Mba’eicha che iri’u.
I was in the Asuncion/ Paso De Oro area for about 5 days in total. Mary also went back to Paso de Oro at the same time to see her host family also. It was nice to see her and David at the same time. I got to see Tita and Ramon, and pretty sure that Tita has lost it. Well at least for the time being. I had called her in advance to tell her when I was coming on Friday. David sent me a text before I came and asked me if I had told Tita I was coming because she asked him one day at lunch and he told her yeah I was coming on Friday. So I get there and she was happy to see me but immediately started freaking out because someone had stolen her cell phone. So that’s all I heard all day, and was very happy when David got off work, because I didn’t have to listen to her anymore. Then on Saturday morning while David was at work I was hanging out with Tita and she was calling some women basura and a prostitute and saying F-you in English. I asked her “Tita who are you talking to or about, those are very harsh words”, well she was talking about the wife of her son, who she had seen getting off the bus. Anyways Saturday morning I told her that I was going to Asuncion for the night and would be back Sunday afternoon. She saw david and I walking and we said “jajotopata” and she replied with bueno. Sunday when we came back the grandmother of Mary told me Tita had told her I was going back to my site. And Mary’s grandma had to tell her no I was coming back. This happened one other time while I was there. So I have come to the conclusion that she doesn’t listen to me when I talk.
I returned to my site after taking the wrong bus home. I ended up going through the Chaco instead of going in front of my house so I had to take and extra bus and the trip was 8 hrs instead of 6 hours. That night the group of jovenes were having their meeting and were excited that I had come back with the computer programs. They are anxious to learn how to use computers, but then I said well we need computers, and told them we should all go together to the gobernacion to ask about the process on the pedido that Serafin and the coop put in the second day I was here. They were writing a solicitude together asking different businesses to collaborate with them for dia de joventude. Dia de joventude is today, they ended up getting 2 kilos of meat donated, a pack of soda, and 50 mil Guarani. Of course they don’t have school today, any reason not to have school. Tonight the group of jovenes is putting on a party in front of the coop should be fun.
So host mom went out of town for a few days for some sort of workshop, and host dad would be going out of town the next day. So that first night we drank wine, and had good conversation the mood was different, light, and felt good. Serafin was talking about how he wanted to play the guitar, and I said well why not. I had heard a lot about him playing, and seen pictures but had yet to see him play. Well he told me this sad little story…He was out at a party, birthday party of his uncle and didn’t come home until 2 am. The next day while he was out working in the chacra his wife sold his guitar. Therefore he doesn’t have a guitar and can’t afford to buy a new one.
The next day it was just the girls. We were cooking breakfast, something fried, I was the one pulling the fried food out, and putting them on the plate. Well one of the little fried things exploded and grease, hot grease, went flying everywhere and a lot on me. My hand was covered, and immediately the girls were yelling “put it in your hair put it in your hair” so I stuck my hand in my hair. Apparently it prevents burning..?? Then I was walking to the water, because I’ve learned my whole life to put burns under cold running water, well no no no. Lemon is for burning and cold water will do something bad. That day Sandra, my sister, had asked her professor to borrow his guitar. So that night we waited for Serafin to get home, and he was so happy when he saw that we had a guitar for him to play. We stayed up till midnight listening to him sing and play the guitar. The songs were mostly in Guarani and Tio Leon would chime in every once in awhile, and same with Sandra. It was a really good time, and my last night with that family.
The next day, Saturday, I moved into my new host family. They live just right down the street, 4 minutes to walk. The mom is Rosa and the dad is Juan. They have a daughter Wilma, 21 who lives and studies in Horqueta, a daugheter Maria, 20, who lives and studies in Horqueta, Aldo is 18 still is going to collegio here, Matilde ,15 ,who is in the house, Ninfa 11 and Karen 9 who are still in the house. Rosa only speaks in Guarani. It’s great. I’ll ask a question in Spanish and she replies in Guarani. I am going to learn quickly here, hopefully. My first morning here I helped milk the cow, we got 4 liters, then watched them kill a chicken. Also that day was the first day of the futbol games at the cancha. There were 15 teams, and each team elected their “reina” and my new host sister Matilde was chosen to be queen. So we all went to the cancha to watch the parade of teams and to see Matilde holding the team flag.
The mood, feeling, environment, in the new house is a lot different. I feel very comfortable, and more relaxed. The family likes to laugh, and joke around, and there are always friends here playing, or coming over to drink terere. In the one full day that I’ve been here I have met some pretty amazing women, the friends of Rosa, whom I hadn’t met and were my neighbors the whole time while living in the last house. I am happy I changed houses and am ready to start month 2 in site.
love you all
No comments:
Post a Comment