Saludos a Todos!

Well crew, it’s been a few weeks and I apologize for leaving you on the edge of your seat! I mean, what kind of crazy, wonderful, awkward things are going on in PY with Beva?? No worries, its update time for all of you bloggers!

I was away from site for 12 days… which was fun and exhausting. Every year Peace Corps organizes a Thanksgiving weekend for all the volunteers. The festivity is always held at a great hotel in the southern part of the country, near Encarnación. The place completely reminded me of Jackson’s Mill in West Virginia, but with 3 pools and no bunk beds. But regardless of my student council flashbacks, it was a lot of fun. It was kind of like Animal House meets Earnest Goes to Camp. Whenever you get 130ish Nortes together with swimming, a Thanksgiving meal American style (I must report, no pumpkin roll though!), and a little bit of booze you’re bound to have an outstanding 48 hours. PC Paraguay delivered as usual, and since my group just hit our 6 month mark in country, it was definitely time for a reunion/vacation. I’m already looking forward to next year’s!

Being away from site for that long though, and speaking that much English, quickly took its toll on me. I love being with my friends and having the freedom to be Betsy (as opposed to be Beva, which is less outspoken and a little more wholesome than the Betsy you all know and love), but my life is here. My life is working within my community, studying and practicing the languages, and trying to figure out how I can help my neighbors improve their lives in a sustainable manner. A lot of my friends living in larger cities have no qualms leaving for a few days at a time because when they return, almost no one noticed they were out. I, however, live in very tiny, closely interwoven community. I’m gone for one morning and people start to ask questions! It’s hard to get back in the swing of things too. Language alone leaves me rapidly, not to mention potential projects and future plans discussed with community members that are forgotten after about 7 days if I’m not around. With that said, I probably won’t head back into Asunción until a required meeting with my bosses toward the end of January. It’s expensive and mentally taxing to leave, and for that… I’m sticking around for a long while!

Speaking of projects, I currently have a lot on my plate. Well, it isn’t on my plate quite yet so perhaps I should say I’m preparing to have a lot on my plate! Being a bit of an overachiever (just a bit, right??), I have a lot more planned for my two years, but I also don’t want to look around to see my hand in too many pots and many different activities not getting full attention. But to start it off lightly, I’ve got English classes for 2 hours, 2 days a week. The first class is this coming Tuesday, and I know I should have about 4 girls. If more kids show up, I’ll probably teach more classes. They’ll learn much better when I can give them more attention. Also, next Thursday I’ll have my first women’s committee meeting. I’m super excited about this one because I’ve wanted to do it since I stepped on PYan soil! The hardest thing with getting it off the ground is convincing the women that I’m not their boss and I don’t know more than them. It is their community and their committee, I’m just here to observe and help where I can. I’ve discussed potential projects with enough women that I know we’re going to start out talking about nutrition and making a good garden, and also cooking classes. I’d like to move onto an income generating project, but that will depend on interests. We just hit the peak of pineapple season here though, so if you have any good pineapple recipes… email them my way please! My nearest PC neighbors (Gariety—health, and Sam—education) and I will be starting a radio show on January 11. For those of you that can turn into Gauyaibi 100.7, be sure to listen Fridays from 7-8am (Although I don’t think our station has made it into PodCasts or Satelite Radio just yet! You can always call Steve Jobs and request it be added though!) The radio show will be fun and it will give us a great opportunity to talk about an array of topics from our sectors of business, health, and education, to more taboo topics like condom use, AIDS, gender and development, diversity including race and sexual preference such as homosexuality. Lots going on, but I still haven’t even touched my real interest which is the coop… but I think I’ve got some tricks up my sleeve for them still too!

Christmas and New Years Eve plans have yet to be determined. Pretty sure I´ll stick around here for Christmas because I want to see how they celebrate. Basically its nothing like ours from what I hear. Not a lot of gifts, NO Christmas tree, and a few pathetic lights here or there on a house. Should be interesting! I´d kind of like to be with my friends for NYE, but we´ll see. I´m kind of poor, so I´ll just probably make that call the week of.

There’s a little something that PY is famous for; it’s called chisme (pronounced: cheese-may) and it can be fun or damning, or both!. Chisme is basically rumors, and we’ve all been in 8th grade. We know some rumors are legit, and some rumors are just so people have something to talk about. I was recently clumped into the latter of the groups. I’ve been here in Guayaibi for a solid 3.5 months. I love my family here, and they have all taken me in as one of their own. Pablino and Raquel, although they are young parents themselves, have played all roles in my life from being my confidants and business contacts, to bug killers when my room is infested with wasps, and even mom and dad when they think I’m showing a little too much leg at a coop meeting. That’s why I was slightly overwhelmed when Raquel told me she heard some chisme among the other mom’s at school. Unbeknownst to me, these mothers claim that I’ve been having an affair with her husband, Pablino. I mean, REALLY? At least give me a cute member of my coop that is at well under the age of 35. But I quickly calmed as it wasn’t an interrogation session. Raquel knows better than anyone that it’s just not true. I spend the majority of my days with her, and speak mostly business or jokes with Pablino. I don’t think he’s heard the rumors, because she and I share everything practically and only about 15% makes it to Pablino. And past that, I’m a complete oddity in this community. They’re going to be talking about me regardless, and if some want to associate me with one of my 50 male, coop members, then naturally it would be the one that is closest in proximity and friendship. I can only wait to see what more chisme they can dream up over the next 21 months!

Paraguay also has a tradition previously mentioned in a former blog entry: dating days. Oh yes… every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday a boy will go over and drink terere (the weird weed like powdery mix I love and will never be able to live without after 2 years of Peace Corps!) with the girl’s family. This pretty much goes on for years until they get married. The potential couple is NEVER left alone, and if mom and pap don’t like the boy… he takes a hike! Well, I guess we could say I had my first potential suitor this week. I didn’t even realize it was Tuesday, but he came to Raquel’s asking if the Americana was around to drink terere. Like a good momma, she set us up and let us chat while she supervised from our outdoor kitchen. And the best thing? Not Raquel, Pablino (who actually works with the guy getting loans for land he’s developing next to our house!), nor myself know the poor young man’s name! He never asked me and I never asked him, so he’s just a mystery wannabe boyfriend! The whole thing made me laugh inside, although I showed him respect and chilled for a while drinking our mostly grass-like terere. Poor soul… we’ll see if he comes back, I don’t think I’m interested señor!

Big shout out to my care package masters! Mom, Cathy, Ming, Laurie Sheldon (Kely’s mom), Mary-David and George all win some major cool points! I mean, there are few things sweeter than knowing people care about you enough to send you goodies! Nicely done to all of you, although I think Cathy’s winning the record. She’s a little nutty for sending one 12lbs package followed by a 21lbs package internationally, but dammit do I love her! Please keep them coming because I can always use more things. With upcoming projects, I’m in need of more supply-like materials… so if you want to get a box together, shoot me an email. Thanks again for everything! Postcards are cool too… I ALWAYS need things to remind me of the states!

As for the favorites of the week…
BOOK: A Widow for One Year by John Irving (I’m kind of on an Irving kick)
ALBUM: Sam’s Town by The Killers… I couldn’t just pick one song this time!
AWKWARD MOMENT: thinking an 8 year old was talking about my varicose veins (thanks mom!) when really she was being secretive asking her mom if my shorts were cut by a pair of scissors (Nike made them that way!!)
REVELATION: Rio in May with mom, so look out world… I’m going to be bikini ready!
GUARANI WORD: kaigue (pronounced ka-ee-guay) which means without energy.
I’m without energy: Che kaigue
You’re without energy: Nde kaigue
He/she is without energy: Ikaigue