Tuesday, December 15, 2009

A few examples of how things here in Paraguay have changed

1. My family has 3 cars
2. When I told them the names of my cats (which are in Guarani) the daughter who is 23 asked if those were words in Guarani.
3. I've seen a computer in every house that I've been too
4. I can understand EVERYTHING because they all speak Spanish
5. We ate cannaloni for dinner, from scratch
6. I now go to exercise class every day at 6:30pm then play volleyball after until 10pm.
7. When the people greet me they will say "hello" and then "bye bye"
8. Had a full conversation in English with a man on the street my first day here.
9. There is a pretty sweet old train station here
10. The animals don't stay in their yard, the cows, sheep, horses, and pigs are free to roam the community.
11. Last night when I got home my host dad had a projector watching dirty music videos on the side of the big white church across the stree from their house. "sin verguenza" as their 11 year old daughter said.
12. There is a coffee pot, yes a machine to make coffee
13. Guitar classes every monday


Its so different, but so fun. I've already met a bunch of people, and girls my age. There are a few rivers very close that my host dad likes to fish at, and so we've already made plans to go to the river. They asked me to be apart of the living nativity sceen but I said that should be left to Paraguayans. I think I'll stay here in site for Christmas, and then be with David for New Years. Time is FLYING by.

Thursday, December 10, 2009

kitties!

Ndaikuaai and Hesaka my new kitties
At the Jesuit Reunions in Encarnacion



Serafin loving David....





I took David to eat Paella. He wasn't to sure about the shrimp with their heads.



Carmelo, Inosensia, Serafin, and Faustino





Starting over

Hello everyone...Just want to start out by saying thank you for all of your love and support I really apperciate it!

So...A lot has changed in my life in the last few weeks. First I get the call about we need to stop construction on the house and wait till further notice..Then I go into Asuncion for a reconnect with my group and the meeting for all the volunteers in the concepcion area. We talk about how we all feel in our sites, if we've noticed any changes in the community, and the future in the area. After the meeting I went to Encarnacion for a thanksgiving with other volunteers. The food was amazing, lots of swimming, dancing, beer pong, and drinking. Got back to Asuncion after 2 days in the sun, and relaxacion I recieved a call letting me know that I would need to change sites by the 20th of december.

I was really bummed out because I have spent the last 4 months making relationships with people, understanding their lives, understanding the coop, and making friends. Friends who text while i am gone asking when i am coming back, people who notice when I am gone. Something that I had been really working for. When going to the termial i randomly asked david to up with me to my site. He had clothes for 2 days, the time we were in Asunicion, and said that he'd go with me.

Telling my contact Serafin was the hardest part. Thank goodness davind was with me. I was balling, trying to explain why i have to leave in my second language. David then explained in guarani what was up. He ended up staying for a week! We visited all of my families, and danielle. Oh danielle. She was preparing to leaving while we were there. Tomorrow is her final day as a volunteer. We went to her despida and danced all night long. SO much fun being with here I really am going to miss her. What a great preson, and role model. While we were with danielle, she gave me the best gift of all. Her cat had kittens a few months back, and wanted me to be the mother of the kittens. How could I say no?!? David and I walked the 4 km back to my host families house with the kitties....Dikuaai ( I don't know, in english) and Hesaka ( clear, in english), they are both little girls. SOOOO cute.

Well Peace Corps has found a new place for me to live, and complete my service. The pueblo is called San Salvador, its just outside of Villarica, a very cuchi city ( rich). A volunteer from my group is here now, and she is going home, so i am completing the job. Not really sure what the job is...but we'll see. Leaving was interesting..not too sure that anyone realized thursday was next week, or tomorrow. So i left this morning only saying goodbye to two families. I cried. A lot. But I have my kitties, and some new energy to start over. Not that I did things badly in my old site, but i learned a lot. I am excited to start...something...After 7 1/2 hours on buses with the kitties i have arrived, and tomorrow i'll be meeting the family that I am going to live with, for at least a month, then look for my own place. This time there are places to rent, and the cooperative won't have to build me a house!

For packages..if you're thinking about sending one should be sent to the Asuncion address that I wrote in one of my first blogs. Now i am only 3 hours from Asuncion instead of 7 hours.

Thanks for all of the love and support. I'll keep you updated on my new adventures. Going to buy internet soon..i promise...Oh yeah. Going to see Daddy yankee in concert this weekend.