Week 5: 7/2

I can’t believe how busy we are! It seems that if we are not in language class, we’re traveling to another site to look at something or observe how Paraguayan culture is. We spent the last weekend in Villaricca (which I had already visited on the volunteer site visit) but got a chance to teach a class on how important trees are to a third grade and fifth grade class. It was great because I worked with Adam (who wants to live way out in the compo (countryside) and doesn’t care if he has electricity or running water. I, on the other hand, prefer electricity, hot showers, and running water – even a store nearby. Adam speaks Spanish fairly well so he did most of the talking and I did the writing and getting the kids in place. It was a great experience and we both enjoyed ourselves. The kids loved Adam so our classes were great. We had no trouble with students paying attention.
There is just nothing like being a wild and crazy American to keep their interest.
It was so exciting today because I got not one, not two, but three pieces of mail – two packages from Monica and the Mass book in Spanish/English from Gail at church. I opened Monica’s packages with my family. We had a great time. She included a first aid kit which I don’t need because the Peace Corps gives us a huge medical kit so I was able to give it to my family. It was perfect timing because Eladia (my host mom) just had some minor surgery to remove a mole. She didn’t have any extra band aids so this came in handy – also the antiseptic cream. I loved everything in the package from the socks to the long john tee shirt to the granola bars and most especially the notepaper and the DVDs. I watched a Night Court episode as soon as I got to my room. She also sent hand warmers! I can hardly wait to use those because on cold mornings in the classroom, I can hardly write.
The weather here has warmed up considerably though it can still be in the teens in the mornings. Our afternoons are fairly warm – 60s to 70s. It rained heavily for a couple of days but it wasn’t really a problem and did our garden a wealth of good. I’ll have radishes to eat in another month. Bambi and I are the ones who take care of the garden, mostly because we live the closest. However, we’ve become a little possessive of it since we have to do all the watering.
Fortunately, we haven’t had to weed yet. It is a big joke because everyone knows how much I hate vegetables and while I like the carrots and radishes and lettuce that we planted, I’m not too excited about the cabbage, green peppers, and beets.
Bonita and the solar flashlight
As you all know, Bonita the monkey lives in a little house right outside my window. Her house is actually a small room built just for her. There is a table and sink outside my window but if Bonita gets her chain in exactly the right position, she can hop from the roof of her house to the table right outside my window. I had some cookies one day and gave one to Bonita because I wanted to take her picture.
However, she hates to have her picture taken and always turns away just before I snap the photo. She took the cookie and scampered back to her roof before I could snap the picture.
The next day I was sitting at my computer and I heard banging outside my window. There is no glass in the windows here. You just unlatch the shutter and open it. I didn’t think much of the banging until I realized that it was getting louder and more insistent. I opened my window and there was Bonita with a heavy rock in her hand, banging on the table to get my attention. I gave her another cookie and now everyday when I get home and go to the room after supper, I hear a banging on the table and there is Bonita waiting for her cookie.
I had a solar powered flashlight and used it quite a bit because it gets dark so early and we have to walk in the dark a lot if we visit someone or go to the internet café after class. To charge the flashlight you have to place it in the sun. I put mine on the windowsill yesterday so it would get the full extent of the sun.
However, when I went to bed that evening, I realized that it was no longer on the sill. The next morning, I told Eladia that I thought Bonita had taken my flashlight. We searched Bonita’s casa and sure enough, she had taken the flashlight. Unfortunately, she had completely dismantled it (see picture). I had no idea a little monkey could do such great damage to a piece of equipment.
I’m going to miss that flashlight but fortunately, I have another that I purchased at REI that you wear like a headband. My family loves this flashlight and is always requesting to borrow it to go look for lost chickens, bring Diana home in the dark, or bring the clothes in off the line.
And speaking of the dark, I had quite the adventure this morning. I usually get up at 6 a.m. and shower. The showers in Paraguay are quite different from those in the U.S. No one has a hot water heater but they have electric shower heads. It heats the water immediately but you have to be very careful that you turn the water to exactly the right pressure – too much water and you end up with a cold shower; too little water and you scald yourself. The sacristans at Holy Innocents will understand this completely because we never have enough force of water that is hot enough. Usually, taking a shower here is like the most powerful water saver with a tepid temperature. However, every once in a while you get it exactly right and you think, “I can live with this.” Then the water goes cold or down to a dribble.
This morning I was right in the middle of my shower, just getting my hair wet to apply the shampoo when the lights went out, the water went freezing cold, and I was sure that I was going to be electrocuted (shades of Thomas Merton). It was pitch black outside (not that there is a window in the bathroom) and I’m trying to get out of the shower, dry myself off, and get back to my room, all in the dark. I bang my way from obstacle to obstacle and finally make it back to my room and my headlamp. I was able to get dressed when I hear a commotion outside of my door. It is Rosa, the sister from next door, who has brought her 2-year old grandson over to be cared for by Diana and/or Eladia. Brian has no intention of staying here at our house and was making that known to everyone. We are still without electricity (which was caused by a short in the showerhead – how safe does that make me feel) but Eladia finally gets the power back on, we have lights, and Rosa leaves. Brian decides that he wants nothing to do with us and spends the next hour trying to get out of the house, crying and fussing the entire time. This is also when we discovered that Bonita has taken my solar flashlight and made mincemeat of it. Fortunately, I had to leave for the training center so I left Brian to his crying and escape methods (Eladia locked all the doors and told him that the dogs took the keys), Bonita to my busted flashlight and left for the bus. Just as I’m walking out of the house, the bus drives by without noticing my frantic waving. The good thing about Paraguay is that another bus may be by soon (and then again, it may not be).
Speaking of buses, Metro employees would have a heart attack just riding on one of these buses. The bus driver has to make change and the bus fare is 2 Mil 100 Guarani. This is like coming up with $2.10 so if you give the bus driver 5 Mil, then he has to give you back 2 Mil 900 Guarani. That usually means a 500 coin, 2 or 3 100 coins and perhaps 2 50 coins. Usually when you give him a 5 Mil G bill, he just gives you back 3 Mil. The drivers don’t wait until everyone gets on the bus and has their ticket. No, the minute the last person steps on the bus step, the driver takes off (they never shut the doors). All the while he is making change and giving people their tickets. The roads here are not paved and because of the rains are extremely bad.
The soil is also very sandy in places so it is like driving on soft sand at the beach. Other stretches are extremely muddy but I have yet to see a bus get stuck in the mud. How these drivers make it through is beyond me. Then, when the bus gets low on gas, the driver just pulls into the nearest gas station and uses the ticket money to pay for gas. In the meantime all the passengers just wait. I have yet to see a woman bus driver.
Week :

San Juan is kind of like the winter solstice here. People do all sorts

of crazy things and have many odd customs. There is a lot to do with food and there are particular foods that they make like empanadas and beju (which is mandioca flour, corn meal, cheese and milk) You cook this rather dry mixture on a charcoal grill and then flip it over in the pan. The pictures are on snapfish (if I ever get them uploaded).

Our group participated in many of these games but the one that was the most fun was when Eladia, Diana, and I joined the neighbors across the street. All the eligible girls are supposed to put five kernals of corn in front of them. A chicken has been shut up in a box for a day.
At midnight, you all gather in a cirlce and put the corn in front of you. They bring the chicken out and blindfold it. However, that is easier said than done. We finally got the blindfold on the chicken and stood it in the middle of our circle when it simply fell over. We took the blindfold off (remember this is a very dark midnight) and set the chicken up in the circle. It promptly ran right through the circle and then we had to go off in the dark and catch it. Finally, we used the blindfold tied to the leg of the chicken to keep it in the circle. It simply stood there. We tried everything to get it to eat. The girls put more kernals of corn in front of them. Finally, it went crazy and ate every single piece of corn in sight. Unfortunately, if you had 5 pieces of corn in front of you and it ate all five pieces then you won´t get married for 5 years. (If it eats only one piece of your corn then you will get married in a year) Since Vivi had 20 pieces of corn in front of her and the chicken ate all 20 pieces, we don´t see marriage soon for her. The chicken didn´t eat any of Diana´s corn until the very end so we´ve changed the rules and said that the last person to get married will be the first person where the chicken ate the corn. If this all sounds very confusing, it was and we were just sitting around watching this crazy chicken and laughing ourselves silly. I have pictures and will try to get them posted within the next week.

My other San Juan pictures are copying right now to Snapfish. They also include the birthday party for Angelic who is one of our volunteers. It was a fun birthday and we enjoyed the party. One of the trainees, Dina from Seattle, is a very creative artist and she made Angelic a birthday card with a little caracture of each of us. I´ve posted a picture of that too.

My time is up so I must close. We´re off to Villaricca tomorrow and won´t be back until Saturday!

Michel