What is the food like?
Let me start by saying, nearly every dish in Paraguay is centered on yucca/ Maneyoka (which I think is a Cassava). My host family eats a lot of meat and soup, as well as, many traditional Latin American dishes. So far, I’m enjoying myself.
The day starts with a small breakfast around 7:00 am, followed by a huge lunch during siesta time at 12:00pm, and the day ends with a medium-sized dinner at 8:00pm. Also, every hour throughout the day I have some type of hard bread and a hot liquid, i.e.: tea, coffee, or mate (don’t forget, it’s winter down here).
What do I do every day?
My days here are pretty structured:
Monday through Saturday I have training.
6:45: wake up. Walk to the bathroom, flip up the hot water tank and take a shower.
7:30-7:45 have breakfast in my room and rush out the door.
7:46: walk to school with another Peace Corps volunteer, Julie (she’s my neighbor)8:00-11:30: I have Spanish-language training.
11:30-1:00: siesta time, I go home for huge lunch with host my family
1:00-5:00: technical training
After five: TIEMPO LIBRE
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
San Juan Day
I'm not sure where to start with this story, so, I'll just start here. Yesterday, was the biggest day of the San Juan celebration in Paraguay (June 23rd 2008). I think the holiday is a month-long celebration, to celebrate the saint of fire in Paraguay. As the sun went down yesterday the match hit the gasoline and the rage was on. For about three hours every male in the barrio, got to live out their 10-year-old fantasy and kick a flaming ball of fire around the street. Of course all I had to see was the flaming ball of fire, to know I was in.
One by one flaming balls of fire were thrown into the crowd. As one ball died out another was tossed into the crowd. At one point there were about three or four balls being kicked around. It was awesome!Of course in accordance with Murphy's Law, the people who attempted to avoid the fireballs the most had the most dramatic contact with it. One of the other PCV’s (Julie my neighbor), was hiding in a corner to avoid the obvious chaos of the festival, when a ball of fire was kicked at her. Naturally, it landed on her shoulder burning her jacket and ultimately leaving a good-sized scar on her hand.
During the festival, all the Peace Corps volunteers received a big welcome to the barrio by all the neighborhood kids. At one point there about 20, 5-10 year-old boys shouting at me in Guarani (of which I cannot speak one word). As soon as they realize I could not speak Guarani the s-it hit the fan; they pointed at me for a good 20 minutes, and when they were not pointing and laughing, they shared with me their wide knowledge of American cuss words. It was the best San Juan Day ever!
One by one flaming balls of fire were thrown into the crowd. As one ball died out another was tossed into the crowd. At one point there were about three or four balls being kicked around. It was awesome!Of course in accordance with Murphy's Law, the people who attempted to avoid the fireballs the most had the most dramatic contact with it. One of the other PCV’s (Julie my neighbor), was hiding in a corner to avoid the obvious chaos of the festival, when a ball of fire was kicked at her. Naturally, it landed on her shoulder burning her jacket and ultimately leaving a good-sized scar on her hand.
During the festival, all the Peace Corps volunteers received a big welcome to the barrio by all the neighborhood kids. At one point there about 20, 5-10 year-old boys shouting at me in Guarani (of which I cannot speak one word). As soon as they realize I could not speak Guarani the s-it hit the fan; they pointed at me for a good 20 minutes, and when they were not pointing and laughing, they shared with me their wide knowledge of American cuss words. It was the best San Juan Day ever!
An open invitation to anyone who wants to visit me in Paraguay
So far I think Paraguay is an amazing country. Everything is pretty cheap and there are a lot of natural and cultural events that take place all the time. The best thing about Paraguay is that it's in the heart of South America. So, it's relatively easy to visit neighboring countries. Brazil, Bolivia and Argentina all border Paraguay.
The top three things I want to do while in South America is go to at least one Carnival, hike the Inca Trail, and backpack down Argentina. If any of these things interest you, you know where to find me. I can start taking vacations about five months from now (July 1st 2008).
The top three things I want to do while in South America is go to at least one Carnival, hike the Inca Trail, and backpack down Argentina. If any of these things interest you, you know where to find me. I can start taking vacations about five months from now (July 1st 2008).
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