It's summer! Well almost. The last day of school is Tuesday but the kids and teachers have already been in the summer mindset for weeks, only showing up to school for an hour or so for "exams".
As the days get hotter and longer, the conversations get shorter with sips of terere filling the gap. A typical conversation goes something like this:
"Haku"
"Heê, haku porã"
(It's hot.
Yeah, it's really hot.)
*Repeat every few minutes just in case someone forgot.
My community seems like a ghost town during siesta and most outdoor work occurs 5-10am and 4-8pm. I was working in my garden one afternoon and when I went to take a cold shower, my neighbor told me I had to wait until I wasn't so sweaty or else I was likely to explode. And that would have been unfortunate.
Speaking of gardening, I'm getting quite good at it! There are many vegetables and fruits that grow during the intense summers here. I have planted beet, squash, sunflower, cucumber, carrot, green pepper and eggplant. I'm hoping that people will see my lindo garden and want one of their own. Since my community is located so close to the pueblo, many people just go into town and buy veggies rather than growing them. Having their own gardens would be cheaper in the long run and much more convenient. I also want to start cooking classes because most people don't know how to cook with veggies.
This summer I'm also planning a couple of summer camps for the kids. One with general health themes and another as an art camp. I am definitely not an artist but the kids here don't really have a sense of creativity. They spend all day in school copying the teacher's notes off the chalk board and get in trouble if it's not perfect. I want to help them realize that it's okay to express yourself and be creative. So we'll see how that goes.
I have my computer back so hopefully I'll be able to update more often with blogs and pictures. I love and miss you all, especially this holiday season!
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Friday, October 15, 2010
Meltdown
The 8 month mark in Paraguay came and went. And I´ve discovered the past couple weeks that Peace Corps is not all baby animals and sunsets. Yes, I´ve had rough days but nothing compares to the past couple weeks.
It started when I got an infection that caused a very painful rash. After a couple of days I couple hardly walk; even the 30 meters to my neighbors`house was excruciating. I couldn´t walk therefore I couldn´t work. I stayed in my house all day and felt sorry for myself.
Then last weekend I got home from a very painful journey into town and my cat had knocked my computer off the dresser and the screen broke. So not only could I not walk, now I had lost contact with all my friends and family back home. I called a friend here in hysterics and she calmly told me that the world is not over and to text my parents so they can call me. They called a few minutes later and just hearing a familiar voice made such a huge difference.
However, I was still in a lot of pain. I had spoken with the Peace Corps doctor but the treatment she suggested wasn´t working. I finally decided it was time to go to the hospital. I told my host family what had been going on. Paraguayans are pretty ¨sin verguenza¨ (without shame) when discussing physical problems so I told them exactly what was wrong. They arranged for a ride to take me to the hospital. It was a very strange experience. The doctors in the ER were all hanging out and drinking tererè. After several minutes I went in, told them what was going on and they gave me a new treatment. This helped with the pain briefly but it was still very difficult to walk.
I had basically abandoned all work I was doing. I left the house maybe once or twice a day. My host mom came over to check on me at least 4 times a day to make sure I wasn´t in too much pain but she was still very worried. She told me everyday that I needed to go to Asunciòn and see my doctor there. I took her advice after a total of 9 days with this infection.
Now I´m back in site and doing much better. I walked over a mile yesterday and still felt alright. My computer is still broken but it´s not the end of the world. I was very lucky to have received two packages from home just before this whole ordeal started so I was able to surround myself with things that reminded me of home and with letters reminding me that I am not alone. But I think the biggest help came from talking with my host family. Once they knew that I wasn´t just hiding in my house because I hated everyone, they came to visit often and made sure that I was doing alright. I realized that when I´m having rough times, I can´t do everything on my own. And just when I start to feel that everyone at home has forgotten about me and moved on with their lives, I get a letter or something reminding me that that´s not true.
So aside from a lot of complaining in this post, I just want to thank everyone so much who reads this, sends me letters or packages, or just thinks about me throughout the day. It means a lot. Also, thank you to Mrs. Haskell and the students at St. Charles Catholic School who, even though you don´t know me or my community personally, you want to help us however you can.
It´s a hard journey that I´ve been crazy enough to go on. But you guys make it a whole lot easier.
It started when I got an infection that caused a very painful rash. After a couple of days I couple hardly walk; even the 30 meters to my neighbors`house was excruciating. I couldn´t walk therefore I couldn´t work. I stayed in my house all day and felt sorry for myself.
Then last weekend I got home from a very painful journey into town and my cat had knocked my computer off the dresser and the screen broke. So not only could I not walk, now I had lost contact with all my friends and family back home. I called a friend here in hysterics and she calmly told me that the world is not over and to text my parents so they can call me. They called a few minutes later and just hearing a familiar voice made such a huge difference.
However, I was still in a lot of pain. I had spoken with the Peace Corps doctor but the treatment she suggested wasn´t working. I finally decided it was time to go to the hospital. I told my host family what had been going on. Paraguayans are pretty ¨sin verguenza¨ (without shame) when discussing physical problems so I told them exactly what was wrong. They arranged for a ride to take me to the hospital. It was a very strange experience. The doctors in the ER were all hanging out and drinking tererè. After several minutes I went in, told them what was going on and they gave me a new treatment. This helped with the pain briefly but it was still very difficult to walk.
I had basically abandoned all work I was doing. I left the house maybe once or twice a day. My host mom came over to check on me at least 4 times a day to make sure I wasn´t in too much pain but she was still very worried. She told me everyday that I needed to go to Asunciòn and see my doctor there. I took her advice after a total of 9 days with this infection.
Now I´m back in site and doing much better. I walked over a mile yesterday and still felt alright. My computer is still broken but it´s not the end of the world. I was very lucky to have received two packages from home just before this whole ordeal started so I was able to surround myself with things that reminded me of home and with letters reminding me that I am not alone. But I think the biggest help came from talking with my host family. Once they knew that I wasn´t just hiding in my house because I hated everyone, they came to visit often and made sure that I was doing alright. I realized that when I´m having rough times, I can´t do everything on my own. And just when I start to feel that everyone at home has forgotten about me and moved on with their lives, I get a letter or something reminding me that that´s not true.
So aside from a lot of complaining in this post, I just want to thank everyone so much who reads this, sends me letters or packages, or just thinks about me throughout the day. It means a lot. Also, thank you to Mrs. Haskell and the students at St. Charles Catholic School who, even though you don´t know me or my community personally, you want to help us however you can.
It´s a hard journey that I´ve been crazy enough to go on. But you guys make it a whole lot easier.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Spring!
Today is the first day of spring here in the Southern Hemisphere, first day of fall for all you up in the North. It’s weird to think that winter just ended because it’s been ridiculously hot the past couple weeks. Paraguay does not conform to anything, not even the movement of the planets apparently.
Yesterday I went to the school to talk with the Director about starting charlas (short lessons) with the kids. I had kind of been neglecting the school for the past couple of months, I’m not sure why. When I first got here and was visiting the school regularly I always ended up sitting in a circle with the teachers while the talked about me in Guarani. It was uncomfortable but now I’m too the point where I understand more Guarani and sitting in a group of people not understanding much doesn’t really bother me anymore. So yesterday I decided to give the school another chance.
I thought I was planning strategically when I showed up near the end of the day so I wouldn’t get stuck talking with the teachers about my lack of a Paraguayan boyfriend for hours. But of course, nothing really ever goes as planned here. I talked to the Director for a few minutes and then he said, “by the way, you’re just in time for the meeting with the commission de padres (like a PTA). Would you like to say a few words or do you want me to talk?” I told him it didn’t matter. I did end up in a circle of women discussing my relationships, or lack thereof, but it was brief and the meeting began. A representative from PLAN (an NGO that works in many countries worldwide) talked about what they could do for our community. It was in Guarani so I zoned out. Then after about an hour the Director got up and said that I would like to say a few words. Crap. I had no idea what he wanted me to say so I just babbled on a bit about how I would be teaching their kids how to brush their teeth and that this summer I would be having a couple of summer camps for the kids. The end.
After the meeting I hung around for a bit and chatted with people. The Director was already planning on cancelling school for today because it was going to rain. And sure enough last night the storm started and it hasn’t stopped raining since! Volunteers love rain days. School is cancelled because the dirt roads have turned into muddy rivers and no one leaves their houses. It gives us a chance to rest, read a book, stare at the wall, without feeling like we are neglecting our community. I love my community but sometimes it’s nice to shut all my doors, think in English again and relax.
Work-wise, like I said before, I’ll be starting charlas in the school next week. I’m starting with dental health for 4 weeks. I’m also teaching the teachers how to make homemade detergent. I’ll also be working with the assistant director to get fluoride and parasite pills for all the kids in the school for next year and putting together a first aid kit with help from the hospital in Santani. Summer break starts in about 5 weeks, lots to do before then!
Yesterday I went to the school to talk with the Director about starting charlas (short lessons) with the kids. I had kind of been neglecting the school for the past couple of months, I’m not sure why. When I first got here and was visiting the school regularly I always ended up sitting in a circle with the teachers while the talked about me in Guarani. It was uncomfortable but now I’m too the point where I understand more Guarani and sitting in a group of people not understanding much doesn’t really bother me anymore. So yesterday I decided to give the school another chance.
I thought I was planning strategically when I showed up near the end of the day so I wouldn’t get stuck talking with the teachers about my lack of a Paraguayan boyfriend for hours. But of course, nothing really ever goes as planned here. I talked to the Director for a few minutes and then he said, “by the way, you’re just in time for the meeting with the commission de padres (like a PTA). Would you like to say a few words or do you want me to talk?” I told him it didn’t matter. I did end up in a circle of women discussing my relationships, or lack thereof, but it was brief and the meeting began. A representative from PLAN (an NGO that works in many countries worldwide) talked about what they could do for our community. It was in Guarani so I zoned out. Then after about an hour the Director got up and said that I would like to say a few words. Crap. I had no idea what he wanted me to say so I just babbled on a bit about how I would be teaching their kids how to brush their teeth and that this summer I would be having a couple of summer camps for the kids. The end.
After the meeting I hung around for a bit and chatted with people. The Director was already planning on cancelling school for today because it was going to rain. And sure enough last night the storm started and it hasn’t stopped raining since! Volunteers love rain days. School is cancelled because the dirt roads have turned into muddy rivers and no one leaves their houses. It gives us a chance to rest, read a book, stare at the wall, without feeling like we are neglecting our community. I love my community but sometimes it’s nice to shut all my doors, think in English again and relax.
Work-wise, like I said before, I’ll be starting charlas in the school next week. I’m starting with dental health for 4 weeks. I’m also teaching the teachers how to make homemade detergent. I’ll also be working with the assistant director to get fluoride and parasite pills for all the kids in the school for next year and putting together a first aid kit with help from the hospital in Santani. Summer break starts in about 5 weeks, lots to do before then!
Friday, September 3, 2010
Ups and Downs
Well August absolutely flew by. At the beginning of August, my group (G-32) had our 3-month Reconnect. We had some more language classes and boring stuff like that during they day. It was really nice to go back and stay with my host family from training. I feel like I've progressed a lot in my language since training and I was actually able to sit down and have a long conversation with them.
I also turned 22 in August. My birthday, to be completely honest, sucked. The only people who knew it was my birthday also knew that some other volunteer friends were coming to visit that weekend so they didn't make a big deal out of it. They all said "felicidades" and gave me the double-cheek kiss but that was about it. Oh, and my neighbors and I built a shelf for my house. My birthday also happened to be on the same day as a senora's birthday in the community so that night everyone went over to celebrate with her while I stayed at home alone. That was no doubt one of my lowest times here in Paraguay. But I can't really blame anyone here, I mean, they've known that women for probably most of their lives and I just showed up. Next year is bound to be better. Anyway, that weekend was great. Several of my friends came to visit and we hung out, ate delicious food (I finally opened my bbq sauce from Kansas City) and had a good time.
August was the month of burning. Farmers burning their fields before planting, people burning their trash (they always do that but it's worse in August) and wild fires from the previous two. Because of this, the moon was an eerie orange most nights, if you could see it at all through the smog. If you look up the weather online, the forecast all over Paraguay is for "smoke"; that's how bad it is. It got hot very quickly but just when I thought winter was over, September brought back the rain and cold. Luckily, the forecast says it's supposed to get up to 100 Fahrenheit by next week. Such is the weather in Paraguay.
Yesterday I got running water at my house! It's just a spout out back but it makes washing dishes and clothes so much easier. No more lugging buckets of water over from the neighbors house. I washed all my clothes by hand in under and hour today!
I am buying a piglet from my neighbors soon. They have 12 piglets that will be weaned from their mother by this next week and I'm going to claim one. A baby animal is surprisingly cheap here. The price goes up the longer you wait to buy it though, since the owner has to continue feeding it. I have no idea how to take care of a pig but a number of people have offered to help me. I'm going to raise it for food, not as a pet so don't worry mom and dad, I won't be bringing a pig home in 2 years.
This month is looking to be very busy. I'm hoping to get a community garden started up in a little barrio of Guaica. It's government housing and while many people there want a garden, they simply don't have the space. Luckily there is a huge plot of land very close to them that we're hoping to get our hands on. I also just discovered that my back yard is a lot bigger than I thought. I know, that sounds dumb but there's a face back there. I only just found out that the area behind the fence is also mine. So, I'll also be starting my own garden soon!
That's about all that's going on here. I'll be posting more pictures soon hopefully. Miss you all!
I also turned 22 in August. My birthday, to be completely honest, sucked. The only people who knew it was my birthday also knew that some other volunteer friends were coming to visit that weekend so they didn't make a big deal out of it. They all said "felicidades" and gave me the double-cheek kiss but that was about it. Oh, and my neighbors and I built a shelf for my house. My birthday also happened to be on the same day as a senora's birthday in the community so that night everyone went over to celebrate with her while I stayed at home alone. That was no doubt one of my lowest times here in Paraguay. But I can't really blame anyone here, I mean, they've known that women for probably most of their lives and I just showed up. Next year is bound to be better. Anyway, that weekend was great. Several of my friends came to visit and we hung out, ate delicious food (I finally opened my bbq sauce from Kansas City) and had a good time.
August was the month of burning. Farmers burning their fields before planting, people burning their trash (they always do that but it's worse in August) and wild fires from the previous two. Because of this, the moon was an eerie orange most nights, if you could see it at all through the smog. If you look up the weather online, the forecast all over Paraguay is for "smoke"; that's how bad it is. It got hot very quickly but just when I thought winter was over, September brought back the rain and cold. Luckily, the forecast says it's supposed to get up to 100 Fahrenheit by next week. Such is the weather in Paraguay.
Yesterday I got running water at my house! It's just a spout out back but it makes washing dishes and clothes so much easier. No more lugging buckets of water over from the neighbors house. I washed all my clothes by hand in under and hour today!
I am buying a piglet from my neighbors soon. They have 12 piglets that will be weaned from their mother by this next week and I'm going to claim one. A baby animal is surprisingly cheap here. The price goes up the longer you wait to buy it though, since the owner has to continue feeding it. I have no idea how to take care of a pig but a number of people have offered to help me. I'm going to raise it for food, not as a pet so don't worry mom and dad, I won't be bringing a pig home in 2 years.
This month is looking to be very busy. I'm hoping to get a community garden started up in a little barrio of Guaica. It's government housing and while many people there want a garden, they simply don't have the space. Luckily there is a huge plot of land very close to them that we're hoping to get our hands on. I also just discovered that my back yard is a lot bigger than I thought. I know, that sounds dumb but there's a face back there. I only just found out that the area behind the fence is also mine. So, I'll also be starting my own garden soon!
That's about all that's going on here. I'll be posting more pictures soon hopefully. Miss you all!
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
On My Own
I am all moved in to my house! I'm going to try to add some pictures to this but we'll see if it works. I don't have running water or a bathroom yet so I bring buckets of water over from my neighbor's house and use their bathroom. I can usually get by on 1-2 buckets of water a day unless I do laundry, then it's an additional 1-2 buckets. I just dug a trash pit in my back yard and I'm still deciding if I want to have a garden or not.
I couldn't resist adding this one. My neighbor's sow had 12 babies!! They are adorable. They are about 2 weeks old in the picture.
My kitchen, already messy. My oven is in the center and the walls are nicely decorated with pictures that Jill sent :). The house had 2 gas ovens in it already but they don't work. They are piled over in the corner which my host mom calls "el museo" (the museum).
My trash pit; only took me an hour to dig. Also, an example of why your should put a fence around your trash pit. Animals love digging through it looking for food.
My bedroom. I made frames for the pictures I brought from home and hung them on the wall. Also, there is another bed frame over to the side so whoever comes to visit me will have a bed to sleep in!
I have a lot more pictures that I will put on Facebook eventually and hopefully soon I will have pictures to post of my bathroom!
I couldn't resist adding this one. My neighbor's sow had 12 babies!! They are adorable. They are about 2 weeks old in the picture.
My kitchen, already messy. My oven is in the center and the walls are nicely decorated with pictures that Jill sent :). The house had 2 gas ovens in it already but they don't work. They are piled over in the corner which my host mom calls "el museo" (the museum).
My trash pit; only took me an hour to dig. Also, an example of why your should put a fence around your trash pit. Animals love digging through it looking for food.
My bedroom. I made frames for the pictures I brought from home and hung them on the wall. Also, there is another bed frame over to the side so whoever comes to visit me will have a bed to sleep in!
I have a lot more pictures that I will put on Facebook eventually and hopefully soon I will have pictures to post of my bathroom!
Monday, August 9, 2010
Then and Now
Six months ago my plane left the US bound for some country that many Americans don't even know exists. Paraguay has become my home and the people here my family. I still have dreams almost every night about being back in the States with my family and friends. I still sometimes wake up not knowing where I am and having to remind myself that I'm in Paraguay. I still have cravings for good cheese, chocolate or Kansas City barbecue. I've learned a lot in the past 6 months and I'm going to share some of those things.
I'm learning to cook! Real food, not just mac & cheese (although if anyone wants to send me some, I would be very happy). I've gotten pretty good at peeling vegetables with a knife. I actually enjoy eating lots of vegetables now! I can't really make anything without a recipe, let's not get crazy now.
Sharing has become a lot easier. Not that I didn't like to share before but it's different now. We share bites of food, the straw with tereré, glasses and silverware at meals. My host family does this thing where whoever gets the chicken heart cuts it into pieces and gives everyone a piece. I always thought that was cool.
I'm not as easily offended. During training my host mom commented on how everyone seemed to be losing weight except for me, who seemed to be gaining it. Not that my losing weight would be a good thing but I had never really been told something like that before. But I got into site and the women greet each other with "Hola gordita!" and it's meant endearingly. Because after all, if you're fat, you're happy!
Everyone knows everyone else's business. Secrets don't stay secrets for long and the best thing to do on a hot afternoon or a cold night is sit around and gossip. Everyone knows what I'm doing, where I'm living and who I danced with at the last fiesta. By the way, I'm supposedly getting married to my friend Eduardo because we danced for so long at the San Juan festival.
Bugs and spiders aren't really all that scary anymore. When I see a huge spider now I want to take pictures of it to gross people out back home. That's probably a good thing since there are tons of spiders living in my walls. We ignore each other though and it's all good.
Buses will always be late and over-filled so there's no reason to get upset about it. Usually there will be breast-feeding mothers, livestock and various furniture on the bus as well. I recently drank mate with a bus driver on a chilly morning while I was basically sitting on the dashboard. You just kinda have to go with it.
Along with going with the flow, I can now sit with a group of people only understanding about 10% of what's going on and be completely comfortable. I'm used to being stared at, being asked all sorts of ridiculous questions and saying thank you when someone says they like the color of my skin, as if I had anything to do with it.
If I want or need anything, I can't just ask for it directly because that would be rude. If I would like a glass of water at a neighbors house, I could wait for one to be offered, or I could say "Would you mind, if it's not too much trouble and if you're not too busy, getting me a glass of water and by the way, your outfit today is fantastic.” I'm no longer confused when someone says "come here a little" or when I'm told to put something "here no more". It's just more polite that way.
I've learned that many Guarani words sound almost exactly alike. Mburukuja, mbarakaja, mbaraka, and mbokaja just to name a few (passion fruit, cat, guitar and coconut palm). I'm pretty sure the native Guarani tribes just did this to confuse silly foreigners trying to learn their language in the future.
Roosters do NOT only crow at dawn. They crow all night and all day. And guinea hens are even worse. I didn't even know what a guinea hen was 6 months ago and now it's my nemesis at 4am when it won't shut up.
I've learned that I'm a lot stronger than I thought. I've done crazy things like dig a latrine hole with a bowl, teach a group of women how to bake bread in Guarani, sit around while everyone critiques everything about me, take a cold shower in the dark when it's so cold outside I can see my breath. Sometimes it feels like I've been here forever and then remembering I still have 21 months left makes me miss home so much. But most times I'm happy to have 21 months left because that means I still have a lot of time to do great things here.
Thank you all so much for your continued support. I love getting mail, I love hearing about what's going on in your lives and I think about you all everyday.
Love,
Mandi
I'm learning to cook! Real food, not just mac & cheese (although if anyone wants to send me some, I would be very happy). I've gotten pretty good at peeling vegetables with a knife. I actually enjoy eating lots of vegetables now! I can't really make anything without a recipe, let's not get crazy now.
Sharing has become a lot easier. Not that I didn't like to share before but it's different now. We share bites of food, the straw with tereré, glasses and silverware at meals. My host family does this thing where whoever gets the chicken heart cuts it into pieces and gives everyone a piece. I always thought that was cool.
I'm not as easily offended. During training my host mom commented on how everyone seemed to be losing weight except for me, who seemed to be gaining it. Not that my losing weight would be a good thing but I had never really been told something like that before. But I got into site and the women greet each other with "Hola gordita!" and it's meant endearingly. Because after all, if you're fat, you're happy!
Everyone knows everyone else's business. Secrets don't stay secrets for long and the best thing to do on a hot afternoon or a cold night is sit around and gossip. Everyone knows what I'm doing, where I'm living and who I danced with at the last fiesta. By the way, I'm supposedly getting married to my friend Eduardo because we danced for so long at the San Juan festival.
Bugs and spiders aren't really all that scary anymore. When I see a huge spider now I want to take pictures of it to gross people out back home. That's probably a good thing since there are tons of spiders living in my walls. We ignore each other though and it's all good.
Buses will always be late and over-filled so there's no reason to get upset about it. Usually there will be breast-feeding mothers, livestock and various furniture on the bus as well. I recently drank mate with a bus driver on a chilly morning while I was basically sitting on the dashboard. You just kinda have to go with it.
Along with going with the flow, I can now sit with a group of people only understanding about 10% of what's going on and be completely comfortable. I'm used to being stared at, being asked all sorts of ridiculous questions and saying thank you when someone says they like the color of my skin, as if I had anything to do with it.
If I want or need anything, I can't just ask for it directly because that would be rude. If I would like a glass of water at a neighbors house, I could wait for one to be offered, or I could say "Would you mind, if it's not too much trouble and if you're not too busy, getting me a glass of water and by the way, your outfit today is fantastic.” I'm no longer confused when someone says "come here a little" or when I'm told to put something "here no more". It's just more polite that way.
I've learned that many Guarani words sound almost exactly alike. Mburukuja, mbarakaja, mbaraka, and mbokaja just to name a few (passion fruit, cat, guitar and coconut palm). I'm pretty sure the native Guarani tribes just did this to confuse silly foreigners trying to learn their language in the future.
Roosters do NOT only crow at dawn. They crow all night and all day. And guinea hens are even worse. I didn't even know what a guinea hen was 6 months ago and now it's my nemesis at 4am when it won't shut up.
I've learned that I'm a lot stronger than I thought. I've done crazy things like dig a latrine hole with a bowl, teach a group of women how to bake bread in Guarani, sit around while everyone critiques everything about me, take a cold shower in the dark when it's so cold outside I can see my breath. Sometimes it feels like I've been here forever and then remembering I still have 21 months left makes me miss home so much. But most times I'm happy to have 21 months left because that means I still have a lot of time to do great things here.
Thank you all so much for your continued support. I love getting mail, I love hearing about what's going on in your lives and I think about you all everyday.
Love,
Mandi
Friday, July 9, 2010
A Day in My Life
I realize I haven't updated this in a couple months. That's because I don't really think my life has been that interesting lately. I don't have anything though-provoking or life-changing to write about so I'll just tell you all about a typical day in my life.
7:00am
I wake up to the sound of the giant pig squealing at the kitchen door because it wants to eat. It's a horrible noise but that's what pigs do so no reason to get upset about it. I lay in bed listening to the hustle and bustle around my house. My 20 year old sister has already left for work at the Municipality in the nearest town, Santani.
7:30am
I wander into the kitchen where my mom greets me with “Mba'éichapa neko'ê” (How did the sun rise? or How did you sleep?). Because I'm still not thinking that clearly in English, much less in Guarani I just reply with “Iporã” (Well). On my better days I can make a complete sentence with “Cheko'ê porã” but that usually doesn't happen. She replies with “Gracias a Dios” (Thanks be to God) then tells me to go sit down at the table so we can drink cocido. Cocido is delicious. It's yerba and sugar simmered over coals and then added to milk or water. We drink that and eat rolls or banana bread, if I can get my hands on some bananas, or chipa. Then we sit and listen to the radio and chat. My mom also sells soy milk so people come and go all morning with their 2 liter milk jugs getting refills for 2 mil (less than 50 cents).
10:00am
We eat a little snack and drink tereré together. If it's sunny we will sit outside in the shade and chat with neighbors who walk by. If it's rainy, like today, we stay under the porch and watch tv. My mom begins preparing lunch and I do laundry or go to the school to drink tereré with the teachers or hang out with other families and, you guessed it, drink tereré.
12:00pm
We all gather around the table for dinner. My 18 year old brother goes to pick up my sister from Santani for lunch. I am very lucky to be living here because my mom has a beautiful garden that she is very proud of. Because of this, she loves serving fresh veggies from her garden. It's also lettuce season right now so we have “salad” (lettuce, salt, oil and lemon) with every meal. The rest of lunch consists of a broth with meat or pasta or rice with meat and the ever-present mandioca. It's pretty much the same everyday.
1:00pm
On nice days we sit in the yard, eat fruit and drink tereré. I usually zone out of the conversation until I realize that someone has asked me something in Spanish and everyone is staring at me. Sometimes I go to the school or to another family's house. Lately I have been working on my house too. On rainy days everyone stays inside. I get some good reading time in and there is always a telanovela (soap opera) on tv, which my sisters are obsessed with.
4:00pm
At this point in the afternoon my host mom usually announces some social event that we will be going to soon. I never really get much warning on these things and the rest of the family already seems to know exactly what's going on. We have horse races, which usually are just men sitting around drinking beer while the occasional horse trots down the track. My mom, in addition to selling soy milk, also sells beer so it's a good event for her to go to. And if she brings her American daughter she gets even more business. I have also been to many rezos since I've been here. They are basically small memorial services. They happen 9 days after a person has died, then at 6 months, then a year, then every year after that until 5 years. People gather at the person's home and someone leads prayers for the deceased. Then they pass out chipa and cookies and candy and we socialize. I am usually a popular topic of conversation. My host mom introduces me as her daughter and other women always point out that I look more like Rosalba, my mom's sister who lives in Ciudad del Este. Apparently she is pale too. I would like to meet her sometime to see if these similarities truly exist. People tell me I'm linda (pretty) and I've been asked several times if I am German, Brasilera, a Mennonite or a model. They also ask if I have a boyfriend and tell me that I am going to find my husband here. Awesome, glad that's settled.
5:00pm
It's starting to get dark so everyone disperses to gather their cattle and herd them back to the pin for the night. If it's a chilly night we drink mate dulce, which is delicious or just tereré if it's a warmer night. We sit on the porch and enjoy each other's company. Sometimes neighbors come over and chat for a while. I usually get bored pretty quickly because all of the conversations are in Guarani so I wander off to my room to read or take a shower because it gets too dark. We don't have a light in the bathroom so showering is night is interesting. It's also nice to shower before it gets too cold because we don't have hot water.
8:00pm
The news comes on and we gather around to watch the news. It's surprisingly graphic compared with news in the US. My mom fixes dinner or sends someone out the the cruce (about 2km away) to buy empanadas if she doesn't feel like cooking. We eat dinner and watch the news and talk. Dinner has slightly more variety than lunch and I usually enjoy it a lot more. Sometimes it's a roast chicken, or fried eggs with veggie, or a mandi'o dish (my favorites).
8:30pm
Time for bed! My family goes to sleep pretty early so I head to my room and read or listen to music before I hit the hay around 9 or 9:30pm. It's very quiet at night except for the occasional dog fight or rooster crowing (the don't only crow at sunrise by the way).
I've sort of gotten into a routine and I'm discovering more and more ways that I can help this community. People still have to tell me “tranquilo, Amanda” some day when I get antsy about sitting around for hours. Life is pretty slow out in the campo but it's good. It's home.
7:00am
I wake up to the sound of the giant pig squealing at the kitchen door because it wants to eat. It's a horrible noise but that's what pigs do so no reason to get upset about it. I lay in bed listening to the hustle and bustle around my house. My 20 year old sister has already left for work at the Municipality in the nearest town, Santani.
7:30am
I wander into the kitchen where my mom greets me with “Mba'éichapa neko'ê” (How did the sun rise? or How did you sleep?). Because I'm still not thinking that clearly in English, much less in Guarani I just reply with “Iporã” (Well). On my better days I can make a complete sentence with “Cheko'ê porã” but that usually doesn't happen. She replies with “Gracias a Dios” (Thanks be to God) then tells me to go sit down at the table so we can drink cocido. Cocido is delicious. It's yerba and sugar simmered over coals and then added to milk or water. We drink that and eat rolls or banana bread, if I can get my hands on some bananas, or chipa. Then we sit and listen to the radio and chat. My mom also sells soy milk so people come and go all morning with their 2 liter milk jugs getting refills for 2 mil (less than 50 cents).
10:00am
We eat a little snack and drink tereré together. If it's sunny we will sit outside in the shade and chat with neighbors who walk by. If it's rainy, like today, we stay under the porch and watch tv. My mom begins preparing lunch and I do laundry or go to the school to drink tereré with the teachers or hang out with other families and, you guessed it, drink tereré.
12:00pm
We all gather around the table for dinner. My 18 year old brother goes to pick up my sister from Santani for lunch. I am very lucky to be living here because my mom has a beautiful garden that she is very proud of. Because of this, she loves serving fresh veggies from her garden. It's also lettuce season right now so we have “salad” (lettuce, salt, oil and lemon) with every meal. The rest of lunch consists of a broth with meat or pasta or rice with meat and the ever-present mandioca. It's pretty much the same everyday.
1:00pm
On nice days we sit in the yard, eat fruit and drink tereré. I usually zone out of the conversation until I realize that someone has asked me something in Spanish and everyone is staring at me. Sometimes I go to the school or to another family's house. Lately I have been working on my house too. On rainy days everyone stays inside. I get some good reading time in and there is always a telanovela (soap opera) on tv, which my sisters are obsessed with.
4:00pm
At this point in the afternoon my host mom usually announces some social event that we will be going to soon. I never really get much warning on these things and the rest of the family already seems to know exactly what's going on. We have horse races, which usually are just men sitting around drinking beer while the occasional horse trots down the track. My mom, in addition to selling soy milk, also sells beer so it's a good event for her to go to. And if she brings her American daughter she gets even more business. I have also been to many rezos since I've been here. They are basically small memorial services. They happen 9 days after a person has died, then at 6 months, then a year, then every year after that until 5 years. People gather at the person's home and someone leads prayers for the deceased. Then they pass out chipa and cookies and candy and we socialize. I am usually a popular topic of conversation. My host mom introduces me as her daughter and other women always point out that I look more like Rosalba, my mom's sister who lives in Ciudad del Este. Apparently she is pale too. I would like to meet her sometime to see if these similarities truly exist. People tell me I'm linda (pretty) and I've been asked several times if I am German, Brasilera, a Mennonite or a model. They also ask if I have a boyfriend and tell me that I am going to find my husband here. Awesome, glad that's settled.
5:00pm
It's starting to get dark so everyone disperses to gather their cattle and herd them back to the pin for the night. If it's a chilly night we drink mate dulce, which is delicious or just tereré if it's a warmer night. We sit on the porch and enjoy each other's company. Sometimes neighbors come over and chat for a while. I usually get bored pretty quickly because all of the conversations are in Guarani so I wander off to my room to read or take a shower because it gets too dark. We don't have a light in the bathroom so showering is night is interesting. It's also nice to shower before it gets too cold because we don't have hot water.
8:00pm
The news comes on and we gather around to watch the news. It's surprisingly graphic compared with news in the US. My mom fixes dinner or sends someone out the the cruce (about 2km away) to buy empanadas if she doesn't feel like cooking. We eat dinner and watch the news and talk. Dinner has slightly more variety than lunch and I usually enjoy it a lot more. Sometimes it's a roast chicken, or fried eggs with veggie, or a mandi'o dish (my favorites).
8:30pm
Time for bed! My family goes to sleep pretty early so I head to my room and read or listen to music before I hit the hay around 9 or 9:30pm. It's very quiet at night except for the occasional dog fight or rooster crowing (the don't only crow at sunrise by the way).
I've sort of gotten into a routine and I'm discovering more and more ways that I can help this community. People still have to tell me “tranquilo, Amanda” some day when I get antsy about sitting around for hours. Life is pretty slow out in the campo but it's good. It's home.
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