dinner and chatting.
10:00-- bed!
Well, this goes for most days, but pretty often we have breaks in the routine. Wednesdays we go to Guarambaré for the big meeting of all 4 sectors.
My living situation: I live mostly with my host mom. My host sister, who's 20, comes home from Asunción on the weekends, and is really fun to hang out with. My host dad shows up when he feels like it/ when he's not traveling for work. My host mom is probably the sweetest lady I know. I know its in 2 months still, but I hope I can visit her regularly when I go to my site. She's also a great way to get to know the community since she's lived here all her life and knows pretty much everybody.
Mail: It makes me sad when I don't get letters when the post arrives. An email is dandy, but its not something I can hold and take with me to the campo. Write me letters!
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Oh Paraguay, you're so funny.
Well, I literally just got back from visiting a volunteer at her site, which generally rocked. The moment I got there I was thrown into the celebration party regarding the chicken coop project that the volunteer helped with. Then more social activities, tereré and dinner. I slept almost all of Saturday and on Sunday we did a river walk in a very jungley area, which made me feel like I was in South America or something. Today I got up at 4:00am to catch one of the two busses into town, then to Asunción, then to Guarambaré. In all, a lovely getaway from then intensity of training, and nice look into my future reality.
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