So I finally walked my little lazy legs on down to the post office in Villarrica. The lady tried convincing me that there is a correo in San Salvador, but I gently assured here that it is no longer running. (the building is totally destroyed). I went to check it out, because someone told me I could live there.
Elizabeth Tippy ( or la Americanita) no you really shouldn't put that
Correo Central Villarrica
Gral Diaz y Colon
Villarrica 5000
Paraguay
I would like a couch, carpet, a new bed, blender, dvd player, and a radio...oh and if you can air conditioner.
thanks!
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Bug Bites and Yuyos
I can not remember the last time I went a day with out itching. My legs are not pretty too look at, all the Paraguays say " oh no, what has happened to your legs, what kind of bug did that to you?" My legs are still so white that the big red bites, and scabs stand out. Right now my back and stomach are also nicely covered, pretty sure the bed I have has bugs, spiders, and who knows what else. I feel I may be illergic to the termite dust as well. If I am lucky my house will stay standing for the two years I am here. Spiders big and small....soo many in my house. I think it makes for less mosquitos, but then how do I still have all these bites?!...All I can say is not sure what is eating me during the day or night, but I don't want to itch any more. I can't sleep with out benadryl and bug spray.
While David was here, we went into Villarrica one day to get groceries. We ate pasta and sopa paraguaya for lunch. Afterwards I was super fully and didn't feel well, maybe it had something to do with the ice cream that I ate after, not sure....Anways...after about 3 hours my stomach still hurt and we were waiting for the bus in the terminal. In the bus terminals you can rent, yes rent, terere. That means a guampa, yerba, bombilla, and pitcher with water and whatever yuyo you want. All smashed up and ready to serve while you wait for your bus. Don't think I will ever rent this equipo while I am here, especially in a bus terminal where is smells like throw up. So..we were waiting for the bus and I was complaing how my stomach hurt, so David went to the women renting the terere and asked what yuyo was good for an upset stomach, a random man heard david and said "i have the perfect yuyo, wait here". He left for about 5 minutes and came back with a wilted plant. I told david that I was not going to smash up a yuyo from the bus station and drink it without boiling the water. He said of course not. We get home, I am laying in the hammack, forget about the yuyo and David came with the terere. First ha, and I wanted to puke. It was sooo bitter and disgusting...He put the yuyo in without boiling. I wish I could say I got terrible sick and vomited but..my stomach ach went away. But it tasted nasty.
This morning on my way to english class I was wearing a light dress and flip flops sweating, dying in the sun and the heat. Right now 3 hours later it is pooring and I am freezing, wearing my fleece. Crazy paraguaying el nino weather.
While David was here, we went into Villarrica one day to get groceries. We ate pasta and sopa paraguaya for lunch. Afterwards I was super fully and didn't feel well, maybe it had something to do with the ice cream that I ate after, not sure....Anways...after about 3 hours my stomach still hurt and we were waiting for the bus in the terminal. In the bus terminals you can rent, yes rent, terere. That means a guampa, yerba, bombilla, and pitcher with water and whatever yuyo you want. All smashed up and ready to serve while you wait for your bus. Don't think I will ever rent this equipo while I am here, especially in a bus terminal where is smells like throw up. So..we were waiting for the bus and I was complaing how my stomach hurt, so David went to the women renting the terere and asked what yuyo was good for an upset stomach, a random man heard david and said "i have the perfect yuyo, wait here". He left for about 5 minutes and came back with a wilted plant. I told david that I was not going to smash up a yuyo from the bus station and drink it without boiling the water. He said of course not. We get home, I am laying in the hammack, forget about the yuyo and David came with the terere. First ha, and I wanted to puke. It was sooo bitter and disgusting...He put the yuyo in without boiling. I wish I could say I got terrible sick and vomited but..my stomach ach went away. But it tasted nasty.
This morning on my way to english class I was wearing a light dress and flip flops sweating, dying in the sun and the heat. Right now 3 hours later it is pooring and I am freezing, wearing my fleece. Crazy paraguaying el nino weather.
Enero
David being "guapo" and cooking some lunch with the kitties
Tita and her daughter Analia, I finally met her, she is studying in Buenas Aires
Happy Times
Aww cute kittyThursday, January 14, 2010
Finally
So finally after almost 8 months in Paraguay I feel setteled...like I have a routine, work to do, friends, things to do, a kitchen to cook in, and time to myself.
I hate to say it, because I love 25 de Abril and all the people there, but I think the move was a great thing. Being in San Salvador I feel like I have a purpose, and I am going to actually do something...The difference in communities is very large, some for the worse, but most for the better. The one thing that is so amazing is the people actually want to be my friend, work with me, and get to know me. Its not like pulling teeth trying the gain the trust of the people. I don't have to ride my bike 10 km every day to visit families to show that I am trying to integrate into their community. I can walk down the street, people I don't know say "Hi liz" and want to talk. I go to the store to buy 2 eggs and stay till midnight talking and eating with the owner.
I now kind of have a daily routine...ohh and I HAVE MY OWN HOUSE!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ( gracias a dios)
The morings I had free. Now Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday from 9-11 I teach two english classes. For what? Well over 50% of the people here have familiy in the U.S.A. and after high school most of them get private (expensive) tutors for English in Villarrica. So the community had asked me to teach a course to the kids starting at 7 years old up to 18. Its amazing the difference between the level of education in these kids and those in the campo. The kids here understand what is going on in class, pronounce the words almost perfect, and are advancing quickily. In 2 classes I am almost as far as 3 months in 25 de Abril.
I'll come home from lunch ( right now david is here so he'll cook a rico lunch...usually!)
At 12:30 I go to the cooperative. Right now they are inputing all of their information into a data base. All of the savings and loans of the people are in paper form, and now converting onto the computer. So its a lot of numbers, and names. But well worth it. So I am there to answer questions about excell and help teach computers to the employees. All of the employess ( the 4 of them) are really nice, and really want to work with me, egar to learn.
I'll get home around 4 ish. Eat a snack. Then watch my telenovela from 7-8.
At 8 I go to the cancha de volley. There is a group of women, and their daughters that play volley every night from 8-10 that have adopted me. The court is full of toads, and bugs, but super fun. The owner, Maria, super sweet but hates to loose. They yell at me a lot and get really frustrated but I swear I am improving. They tell me if I go every night I'll be amazing in no time. David and I have been going together, and they love him cause he knows how to play. They keep telling him that he needs to teach me. I am really not that bad....I don't think.
Come home take a shower and go to bed. And while I sleep I get eaten by bugs. Not sure what kind but my back isn't very pretty.
In the near future I am hoping to start the business course that I have from the Peace Corps. Also I want to get a group of the kids and start a youth group. And in their winter break in July I want to do a day camp with art & crafts and games. So any good ideas with arts & crafts send me and e-mail. I know I was a girl scout for many years...but I don't remember a lot.
I hope everyone is doing lovely. I am very happy. Miss you all!!
I hate to say it, because I love 25 de Abril and all the people there, but I think the move was a great thing. Being in San Salvador I feel like I have a purpose, and I am going to actually do something...The difference in communities is very large, some for the worse, but most for the better. The one thing that is so amazing is the people actually want to be my friend, work with me, and get to know me. Its not like pulling teeth trying the gain the trust of the people. I don't have to ride my bike 10 km every day to visit families to show that I am trying to integrate into their community. I can walk down the street, people I don't know say "Hi liz" and want to talk. I go to the store to buy 2 eggs and stay till midnight talking and eating with the owner.
I now kind of have a daily routine...ohh and I HAVE MY OWN HOUSE!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ( gracias a dios)
The morings I had free. Now Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday from 9-11 I teach two english classes. For what? Well over 50% of the people here have familiy in the U.S.A. and after high school most of them get private (expensive) tutors for English in Villarrica. So the community had asked me to teach a course to the kids starting at 7 years old up to 18. Its amazing the difference between the level of education in these kids and those in the campo. The kids here understand what is going on in class, pronounce the words almost perfect, and are advancing quickily. In 2 classes I am almost as far as 3 months in 25 de Abril.
I'll come home from lunch ( right now david is here so he'll cook a rico lunch...usually!)
At 12:30 I go to the cooperative. Right now they are inputing all of their information into a data base. All of the savings and loans of the people are in paper form, and now converting onto the computer. So its a lot of numbers, and names. But well worth it. So I am there to answer questions about excell and help teach computers to the employees. All of the employess ( the 4 of them) are really nice, and really want to work with me, egar to learn.
I'll get home around 4 ish. Eat a snack. Then watch my telenovela from 7-8.
At 8 I go to the cancha de volley. There is a group of women, and their daughters that play volley every night from 8-10 that have adopted me. The court is full of toads, and bugs, but super fun. The owner, Maria, super sweet but hates to loose. They yell at me a lot and get really frustrated but I swear I am improving. They tell me if I go every night I'll be amazing in no time. David and I have been going together, and they love him cause he knows how to play. They keep telling him that he needs to teach me. I am really not that bad....I don't think.
Come home take a shower and go to bed. And while I sleep I get eaten by bugs. Not sure what kind but my back isn't very pretty.
In the near future I am hoping to start the business course that I have from the Peace Corps. Also I want to get a group of the kids and start a youth group. And in their winter break in July I want to do a day camp with art & crafts and games. So any good ideas with arts & crafts send me and e-mail. I know I was a girl scout for many years...but I don't remember a lot.
I hope everyone is doing lovely. I am very happy. Miss you all!!
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Dia de Nino Salvador ( more like week)
The 100 year old almacen on the corner by my house
Paraguay is a very Catholic Country. Every city, pueblo, town, street has a patron saint. The patron saint of San Salvador is Niño Salvador. The date is January 6 but the party started January 2nd. On the second there was a Paraguayan style bull fight, then a huge party almost larger than the one i went to in asuncion for new years. Every night there was a mass, then 2 more bull fights during the week. The night of the 5th is when the celebrated the day of Niño Salvador. There was a mass, then a procession through the streets of San Salvador. The street were lit with candles in plastic pop bottles, and there was a truck carry the Niño. I was lucky enough to be hanging out with the women who decorated the float for the procession. I put some flowers around to deccorate, and the women were all happy to be there for me, and my first patron saint. The day of the 6th, there was another procession but during the day. The people here sure know how to honor their patrons.
The procession
The patio of the church decorated ready for the procession.
Ndikuaai sleeping in my purse
This one is for you, dad. Fixing the wire, in the rain. photo taken from my front room
Smile!
say cheese!Sunday, January 3, 2010
Its getting HOT
The clown at the bullfight....what a mess they were...wasted
so they didn't actually kill the bull, they just tried to ride it
the ring and the people...scariest seating ever...flimsy boards and lots of people
New Years Eve...mateo, mary, me, david, and carlos
playing with sparklers before the party, didn't start till 12:30. We danced till 6 am
David and his nephew Juan David
Juan David drinking terere
David thought it would be a good idea to get his hair cut the day before Christmas, in San lorenzo, day before christmas shopping paraguay style.San Salvador
The enterance into my pueblo.
A view of where the train tracks used to be, now the cows graze
the old train station in San Salvador
walking back from the streamFeliz Navidad y Ano Nuevo a todos y todas!!!! I hope everyone had a very linda christmas, I know I did. Its weird sweating, then eating dinner at 12 am chirstmas morning, going to a dance party after and that being chirstmas. No chistmas songs, snow, santa, or egg nog. But there is meat, gigantic nativity sceens, and reggatone. So i suppose its an equal switch.
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