El colegio, Campamento

Hola Todos!

Things have been picking up quite a bit for me here in Paraguay! I have been going to school regularly every morning. On the whole, it's been pretty easy to get integrated into my group of classmates. They all treat me  really well and to put it lightly, they are a lot of fun. I spend the whole day with them in our class room because here the teachers move from room to room rather than the students.

We won't talk about how much of the class content I actually understand... :)

Some of my classmates/friends. Note the beautiful uniforms.

This weekend I went to my Post Arrival Orientation camp in Asuncion with the other AFSer's. I left early Friday morning to take the bus from Pilar directly to Asuncion and returned Sunday evening. It's an alright ride for it being 5 and a half hours. 

 

Mountaaaaaaains.

 There are always ladies coming and going from the bus selling hot Chipa or hamburgers. So, on my way I bought some Chipa Guasu. It's made with corn grains, eggs and some other fairly simple ingredients. It's native to Paraguay but it is eaten some in Argentina as well. I love it. 

I arrived here ^ at the bus station in Asuncion in the afternoon. I met other students that traveled from Cuidad del Este, Encarnacion and Concepcion. We waited and chatted for awhile until someone from AFS picked us up. Eventually, we met all of the other students at the camp site. It was really great to see all of them again and hear about their lives in PY. All of us are exchange students in Paraguay, but each one of us is going to come out of this year with a completely different experience.

camp

Some AFS friends:

 

 

Iowa girls - Emily only staying for 5 months in Paraguay. I will without a doubt miss her!

Life is really wonderful for me here. As far as the language goes, I would like to say that my Spanish is improving. I finally don't have to think so hard about every word that I want to say. In addition, I understand just about everything that's said to me. I got used to the accent fairly quickly but I still do struggle with some vocabulary and of course... almost any Guarani word.

I'm learning so much everyday. And I'm falling in love with this country.

By the way, it's 90 degrees and it's winter.

 xoxoxo

besitos y abrazos 

Un Mes en Paraguay

I have been in Paraguay for one month now! Seriously, I cannot believe it. A month ago, I was filled with irrational fears and doubts about my journey ahead. Today, I am settled in Paraguay with feelings of both contentment and gratefulness. Many times I can't believe I'm really here. Por fin, I'm living my dream.

Things have been pretty relaxed here for me for awhile, due to the strike. I am not sure the current status of it all as it's very complicated.

Home Sweet Home 

I finally got my walk throughout Pilar with my sister. Everyone here tells me how small it is, they tell me everyone knows everyone, how words spread very quickly. What they don't know is that I'm from Mount Vernon, Iowa. A town of less than 4,000 while Pilar has a population of about 28,000.

There are many plaza's here - many have statues that represent something from the Triple Alliance War.

 

During the day, this park near my house (pictured right) is filled with kids and teenagers playing soccer. In the evening, it is sometimes filled with horses/cows.

I am still taking my Castellano class with AFS. I have to complete 40 hours *obligatorio*. And I'm not going to lie to you... I haven't learned anything. Additionally, I won't be attending school in the afternoon until I finish. 12 more hours to go. 

Most week nights I still go to Saint Patrick with my mother and sister for English class. I love it and it reminds me that learning a foreign language isn't easy for anyone. It makes me feel better about my struggles with Spanish. 

School Schedule

I attended school three days last week. I met most of my teachers and classmates. They are all very nice, welcoming and treat me well. I hope to spend some time with classmates outside of school sometime soon when there is good weather and free time! 

Currently, I am in the 3rd and final grade in the high school. After summer vacation which starts in November, I will be starting the 3rd grade again (the same class as my sister). School is just about as crazy as I imagined it to be, and more. The students yell over the teacher and each other, continuously hit each other on the head, run in and out of the class room, rearrange the desks in the middle of class, copy work from others, eat, and drift off into a land that most American students don't know exists. The classroom has very little order (props to the teachers for keeping patience and their sanity). *However, I love every second of it! :P Right now I'm in the Administration grade, so many things are technical and I don't understand most of it. Luckily, it really makes no difference since I already graduated high school. For me, tests are optional. I am in school to learn what I can about Paraguayan culture and improve my Spanish. Other than that, it's possible I might accidentally learn something else too. 

A few of my teachers and classmates!

Last week I went to a religious gathering for my grade in a church near my school. I didn't understand most of it, because the sisters all spoke very quickly with their Argentine accents. People are very religious here in Paraguay, including my family. It's very different from the United States in the respect that here I am strange for not having a religion. I am open to studying religion and I think it's a good opportunity while I am here, however, I have no intent to alter my beliefs. While I don't go to church with my family, I do attend a catholic school and I think it's important for me to have this mindset. 

Plus Church's are usually pretty.

All of the food is very fresh here as well. At home in the USA, my family will buy food for a month. Here, we buy fresh bread and food nearly every day. The smell of the bakeries here is incredible. I really wish we had more of them at home. Conversely... the meat shop is one of the worst smells in Pilar. I'm not really used to seeing what's almost an entire cow hanging up before it's cooked for lunch. Or a giant fish soaking in water in the kitchen before our family meal. I can safely say that before coming to Paraguay, I had never seen anyone use a saw to cut meat. In any case, everything is super fresh and delicious. I've also discovered my love for empanadas. 

Also to give you an idea of what my early mornings until dusk sound like... my sister estimated that there are more than 2,000 roosters in my city. It doesn't get any sweeter than that. :*

On Friday, I'm heading to Asuncion again for the weekend for a camp with the AFS kids in Paraguay for our post arrival orientation. I'm looking forward to seeing them again.

Feliz Setiembre.

xoxo