Holey Moley, I have a site!!!

I have a site!!! But I'll get to that in a minute.

First things first I need to describe my experience with fútbol. I was invited to a Cerro game by my hosts brother (there are two big teams. Cerro and Olimpia and they asked us our first week who we liked because its clearly really important. So even though I knew absolutely nothing about either team I claimed to be a Cerrista because my family are Cerro fans), I immediately invited Jen to come too, obviously. So after class we found our way to Asuncion and it was insane the amount of people were there. An interesting thing is that beer is not allowed to be sold in the stadium or anywhere near it because apparently people will get TOO crazy, which I completely believe. People are fanatical about fútbol here. There were tons of songs; I didn't understand any of them haha. It was such a great cultural experience! Plus they won, so that was fantastic!

 

 



 Next order of business: Food
Jen and I made snack for our tech class a week ago and we decided to make a fantastic salad that had lettuce (obviously), cucumber, red and green peppers, cheese, dried plums, oranges and avocado. It was a crazy mezlca but it was DELICIOUS! I also made a really good vinaigrette, and everyone was impressed with my skills, including myself! Our families were SUPER skeptical of the whole thing but once we forced them to try it they fell in love! That was so excited because we knew we had introduced them to something new and healthy! Way to go community health volunteers!
The next thing we learned how to make was Chipa. Chipa is like a really dense, semi-cheesy bagel. Its very traditional and its made in a tatakua (yeah I'm not sure if that's spelled correctly, shh don't tell). Jen's mom taught some of us and it was really fun, and they were amazed that we could do anything correctly in the kitchen haha.

 How delicious does that salad look, seriously!?!

 

 

look at us having fun!  

now that's a fire!

 



I'm just so proud of my chipa!

 



 I MADE A CHIPA PRETZEL!!!! :)

Yesterday before receiving our sites the staff took us to an awesome little town called Aregua. Its apparently the strawberry capital of Paraguay but they aren't in season currently. Shucks. We went to this hill/"mountain" thing, called a Cerro (not to be confused with the fútbol team), and the view was really beautiful. We did a little hike to the top, which would have been nice to know beforehand because none of the girls were dressed accordingly. I, for example, was wearing a skirt and fashion sandals. Not the best for hiking up rocks, although still fun. We also went to a famous lake there, but the water is so contaminated now that NO ONE will go in it. Its literally green with algae. Such a shame.

 

 

 

We returned from Aregua and received our sites! Drum roll please... I got Carmen del Paraná in the department of Itapúa. It's as south as I can go, honestly. If I went across the river I would be in Argentina. I'll be living about 30-60 minutes from the second largest city in Paraguay, called Encarnacion. Its supposedly super fun there so that's exciting! People will definitely want to visit me from my G. I mention this because I'm actually the farthest person in my G. Most people have at least one or two or 10 other G-mates nearby, but I'm sadly the only one who doesn't. I do, however, have other PCVs nearby. My health post seems super gaupo because they sent me a health plan magazine for their town, so I'm thrilled about this. My main contact is the directora from the puesto and as far as I know right now I will be living with her and her family for the first three months in site, I'm not 100% sure on this (or anything Peace Corps related ha). They seem to want me to work on project involving general health (I.e. dental health, parasites, etc) and also specified an interest in prevention of teen pregnancy so I would try to hold maybe a life skills course with a youth group to teach about healthy decision making, healthy relationships, goals for the future and then I would also throw in some sexual health info too. I'm pretty stoked about all of this, at the same time as being completely terrified. On Friday we go to meet our contact and then we'll visit our site for the next 5 days after that. What an awkward 8 hour bus ride. "sorry I don't know the language that well.. I swear I'm competent in some things! Please think I'm professional!" But, a super blessing is that they supposedly speak mostly Spanish instead of Guarani! :) hallelujah!
I'll update you when I know more info!  

Aventuras!

On Saturday we didn’t have class because we were given “Self Directed Time” to work on projects…so naturally some of my friends and I found our way to San Lorenzo to go to the mall. San Lorenzo is about an hour or so away by bus and we had to change buses at one point. Let me just clarify the bus system a bit. As we got on the bus we specifically asked if it passed by the “Shopping San Lorenzo” (yes, they use “shopping” as a noun here..very weird) and the driver said yes. After a bit we decided that we should maybe ask when to get off and he proceeds to tell us that he in fact does NOT pass by. So we had to get off and ask what bus to take next. It was fine and we made it. Oh it’s also important to note that if it’s raining the bus system (and Paraguay as a whole) shuts down typically. It seems weird but actually sort of makes sense because a lot of places don’t have drainage systems so the streets look like rivers. Yep, you guessed it, it was down pouring while we were on the bus. İQué Divertido! Once we got there we felt like we were in the U.S. practically. There was a McDonalds, a Burger King, a movie theater and the mall was actually very chuchi. There was grocery store attached and we obviously went there first. I bought a pack of oreos, a Hersey’s with almonds and a baguette. I really couldn’t resist the baguette because it only cost 1 mil (approx. $0.20). Next we went to the food court and found Chinese food. We all died and went to heaven. As you can see, food is a big deal to us PCTs. Later on, we went to the Mercado which is like an outdoor shopping area that has little stands with lots of different things. It was really cool to see the differences between the two shopping options.

Shout out to the Texas bunch for reading my blog!! Thanks guys! I received the letter from Mary Jayne on Monday, the 17th, and was thrilled about it! It’s the first piece of mail I’ve received while being in Paraguay. It may have arrived earlier but they sit in the main Peace Corps office, in Asuncion, until someone decides to bring them to Guarambare, where our training center is. I’m going to answer your questions here just because I don’t really know where the post office is in this town..but once I get settled into my actual site I’ll be able to explore a little and find one. I’m getting along with my family fabulously. They are so wonderful! My host brother is really awesome at explaining the language to me and takes in interest in helping me to understand so that’s super helpful! And my host mom does a spectacular job at making sure I’m comfortable while I’m here. My language is getting better but it’s sort of difficult to learn two completely different languages at once. It would be easier if I was already fluent in Spanish, then I could just focus on guaraní but alas, that’s not the case. I’m a little worried that I’ll go into my site knowing exactly the same, basic things in two languages and not know anything else in both. But I have to have faith in the system. They know what they’re doing…hopefully! Again, thank you so much for thinking of me and keep in touch!

Until next time!

Comfort Zone...what's that?

If one thing’s for sure, Peace Corps has taught me not only to work outside comfort zone…but to not even have one because even if I did, I would never be in it. I’m getting rather good at being thrown into crazy situations that I’d never experience in America. An excellent example of this is Long Field Practice (LFP). LFP is an opportunity for us, as PCTs, to experience what being a PCV is actually like. We went out to a campo community with a group of five, along with a language teacher (no, we didn’t escape language class during this trip haha) and a technical trainer. My group visited the most amazing PCVs, named Katie and Brad, who are married. As far as volunteers go, these two take the cake. I aspire to be like them, mainly because they are so resourceful. They had the BEST food options for us while were there. Let me just name a few of the snacks we devoured (keep in mind they are all homemade!!): bagels, hummus, pita, caprese salad, mozzarella, goat cheese and crepes. Their house is literally my food heaven.  Their site is literally the most beautiful place I’ve seen in Paraguay thus far. The view was breathtaking. When we arrived we were legitimately dropped off at a house of some random family that we’d never met before and were expected to live there only 3 days. How awkward is that?! “Hi family, I don’t know you, and you certainly don’t know me…but I’m gonna live in your house for 3 days and you’re expected to feed me. Oh and by the way…I can’t really communicate with you because I don’t know the language that well!!!” however, it must be noted that Paraguayans are among the most gracious of people. I’m always amazed by their willingness to open their homes, and hearts, to us.

We had a jam packed schedule chock full of activities. On the first day we got acquainted with our families and went to observe Katie and Brad while they gave a charlita (small charla) about dental health to some mothers. On the second day we had language class bright and early (Más guaraní!) and then we had time to prepare our own charlas about dental health. Later on that day, my group presented our first ever charla to a group of mothers. It was really nerve wracking but we got through it. Despúes, we all went for a run which was a really awesome way to see more of their community (have I mentioned that I’ve sort of gotten back into running? Well I have. Eating all of this fatty, greasy food makes me crave physical activity!) The next day we had more language and then had time to prepare another charla, which took up most of our day. In the afternoon, we participated in Katie and Brad’s computer class. It was so fun! It was sort of like a competition, each PCT had a little kid paired up with them and we had a scavenger hunt to complete which was teaching them how to use the internet and Microsoft Word. Later on we went on another run. That night we had a movie night and watched Frozen (EXCELLENT movie). It was so nice just being able to hangout and feel American, without feeling watched or without feeling out of place. On the last morning, we presented our second charla about parasite (general info and prevention methods) to a class of 6^th graders. It was so fun because the kids were really into it. We had to make sure to incorporate a lot games and activities to keep them engaged in the topic but I loved it. However, I will say that it’s pretty daunting having to teach a mini class about an intense topic while not really knowing the language as well as I’d like… oh well. Remember what I said about the comfort zone thing?

Some other random little tidbits:
I bought some peanut butter on the way to LFP which was so exciting and I had apples and pb aka my absolute favorite snack! Buttttt, the peanut butter here is a lot sweeter than I’m used to (imagine that); it will have to suffice.

Katie and Brad adopted the most adorable kitten named Pepper. She was my best friend during LFP. I didn’t think I’d want a pet while I’m here but after meeting Pep I definitely want one to keep me company once I’m site (name suggestions anyone?). Plus I realized that it will probably be my last chance to have a furry friend considering my betrothed is VERY allergic.

Oh! We had real life coffee every day at LFP. I didn’t realize how much I missed quality black coffee until I was able to have it again at their house. I felt like an addict for a minute there. Side note: it would be super duper awesome if anyone wanted to send me some decent coffee (starbucks brand or something similar) in the future!

list of random things I've done recently

 
Blerg. Life is busy.

I have about a zillion little things I want to mention so don't mind me while I rattle them off.

1. Eggs for brekkie: one night we were having fried eggs (among other things) for dinner and I casually mentioned that it happened to be one of my favorite breakfasts in the US and that my dad makes me eggs occasionally, which I love. This is a strange concept to them for more than one reason. [Let me just clue you in really quick... they don't eat "normal" things for breakfast. It's not that big of deal here, usually consisting of some sort of hot, sugary milk drink (which they consider coffee) and dense bread. But they also found it weird that my dad would actually cook something for me ha.] So anyway, they were really confused by what I was talking about but one of the following mornings my host mom went out of her way to make me fried eggs for breakfast and it was a really touching moment for me. And now it's become a weekend thing and I'm absolutely thrilled about it. Sweet, eggs.

2. Intentional Women's Day: we had a little fiesta at our Centro'i for int'l women's day and it was such a success! We invited all of our host moms and most of them actually showed up! We taught them how to make banana bread with the intent of teaching a healthier option. Total hit! excelllllent. We also did a zumba class and it was hilarious, they loved it! It was just awesome.

3. Yoga: I've gone to another yoga class and it's just the best. It's awesome to have time to just relax with friends. Plus my host sister is totally into it, so I love that we have this little activity to do together every Sunday.

4. Dance Class: what better way to spend your Saturday afternoon than walking 40 minutes away to go to a traditional Paraguayan dance class full of small children? Literally, the highlight of my weekend. I'm pretty sure the 8-10 of us who go are now an integral part of the choreography. Apparently its a serious commitment. I actually love it though. 

I love the skirts! :)

5. Speaking of dance, I watched my prima (cousin) at one of her dance performances and it was beautiful. They have these really intricate outfits and it was really cool to see such a traditional dance done by young kids. Also, at one point they had all these bottles on their heads... like 5 bottles high, because why not right?!

 

 
6. Centro de Salud: Jen, Bon-Bon and I have gone to the local Centro de Salud (essentially a hospital) twice now for an activity called Dia de Integracion. The purpose is to get some experience meeting new contacts at locations were we could potentially see ourselves working. It's actually hilarious though because when we think about it, its just amazing the amount of stuff they let us see. First of all, on our first visit we somehow managed to walk in and get a meeting with the director of the entire place. He literally dropped what he was doing to accommodate us. That would NEVER happen in the US. Then he proceeded to attempt speaking in English to us (referencing Bon Jovi and Pink Floyd) and every time we tried to ask legitimate questions he would sort of just ignore us and continue his music conversation. Once we finally got him back on track he led us around the entire place on a pretty extensive tour. He brought us into every open room (including the pharmacy and the x-ray room... is that okay? I'm not so sure, but whatever I guess). On our second visit we decided to talk to someone more specific and got a lot of awesome information from a woman in charge of a program called Escuelas Saludables. The program teaches health charlas in the local schools and sounds super promising. It's amazing to me that people are so accommodating, I can only hope that my site will be similar.
7. Wine/Movie Monday: this is a new addition to our weekly schedule, and it's fabulous. A few of us will get together and watch a movie in Jen's casita (little house) and just hang out and pretend we're in America for a brief moment. It's wonderful.
8. Pringles: I've grown to love them even more since coming to Paraguay, probably because I'm just being biased toward American brands. Whatever, don't judge me. Anyway, my host brother surprised me with a whole can of cheese flavored Pringles for my trip for Long Field Practice (LFP), which I'll talk about in a sec. It was super thoughtful of him!
9. Trash: we have this project called Aspirants en Accion where we have to partner up and come up with an idea of a potential long term project, for practice purposes. My partner, Emily, and I decided to do an environment project. The inspiration came from the fact that there is just trash EVERYWHERE. More specifically, there is a ton of trash near the arroyo (river/pond thing) which is sort of sad because a lot people use it as a social gathering spot on weekends. We decided to do a few trash pick ups with other PCTs and it has been really successful so far. We made a few Eco-Bricks (see pics below) and collected multiple bags of garbage. We're also going to set up a meeting with the Municipality at some point, but I'll fill you in on that later. (mostly because I'm lazy right now). One important thing you should know is that Eco-Bricks are a really cool concept but totally suck to make. They take a ton of time and HARD labor. I became best friends with a stick because it ended up saving my poor little hands while stuffing the trash into the bottles. The first day I actually ended up cutting my finger on some gross garbage..so I probably have some trash-related disease right now.. oh well. But I also acquired some sweet calluses which vaguely reminded me of my rowing days.

 



My G Mates are the best

Candace doing some hard work

Jen pretending to do work! haha

Tisa is super excited!

My First Eco-Brick

 

 

Pics above are the eco-bricks we managed to make!!!

So that's that for now.

wow, I actually constructed something!

We had the most awesome project this weekend. We traveled about an hour away to a town called Nueva Italia and went to a little campo school to build a fogon in the back. For those of you who aren't familiar with fogones, they are a type of cook stove that have a stove top and an oven option. They are made out of brick, mezcla (a mixture of dirt and cement, essentially) and sweat. Fogones are a much better option for people who would otherwise use a fire to cook and can't afford modern kitchens, because they has a lot of health benefits. One of the benefits being that it keeps smoke out of the kitchen, using a chimney mechanism.
We went on Friday and Saturday and it was awesome to finally get our hands dirty, literally. We learned how to lay the bricks, mix the mezcla, level each layer and essentially be construction masters. We got about half way done on Friday and even though it was hot (when is it not hot here?!) and there were these horribly annoying horseflies, I was eager to return bright and early Saturday to finish our masterpiece. Once we finished, the directora came out to check out our completed product and she was so thankful. It was completely heartwarming. If that was a glimpse into the gratitude my future site might have, then I have to say I'm totally stocked.

In other news, I changed my phone settings to be in all Spanish. It's totally weird, but oddly enough I think it will help me stay in a Spanish mindset. It's actually difficult to keep switching my brain from English to Spanish. Blerg.

I went to my first yoga class ever and used my new yoga mat for the first time (Thanks Holly and Morgy!). So, we have to do a project in a pairs called Aspirantes en Accion, and basically we have to come up with something to do with the community... more integration! (I'll fill you in on my project later) One of the groups decided to teach a yoga class and invited all the PCTs and their siblings. I took my host sister and it was so awesome to see them get excited about it. They can't wait to go next Sunday!

Uh..that's all I've got for now.
jajotopata! (bye in Guarani)



look at me doing hard labor!

supplies!



Sawing some metals rods

half way there!








QUE LINDO!





We're so proud! that's one good lookin' fogon!