10 Months

Hello dear reader,
I guess it's been awhile again..

As you may have read in my last blog post, at the end of March I mentioned that I was preparing to take a series of entry exams for a program to get my English teaching license. Since February all of my classmates and I were preparing ourselves to take this mighty test given by the Ministry of Education.

Well, in April, I finally got the chance to take it and I passed!

Since after Easter I have been putting my maroon uniform on every morning to attend class from 7:00 until 1:30 each day. In total, we are a group of about 16 students this year.

About 60 percent of our class time is devoted to English, while the other 40 percent is dedicated to Guarani, Castellano, Computer Science and classes about the Education System. I have really been enjoying it and I'm learning a lot. My biggest challenge that I face every week is my two hour Guarani class, but I'm looking to get a tutor. I love the language, but since I got here it has been difficult for me. I have reached a point where I understand many things in Guarani, however I still can't speak. There are some words that I say in Guarani on a daily basis but only because I am so used to hearing them spoken within the Spanish language.

Additionally in April, I celebrated holy week with my family (the week of Easter). We ate a typical Paraguayan food: chipa and drank mate. I even learned how to make chipa.. (finally!) My sister and brother came from Asuncion to stay with us and we got to share some little vacation time together, which is always nice. On Easter Sunday, I made my family pancakes to start the day out right!

On a not so happy note, there has been a lot of rain here. Way too much rain.
In the deparment on Neembucu (Pilar is the capital of Neembucu), there has been very serious flooding. And I'm not talking about downtown Cedar Rapids in 2008. I've honestly never seen or heard of such terrible flooding in my entire life. To begin, here they don't have the same draining systems as we have through our streets in the States. When it rains, the water looks for low ground and creates a giant lake. It's difficult to go just about anywhere when this happens, especially if you don't have a car.

For weeks we have heard helicopters overhead (a sound you almost never hear around here), bringing food, clean water to drink, clothes and other necessities to those suffering from the damages. Many have lost their homes and all of their belongings. It's a really sad situation and the news stories are heartbreaking. With my school I went door to door asking for any coins or donations that the people could contribute to better these people's situation.

Due to this, on May 14th, Paraguay's Independence day parade was cancelled. They declared that with the department in this serious of a situation that we weren't in conditions to be celebrating. This was a pretty big deal because the Independence day parade never gets cancelled, not even for rain. From what I understand, it has been suspended until October 12th.

As far as life goes, I have continued studying during the week and teaching in the English institute from 7 until 1 every Saturday. I am almost always spending time with my family and friends.

This month the weather started to get officially cold here. I've been doing what I can to bundle myself up. However, every now and then I do regret not bringing warmer clothes with me when I came in August.

There has reached a point with blogging about my "Adventure" in Paraguay has gotten difficult. I can't imagine that I would have even thought of saying this 10 months ago, but it has become much more than an adventure in Paraguay for me; it has become my life.

I'm have gotten used to it all: the culture, the people, the mate, the barbecues, the birthday parties, the hot weather, the music, the cumbia, the jopara, the Guarani, Sundays in family, and riding through the city on the motor bike. I don't just see it, or understand it. I live it.

AFS'ers 2013/2014!!!

SEE YOU SOON IA! ;)

Hello, again.

Hello.
Long time, no see.

I don't think I've blogged since the United States froze over this winter.

To be frank, there has become a point in my exchange year where I am doing nothing else but living. I have a routine and at this time, a busy life similar to mine in the States, leaving me with little time. In all respects, I do apologize to my readers and those who follow my adventure for not updating sooner. I'll try to make it up to you by making this a super duper update.

 

Between celebrating my birthday on the 13th of January and now, I have been going to a lot of birthday parties. Having a lot of close family members, means getting invited to a lot of birthday parties. And a lot of birthday parties means a lot of barbecues and a lot of dancing. In this respect, I am not complaining. ;)

Since I arrived here, my mom had been telling me that she has a house in the countryside. Always, always, always my mom talked about her house in the countryside.

Well, in February I was finally able to go to it for myself. All of my brothers and sisters went, and my niece and nephews too. We woke up early at 6 AM and went to the countryside in a car. We packed food, mate, terere, and we grabbed our hammocks. We spent the day together there.

 

 

I can't even begin to explain how delicious that food was. There is something magical that happens inside a Paraguayan oven, I swear it to you. Because including all of the pastas and all of the pizzas I have cherished in my entire 19 years of life... The food that cooked in this oven was the best food I have ever eaten.

The house in the country is a beautiful place. It's peaceful. Life is simple. And the wind blows there. It's a momentary release from the suffocating heat of Pilar's city. My mom says we will stay overnight in the house in the countryside during Semana Santa in April. I am looking forward...and so are my taste buds.

                       

Additonally, in February, I assisted my first ever family reunion. Since three years ago my mom 's side of the family has been organizing their family reunion.

That February evening, we all got together in the backyard of one of my Aunts here in Pilar. It's a fairly spacious backyard and pretty too.  And I know, I know, after reading my blog all of these months you're going to be surprised.. but we started this grand party with a barbecue! After everyone finished eating, many of the relatives showed their talents by playing traditional Paraguayan music. They took up their guitars, their accordions, and their vocal chords and made magic right there in my Aunt's backyard. I love traditional Paraguayan music. There's something about it that comforts me and intrigues me all at the same time.

 

After they finished playing, there was a DJ who played music until the sunrise. I spent a lot of time dancing with one of my cousins and my sister. They're the only two who really have the patience to teach me how to dance. So whenever those two and music are in the same place. I love to be there.

The family reunion was a great place for me to meet the majority of my extended host family. Family came from the other end of the city, and others came from Buenos Aires, Argentina. And I got the opportunity to spend the night with all of them.

Oh yeah, and summer in Paraguay? It's hot. It's really hot. Like, I'm sure when I say really hot.. you're imagining that worst humid day of the summer in Iowa, when it reaches 99 and you want to hide and take of all your clothes. Yeah, well. It's like that. But about three times worse.

It's so humid. It's so hot. And the world is not air conditioned like over there in the States. This Summer on average I showered 4 times daily. When you sleep, you wake up covered in sweat. The mosquitoes bite you. And you're left with a thirst that you just can't quench. Oh yeah, and if you're like me, white, white, white.. you get burnt, burnt, burnt, within minutes... if you're not careful.

Now I want to make something clear. I'm putting this into perspective for you because I have never felt so much heat in my whole entire life. But I'm not complaining. Sure, the first week of heat I basically wanted to die. But after that, I got used to it. I got used to looking forward to the days of going to the beach with my brother and sisters, to the days looking for a breeze outside our house to drink terere. I got used to looking forward to the cool nights playing volleyball in the plaza near home. I got used to it and I survived it.

I had a wonderful summer. And an even better summer vacation. Since December, I have been able to get to know my family even more. And I have to say that I have the best host family.

Now, when I tell you my family is perfect here, it doesn't mean we don't go through bumps in the road. Because, we do. All families do. But I am thankful to say I have been with them through both good and not so good times. And we continue going forward. It's super cliche but, I wouldn't change them for the world.

In mid February, I started my classes again. Last year, as you may know, I went to the high school here - the same one as my sister goes to. But this year, I wanted to do something a little more challenging. And AFS permitted me to do so. Since February, I have been going to a workshop for those who want to become English teacher. At the end of the workshop, I have a series of tests I have to pass to have the right to enter into the program.

Right now I'm in the middle of the process. I have had class up until now but next week I have to take closing tests over Mathematics, Castellano and Guarani, Professional Orientation and a communications class. If I pass all of those tests with a 60 percent of higher I have the right to take the test given by the Ministery of Education, which requires another 60 percent or higher to enter into the program.

Anyway, I've never studied so much before.

On the 8th of March, I got to go on a free trip with AFS Pilar.
I had the opprotunity to travel with my sister and my nephew to Iguazu Falls in Brazil. In Guarani "I" means water and "guazu" means big. In case you're not getting the picture, it's the third biggest waterfall in the world.

 

I also found out that I can understand a lot of Portuguese. Thank you, roman languages. 

Argentina - Brazil 

  

I love life.

The famous terere I'm always talking about.

Additionally, we went to the 2nd biggest hydroelectric plant in the world and to the beach in Brazil and Encarnacion, Paraguay. It was a touristy weekend I'll never forget!

Beachin' in Brazil:

Brazil - where the sand is red... and stains you. :P

Hydroelectric Plant:

 

Beachin' in Encarnacion, Paraguay:

 

Other than these events, my life follows it's simple routine. I go to school, I exercise, I drink mate, I study, I teach English, I spend time with family, and I wake up everyday thankful.

Paraguay has changed my life. It has change how I see things, how I see and treat people, how I talk, how I love and how I persevere. These past 7 months I have felt a huge change inside myself. It may not be noticeable to those outside of my head and heart, but each day I feel different than I did when I arrived on this ground on August 2nd. The people, the barbecues, the terere, the laughs, the guarani, the mate, the music, the heat, the motos, the horses, the dances, the birds, the hugs, the foods, the school... it's Paraguay.

 You have to feel it.

xoxo