The Chuchi List

It's been raining and storming hard for the last couple days so I'm not really sure what to do with myself so I decided to write a quick blog entry...a Chuchi list.

Chuchi was one of the first words I learned upon arriving in country.  It basically means really nice, fancy, or expensive...and now that I'm living in a third world country, I can honestly say that America is CHUCHI! But I've decided to compile a list of things you may all think are ordinary, but I consider chuchi...

1) Perforated toilet paper.  Or, having toilet paper in a bathroom at all.  Carrying TP in you purse is a must here.
2) Having your own glass to drink from during mealtimes.  This is especially rare if you are drinking alcohol.  It is the norm to have one glass of beer/wine/whatever that gets passed around to everyone that is drinking...thus making it nearly impossible to get drunk sometimes.
3) A flushing toilet.  I won't even get started on automatic flushing toilets.
4) Hot water showers.  Hot water in general.
5) Real windows...that aren't just holes in the wall.
6) A roof that doesn't leak when it rains
7) Washing machine
8) Drying machine
9) Dishwasher
10) A sink.  I'll tell you that my "sink" consists of a water spicket and a bucket placed on a chair.
11) Tile floors.
12) Carpet.  Chuchi to the max.  I don't think I've seen ANY carpet since arriving in this country.
13) Cupboards
14) Gyms.  Especially gyms with bars and bumper plates.  I have yet to find a gym with legit weights and I've searched long and hard.
15) Air conditioning
16) Heating
17) Trash cans.  I'm not kidding, I can never find them.  Here people just throw trash wherever they please.
18) Trash pick up.  Really people, appreciate that all you have to do is stick your trash in a bucket outside and it literally disappears from your site.  Most people here that don't throw it, burn it.  My non-compostable trash, I carry in my backpack to my pueblo where there is trash pick up. Yeah I just said I carry my trash in my backpack.
19) Having a car
20) Having gas in your car
21) Boneless, skinless chicken breast
22) Having a choice of which part of the cow you're getting.  Here you get..."meat without bone, more bone than meat, or ribs."
23) Ice cube trays.  Here you fill a plastic bag with water and stick it in the freezer to end up with a chunk of ice resembling a fat dildo.
24) Closets.  I have yet to see a legit closet since arriving in country.  There are "romperos" which are just armoirs (sp?).  A wooden box where you can hang some clothes (if you can find hangers) and a few drawers.
25) Dog food.  Dogs get table scraps here...if they get anything at all.  Bailey gets dog food, and everyone looks at me strange every time I carry it home from my pueblo.
26) Corsages...those silly things couples pin on themselves for prom.  I never even thought about it until I was watching an American movie with some Paraguayans the other day.  They all asked me why we wear those, and I said, actually, I have no idea.  And they all responded with "hmmm...primer mundo (first world)..."  as they shook their heads and laughed.

And I'm sure I'll think of more once I publish this post, but I'm going to go take my grandote overly aggressive dog to workout in the flooded soccer field, shower, and get ready for some karaoke at the CASINO....talk about chuchi!