Paraguay: A Peace Corps Adventure: April 2015

What has happened since last time we chatted? Well it was Semana Santa (Holy Week), which was weird because it was my second one. I’m at the point where I’m starting to repeat events! Wow, that must mean I’ve been here a long time! So anyway, I spent some of semana santa in Villa Florida (Jen’s site). I originally was supposed to go to Tañarandy, which is a town famous for its productions on Holy Thursday and Good Friday, with my family but they ended up not being able to go because there was a suspected case of Dengue in my site and my host mom, being the guapa lady that she is, had to take care of that. So I went to VF. On Good Friday they had this beautiful reenactment of the crucifixion where they started at the church and then we all followed as the Jesus character carried the cross all the way around the plaza, then afterward they “crucified” him. It was actually very impressive!

On Saturday, we met up with some PCV friends in Villarrica for dinner and drinks and then we all spent Easter Sunday in Bonna’s site! We had roasted chicken and veggies, carrot cake, French onion dip, deviled eggs, etc. It was sooo rico! Then Jen and I got on a 2am bus back to our sites. Ew. That was not awesome. But you gotta do what you gotta do. It was so lovely being able to spend the holiday with friends and just be American and talk about how we typically spend Easter in the States and such.

YUM! deviled eggs!

I’ve started/organized a Club de Embarazadas (pregnant women’s club) at the Centro de Salud with one of the nurses and the nutritionist. It’s every Tuesday and to be perfectly honest I don’t do that much. They give the presentations and I basically just help set up and take everything down. I guess that’s the ultimate goal, sustainable projects that can last when I leave… but it’s just kind of weird haha.

I'll also be starting a English class with Leti for kids! We're doing it in the library of one of the schools in town on Mondays and Thursdays. We're gonna start in May so that should be...interesting. haha

This last Friday I went to Abbie’s site (another PCV) for her despedida (going away party). We did one of those things where you go to a painting place and drink wine! It was SO fun! I mean we made it into that…there is an art teacher that Abbie knows well and she opened up for us that night and helped us with our paintings and let us drink wine haha. I was so impressed by her shop! Her paintings were beautiful and she was able to help all of us with our ideas! It’s sad to see Abbie go because she’s the only other health volunteer in Itapua, but I’m pretty certain we’ll be getting a few more with the new group. It’s just so crazy the turnover rate. As soon as you get close with people from other G’s, they leave. We’re gonna miss Abbie SO much!!!

Look what I painted!!!!! I'm so proud of it!

Fun night painting with my girls!

Miriam G-42, me G-44, Abbie G-41, Ruchi G-43

Speaking of the new group, it’s super crazy to think that my G is now the top dog in the health sector. I don’t feel like we’re ready hahaha but I’m sure that’s what G-41 thought too when we got here! I was able to do some site development with one of my bosses, Gloria. It was awesome to see how they choose sites and the whole process behind it all, and I felt lucky to be able to give my input as a volunteer!

Also, I did my World Camp with Miriam in her site and it was obviously fabulous! Now we've been invited to go into training and teach the new trainees about the camp so that they can do it in their sites! AHH it's so awesome to be a part of something so successful!

The biggest thing that has happened in recent news is that I’VE LIVED IN CARMEN DEL PARANA FOR A WHOLE YEAR NOW!!!!! It’s insane to me! I can’t believe I only have ONE year left. 12 months. I don’t know how many more weeks or days…those numbers seem too big and depressing haha. I only have one of everything left. One more Fourth of July, one more Halloween, one more Thanksgiving, one more Christmas. DANG! The time surely does fly. And I definitely trust the older volunteers when they say that the second year just flies by in an instant. You become so busy with your work and with trainings and with visiting your friends and with going on vacations (YAY Brazil in June or July!!!) and then all of the sudden it’s time to leave! I'm at a really good place in my service right now and that just feels so good! I should probably write something reflective…but I’ll save that for another day.

Oh and one more funny little story. I accompanied Yessica, our nutritionist, to a charla she was giving to the 7^th grade class. This age range is NOT my favorite, but whatever. I went and just watched essentially because she invited me last minute. At the very end the kids were asking me some questions (typical) and they asked me to speak in English. So I literally said “hello. My name is Ambyr. I’m from the United States”. That’s it. I received the most roaring applause you’ve ever heard. You’d think I had just performed some amazing skill or something. I thought it was hilarious and so did Yessica. After that we had to keep steering the conversation back to nutrition. It’s stuff like that that just makes you feel like a rockstar!

here are some photos from other things I've been doing..

this is what a VAC meeting sometimes looks like! hanging out with other PCVs and eating!

YUM asado!

Girls night in my site at the beach!

random abandoned boat

The following are pictures from a musical festival that some of the PCVs went to called Asuncionico, a whole bunch of American bands came to Paraguay and it was SO fun!!!!