Its been an really eventful complete of days! Yesterday the language staff took us on all day field trips to keep our minds off of our super important afternoon tell-all. It didn´t really work as my 15 passenger van of trainees sat in silence most of the day. Luckily, 3pm finally rolled around. They normally bring in the kid that cried the year before to talk about how their expectations weren´t met but now they love it. Apparently, 4 girls cried last year but they all early terminated within a few months, so that´s kind of funny! The volunteer was super nice though and wait it all boils down to is that our assignment is still just a bunch of words on some paper. We´ll get there and things may change or contacts may change. As usual, just go with the flow and be FLEXIBLE!
With that said, I didn´t cry but they´ll probably have me giving that speech next year. I´m not disappointed by any means, my assignment just isn´t what I had imagined at all. I´m the newest resident of Calle 2.000 Xaxi, Guayaibí (pronounced gua-ja-i-vi), which is in the department of San Pedro. San Pedro is the poorest department, so I´m glad I can help somewhere that really needs it! I´ll be working with a coopertive, Coopertiva Guayaibí Unidos, that is an agriculture coop with 80 members--VERY small. They produce mostly bananas and pineapples in the region and do some exporting to Argentina. As of now, I am told that want a volunteer because they´re interesting in improving farming productivity, exporting efficiency, and beginning to export tomatos. And the icing on the cake, I´m the most campo out of the 16 people in my training group!! That means that I´m living in the most remote area which I didn´t expect but I´m totally up for the challenge! My ¨city¨ has 400 people... so I´m sure they´re all going to know me! The second smallest site of the group has 2,000. Your pay is determined by how large your site is, and only 3 of us are at the rock bottom pay, which is 1.200.000 Gs a month. Its going to take a while to get over the novelty of being paid over 1.000.000 a month!! Also, I´m pretty excited because with a site so small I´ll be fluent in Guarani. I´ve kind of been holding off because a lot of people never even speak it, but it will be my form of contact I´m sure! I´ll try to throw in a Guarani lesson each time I write. Here´s today´s: Mba´eichapa is how you say ¨how are you¨ and the typical response is Ipora, which means good/well. Also, throw in a thumbs up too with it. They love the thumbs up here!!
Of the other 15 trainees, everyone is close to someone else other than myself and two others. Thats probably a good thing though because I really love some of the people in my group, and it will be better for us to be away from each other just for intergration purposes. And I´ll stay out of trouble too! :)
Other than that, we did some bee keeping this week and that was interesting. I´m not sure if I will have any of that in my site, but its definitely a trip! Even in full gear, which can be seen on Facebook, I still can´t get over the annoying sound of a ton of bees buzzing around my face! Ick!
This morning we had a a really early start. There have been bets floating around about a friend of mine sucking on cow teet. 5:30am was the magic hour apparently! I finally accomplished a life long dream of learning how to milk a cow (its sooo hard and I was horrible! Milk ALL over my feet... the squirt power is outrageously strong and unpreditable for amatures!) And my friend will put mouth to udder. The best part, our friend´s mom didn´t even think it was weird. Will said ¨and now like a baby cow?¨ in Guarani and she didn´t think twice. There were four of us there and we were crying we were laughing so hard. His payment for the best, another trainee, Andrew, has to kick 9 chickens. Kind of a random currency but should be entertaining too! Tons of great pictures that will have to be uploaded another day!!
So this week I´ll visit Guayaibí. We meet our contacts on Tuesday and have an overnight retreat with them at a center near here. Mine is the president of the coop and hopefully has patience since my Guarani SUCKS right now! Then Wednesday morning its off to our new homes for 5 days. I´ll get living arrangements together as well. We have to live with a family for the first 3 months and I´m planning on rotating houses every 2 weeks so I can get to know as many people as possible. We swear in on 17August and will spend 4 wild nights in Asunción before getting to our real jobs 21August. Wish me luck and keep the emails coming!
Oh, and one more note, although Ana was working for a while I´m doing yet another name change. Turns out Aña means devil in Guaurani. The Paraguayos don´t have a problem with Ana, but I do! Its Eva now... still sweet and simple (just like me! ha!)
Saturday, July 28, 2007
Saturday, July 21, 2007
mucho información!
First off, I need to appologize for not writing sooner. Its been very busy around here and its tough to find the 20 minutes it takes to write these dialogues. On the up side though, life has been moving along nicely!
Two weeks ago we visited a volunteer in Ybycui which is about 2 hours from here. We just went for an overnight tech excursion to learn about his co-op. It also doesn´t hurt that just up the road from him there is a great national park too! His co-op is mostly working with giving out credits to farmers but he is trying to start a few income generating projects for the group as well, so it was interesting to brainstorm the possibilities and likelihood of each. While in Ybycui, we all witnessed our first cow killing. We got up at 4:30am and it was worth it! Not that I am totally into killing animals or anything, but I realize how important meat is to the families in this country and how many families will benefit from one cow. I couldn´t take pictures but the boys did, so one day I may share. Mary, the only other girl in my training group, also witnessed a pig killing with me with the family we were spending the night with. Two large animals killed in less than 12 hours kind of made us angels of death or something! The park we visted on the way out of town was nice. Reminded me of all of our national parks in WV. There was a waterfall right off the road and we trekked another 1km or so up to a much more exotic one. Very tranquil!
Aside from our classes another trainee and I have been working with a strawberry farmer. This week we´re actually giving him a presenation about how he can improve his business by expanding into jams too. Actually, this afternoon we´re making jam with his wife. She´s super sweet and her daughter is too, so that should be fun!
A family in our pueblo had a Quince last weekend. It was actually fun this time considering I´ve been to one before that was a total drag and a wedding that was equally boring. It was smaller and almost completely comprised of families we are familiar with, so that could have easily made the difference!
I´ve spent the last 5 days in Valenzuela visiting another volunteer for what they call Long Field Practice. We had to prepare mini presentation (refered to as charla here) to the organization that volunteer works for. Four of us were at her site and my topic was financing an internet cafe. It went well and its super easy when you´re giving a charla to a group of grandmas! Might I add, I´m completely coveting the volunteer´s project! She gets to work with a women´s organization 80% of the time and a credit co-op 20% of the time. The women´s organization (AMUR) is completely great! It was like being at camp for a week and I was the best camper! We made recycled paper, soap, and cooked a few traditional Paraguayan dishes too. I loved it!! They also have computer, sewing, and leather working classes as well. In fact, we had aopo´i(s) (a hand-made shirt that is a favorite of the locals) made for 60.000Gs which is roughly $12! I´ve never had anything customized before, so it was a treat! My host family for the week was amazing as well! The mom, Ña Elsa, is probably the best cook in that village. She even made me homemade ice cream! We also visited another one of the org´s members that is really well off... and I mean REALLY! Her house was huge and surrounded by acres and acres and acres of caña dulce, which can be made into sugar, molasses, and liquor. That´s how she and her husband had so much money. In addition to a giant house, TONS of land, a dishwasher, two kitches and their own factories to process the caña, they also had pure bread dogs (which you NEVER see here... muts everywhere!), a POOL and a slew of exotic pets. Everything from an ostrich to bunnies, exotic birds and giant turtles, and even their very own MONKEY! It was completely surreal and I had to ask myself... am I really in the Peace Corps? Apparently there are bubbles like this throughout the country where you just find people with money. Valenzuela is actually socioeconomically well off compared to a lot of other pueblos, but this house really blew my mind. We ended our week by cooking an American breakfast. It was nice to be the host for once because we are always the guests in this country and rarely ever get to cook for others. We made pancakes, bacon and omeletes for our host moms. They couldn´t understand why would ever have a meal without bread or mandioca (the standard potato-esque veggie eaten with all foods here) during a meal.
My Spanish is coming along nicely, although I still have a lot to learn with Guarani. I can hold down conversations about women in politics, how long it will take to recoup your losses after investing in an internet cafe, domestic violence, and what its like to be from parents that are divorced. Not bad for only 7 weeks here!! I´m learning more and more each day though and there will be no stopping that process for most likely two years!
This Friday (SIX short days!) I learn where my home will be. I´ve requested a larger area, 5 hours or less from the capital and to not replace a current volunteer but we´ll see what kind of curve ball they throw my way. Its a complete gamble, but I´m very excited! I really like it here and to think I could be writing from Morocco!!(which was my original Peace Corps destination!) This country needs a lot of work but the people are so hospitable and kind. Its going to be a good two years! Once we learn our future location and assignment, we have another couple of days of training and then set off on our own to visit for 5 days. I´m sure then it will really set in what kind of adventure I´m really on.
I hope all of you are doing well and please try to email me if you can. Bueno suerte! :) (which means good luck!)
Two weeks ago we visited a volunteer in Ybycui which is about 2 hours from here. We just went for an overnight tech excursion to learn about his co-op. It also doesn´t hurt that just up the road from him there is a great national park too! His co-op is mostly working with giving out credits to farmers but he is trying to start a few income generating projects for the group as well, so it was interesting to brainstorm the possibilities and likelihood of each. While in Ybycui, we all witnessed our first cow killing. We got up at 4:30am and it was worth it! Not that I am totally into killing animals or anything, but I realize how important meat is to the families in this country and how many families will benefit from one cow. I couldn´t take pictures but the boys did, so one day I may share. Mary, the only other girl in my training group, also witnessed a pig killing with me with the family we were spending the night with. Two large animals killed in less than 12 hours kind of made us angels of death or something! The park we visted on the way out of town was nice. Reminded me of all of our national parks in WV. There was a waterfall right off the road and we trekked another 1km or so up to a much more exotic one. Very tranquil!
Aside from our classes another trainee and I have been working with a strawberry farmer. This week we´re actually giving him a presenation about how he can improve his business by expanding into jams too. Actually, this afternoon we´re making jam with his wife. She´s super sweet and her daughter is too, so that should be fun!
A family in our pueblo had a Quince last weekend. It was actually fun this time considering I´ve been to one before that was a total drag and a wedding that was equally boring. It was smaller and almost completely comprised of families we are familiar with, so that could have easily made the difference!
I´ve spent the last 5 days in Valenzuela visiting another volunteer for what they call Long Field Practice. We had to prepare mini presentation (refered to as charla here) to the organization that volunteer works for. Four of us were at her site and my topic was financing an internet cafe. It went well and its super easy when you´re giving a charla to a group of grandmas! Might I add, I´m completely coveting the volunteer´s project! She gets to work with a women´s organization 80% of the time and a credit co-op 20% of the time. The women´s organization (AMUR) is completely great! It was like being at camp for a week and I was the best camper! We made recycled paper, soap, and cooked a few traditional Paraguayan dishes too. I loved it!! They also have computer, sewing, and leather working classes as well. In fact, we had aopo´i(s) (a hand-made shirt that is a favorite of the locals) made for 60.000Gs which is roughly $12! I´ve never had anything customized before, so it was a treat! My host family for the week was amazing as well! The mom, Ña Elsa, is probably the best cook in that village. She even made me homemade ice cream! We also visited another one of the org´s members that is really well off... and I mean REALLY! Her house was huge and surrounded by acres and acres and acres of caña dulce, which can be made into sugar, molasses, and liquor. That´s how she and her husband had so much money. In addition to a giant house, TONS of land, a dishwasher, two kitches and their own factories to process the caña, they also had pure bread dogs (which you NEVER see here... muts everywhere!), a POOL and a slew of exotic pets. Everything from an ostrich to bunnies, exotic birds and giant turtles, and even their very own MONKEY! It was completely surreal and I had to ask myself... am I really in the Peace Corps? Apparently there are bubbles like this throughout the country where you just find people with money. Valenzuela is actually socioeconomically well off compared to a lot of other pueblos, but this house really blew my mind. We ended our week by cooking an American breakfast. It was nice to be the host for once because we are always the guests in this country and rarely ever get to cook for others. We made pancakes, bacon and omeletes for our host moms. They couldn´t understand why would ever have a meal without bread or mandioca (the standard potato-esque veggie eaten with all foods here) during a meal.
My Spanish is coming along nicely, although I still have a lot to learn with Guarani. I can hold down conversations about women in politics, how long it will take to recoup your losses after investing in an internet cafe, domestic violence, and what its like to be from parents that are divorced. Not bad for only 7 weeks here!! I´m learning more and more each day though and there will be no stopping that process for most likely two years!
This Friday (SIX short days!) I learn where my home will be. I´ve requested a larger area, 5 hours or less from the capital and to not replace a current volunteer but we´ll see what kind of curve ball they throw my way. Its a complete gamble, but I´m very excited! I really like it here and to think I could be writing from Morocco!!(which was my original Peace Corps destination!) This country needs a lot of work but the people are so hospitable and kind. Its going to be a good two years! Once we learn our future location and assignment, we have another couple of days of training and then set off on our own to visit for 5 days. I´m sure then it will really set in what kind of adventure I´m really on.
I hope all of you are doing well and please try to email me if you can. Bueno suerte! :) (which means good luck!)
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
Mba´éichapa!
Its been a week or so since my last update, and I appologize. Its not always easy to get to a computer, and past that... sometimes there is just nothing new to report!
As you may be able to tell by the title of this entry, I´ve breezed through Spanish classes and as of yesterday I am fully in Guarani territory! Its definitely a very difficult language to say because there are 9 ¨nasal¨ letters that are a terror to pronounce correctly. Past that, many words can have different meetings. Heê means yes, and He´e means rico (rich, as in rich food). Since its an indigenous langauge, they don´t have a complete list of vocab so a few are pulled from Spanish. Its still rough! Luckily, my host grandfather speaks almost no Spanish, so I can practice on him all the time. I´ll keep you posted on my progress!
Big SHOUT OUT to one very special Zachery Scott. He sent a letter weeks ago and it was the first piece of mail I´ve received! Dad sent a letter and a packages ages ago, but they haven´t shown up. Actually, I was notified today that my package is in Asunción, but I have to go through 100 steps to get it. Hopefully I can have it in my posession by next week. The things a PCT has to go through to get some deodorant!
Saturday morning we got up early (we were on the road by 6:30am) to drive to THE Chaco! The Chaco makes up about 80% of the land but only about 5-10% of the population lives there. Its was somewhat barren, but we didn´t go in very deep. About 20km across the ¨border¨ there is an Agricultural School to teach young boys and girl better farming methods. It was the ultimate summer camp location too! They had beautiful yellow dorms dotting the landscape and everything farm related you can think of. We explore fish breeding ponds, every vegetable and fruit on earth, cows, chickens, goats, and much more. However, my favorite (and my mom will be proud!) were the baby PIGS! They are soooo cute, however last night we found one in our neighborhood, and I´m sorry to report the babies squeel just as much as the adults. A real let down! My friend has promised to train a midget pig (but I want it to always be a baby!) to not squeel and then give it to me next year for my birthday. The crazy thing is that is a perfectly normal gift! Actually, its probably too nice of a gift.... we´ll see if he actually comes through next April though.
After our Chaco trip we headed to Ascunción to spend the night. We stayed in a relatively nice two star hotel for 55.000 Gs a night ($11). The PC has a special deal with them always, which is great to know! Normally it would cost 3 times that. I think we all took showers for 20 minutes, 2-3 times while there too. Having the pressure was heaven! We wanted some non-PY food too, so we sought out an all you can eat Chinese restaraunt. We paid almost as much as we did for our room for that one meal, but it was totally worth it to have sweet and sour chicken, dim sum, and veggies!
Sunday was a big Independence Day party at the Embassy. The Embassy is MASSIVE! Its a solid 4 city blocks or more and is apparently the 2nd largest in the world. It was nice to chat with some other volunteers. I must report though that we had our butts kicked in volleyball. Turns out the Marines don´t even play because the Paraguayans murdered them last year. We learned our lesson the hard way. It was embarassing but of cource, FUN! We´ve already begun training so we can regain dignity next year!
This weekend we´re having an overnight at a volunteer´s site to help him with a project then Saturday afternoon we´re going to some great park for a picnic. If its warm, we can even swim! It ill be really nice to get some sun since we´re indoors so much for training. Sunday is my brother´s 9th birthday, but I think I have to miss the celebration because we´re trying our hands at BEEKEEPING! We hear about it a lot since we will most likely be working with farmers or farming families, so I´m really pumped to suit up! The funny thing is though you actually have to make a bee sting you before you can do the work, so apparently its hilarious to watch everyone try to force a bee to sting their arms.
Well, thats about all I have now. Please continue to write and let me know if you have any pressing questions. I´m enjoying myself down here in the sometimes Twilight-esque Zone, and I wish nothing but the best for all of you too!
As you may be able to tell by the title of this entry, I´ve breezed through Spanish classes and as of yesterday I am fully in Guarani territory! Its definitely a very difficult language to say because there are 9 ¨nasal¨ letters that are a terror to pronounce correctly. Past that, many words can have different meetings. Heê means yes, and He´e means rico (rich, as in rich food). Since its an indigenous langauge, they don´t have a complete list of vocab so a few are pulled from Spanish. Its still rough! Luckily, my host grandfather speaks almost no Spanish, so I can practice on him all the time. I´ll keep you posted on my progress!
Big SHOUT OUT to one very special Zachery Scott. He sent a letter weeks ago and it was the first piece of mail I´ve received! Dad sent a letter and a packages ages ago, but they haven´t shown up. Actually, I was notified today that my package is in Asunción, but I have to go through 100 steps to get it. Hopefully I can have it in my posession by next week. The things a PCT has to go through to get some deodorant!
Saturday morning we got up early (we were on the road by 6:30am) to drive to THE Chaco! The Chaco makes up about 80% of the land but only about 5-10% of the population lives there. Its was somewhat barren, but we didn´t go in very deep. About 20km across the ¨border¨ there is an Agricultural School to teach young boys and girl better farming methods. It was the ultimate summer camp location too! They had beautiful yellow dorms dotting the landscape and everything farm related you can think of. We explore fish breeding ponds, every vegetable and fruit on earth, cows, chickens, goats, and much more. However, my favorite (and my mom will be proud!) were the baby PIGS! They are soooo cute, however last night we found one in our neighborhood, and I´m sorry to report the babies squeel just as much as the adults. A real let down! My friend has promised to train a midget pig (but I want it to always be a baby!) to not squeel and then give it to me next year for my birthday. The crazy thing is that is a perfectly normal gift! Actually, its probably too nice of a gift.... we´ll see if he actually comes through next April though.
After our Chaco trip we headed to Ascunción to spend the night. We stayed in a relatively nice two star hotel for 55.000 Gs a night ($11). The PC has a special deal with them always, which is great to know! Normally it would cost 3 times that. I think we all took showers for 20 minutes, 2-3 times while there too. Having the pressure was heaven! We wanted some non-PY food too, so we sought out an all you can eat Chinese restaraunt. We paid almost as much as we did for our room for that one meal, but it was totally worth it to have sweet and sour chicken, dim sum, and veggies!
Sunday was a big Independence Day party at the Embassy. The Embassy is MASSIVE! Its a solid 4 city blocks or more and is apparently the 2nd largest in the world. It was nice to chat with some other volunteers. I must report though that we had our butts kicked in volleyball. Turns out the Marines don´t even play because the Paraguayans murdered them last year. We learned our lesson the hard way. It was embarassing but of cource, FUN! We´ve already begun training so we can regain dignity next year!
This weekend we´re having an overnight at a volunteer´s site to help him with a project then Saturday afternoon we´re going to some great park for a picnic. If its warm, we can even swim! It ill be really nice to get some sun since we´re indoors so much for training. Sunday is my brother´s 9th birthday, but I think I have to miss the celebration because we´re trying our hands at BEEKEEPING! We hear about it a lot since we will most likely be working with farmers or farming families, so I´m really pumped to suit up! The funny thing is though you actually have to make a bee sting you before you can do the work, so apparently its hilarious to watch everyone try to force a bee to sting their arms.
Well, thats about all I have now. Please continue to write and let me know if you have any pressing questions. I´m enjoying myself down here in the sometimes Twilight-esque Zone, and I wish nothing but the best for all of you too!
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