Hello to all my lovely followers...Saludos from Paraguay! I can't believe how fast time is flying...I'm not sure what happens to the weeks but I feel like every time I stop to take a breath its already Friday again! It seems as if I'm living perma-weekend ...which I am definitely not complaining about. I think I've developed a pretty good balance of work and play and here are some of the things I've been up to recently...
Work
- I finally got my primary project up and running! After I completed my community census, I held a town meeting to present my findings. We talked about the major health problems in the community (diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, dental problems, parasites, and colds/flus) and their causes (diet, lack of exercise, and personal hygiene). Then we did a "lluvia de ideas" aka Brainstorming to come up with project ideas. After we had our list we took a vote to determine which project to start with. We decided on a latrine project. We set a date for our first meeting, and I went home and did my research on latrines. I was really excited about my findings...I wanted to do a latrine project using recycled materials for the construction. I figured out how to do the construction, printed out photos, made a super lindo poster and everything only for both ideas to be stomped on. We want modern bathrooms, and we want to use bricks. I was super frustrated/angry for several reasons. 1) because I was really excited about my project idea...combating 2 HUGE problems (trash and parasites) with 1 project. and 2) modern bathrooms are MUCH more expensive which means the project just got infinitely harder for various reasons, but in the end its a project for the community members and they need to be excited and invested in the project in order for it to be able to work so I said ok, fine. We formed our commission, elected a Presidenta, Vice Presidenta, Secretary, and Treasurer. We have 26 members...and finalized our list in the last meeting. I went to town with the Presidenta to start looking at prices. We went to 2 ferriterias to come up with a budget. Right now we're looking at a little over 4,000,000 Gs per bathroom (which is about $1,000). I got together with our Secretary and we wrote the official "Acta" needed to receive recognition from the Mayor and the Governor. I have a photocopy of everyone's ID, and we need to write a solicitude as well this weekend and then we will be ready to turn everything in to hopefully receive recognition. Once we receive recognition from the Mayor and the Governor we can start asking for funding.
- I've been giving health charlas in the waiting room of the hospital in town every Wednesday. So far I have done 2 dental health charlas and a breast feeding charla. Lyn, the volunteer coordinator in San Ignacio, and Danielle, another volunteer, usually do the charlas with me, but they left me all alone for the breast feeding charla...gee thanks, guys haha.
- I'm still working with the health team at my puesto on Tuesdays.
- I'm still meeting with the Health Commission. We have meetings every two weeks or so. So far we've raised funds to buy chairs for the waiting room, and put curtains up on all the windows. We sold hot dogs and pineapple juice last week for a small fundraiser. I believe we're working for ceiling fans for the puesto next.
- I still have my English class...although I think I'm going to end it shortly. We played Twister the other day which they enjoyed...I think.
- I have my girls group...which is really just my 2 girls...aka my best friends in the community. We have a new project idea though. We're going to start raising money to buy trash cans for the community. We're planning on making and selling goodies...aka banana bread...and also possibly making bracelets and wallets and stuff from plastic bags and milk/wine cartons to sell as well
- And there are other project plans in the works, that I've previously talked about, but still haven't been implemented...
Life Outside of Work
- I got together with a group of other volunteers from my G to go to the district of Paraguari to this wonderful Eco Reserve called Mbavoti. It was soooo much fun! First, we crossed 3 hanging bridges, then we went ziplining, then we repelled; however, my Spanish repelling vocabulary/my knowledge of how to repel isn't quite up to par and I kind of just fell from the cliff and hung from my rope saying "No se que hacer!" I don't know what to do! So they just lowered me down to the ground haha.
- I went to the Casino in San Ignacio with a group of friends for Karaoke night a couple weeks ago. We had dinner...the Casino here has super rico food, and then we started singing. I was super bummed to see that you just sang from your seat. This does not draw nearly enough attention. My friend Lyn and I started out with Christina Aguilera's "Genie in a Bottle" to get warmed up. Next, I showed Cavanaugh love and I, not only sang, but danced to Enrique Iglesias "Escape"...in the middle of the casino. I had a table of men cheering for me. IT WAS AWESOME. A few weeks later, I went to pay my electricity bill, and I was super confused when the teller was asking me if I was going to sing for him until I realized he was one of my cheerleaders. I told him, I need a few more drinks first. haha.
- It was my host brother's from training birthday last weekend, so I went to visit. I love visiting them. I walked in the house to my mother exclaiming "Hola Gorda" and immediately serving me a gigantic plate of one of my favorite dishes. Mmm it's so good to be home. There were a few of my other G-mates visiting their families, and there is a whole crew of new trainees in the community so that was also very exciting. It was really strange being the person with the knowledge...especially about language questions! I brought the flabongos and raced one of the trainees. Naturally, I won because "Soy la reina!" My host brother compared me to a snake while doing flabongos...he says my throat widens ridiculously while I'm chugging the beer...haha. At one point Rafael and I were on a search for wine (story of my life) and we passed a group of drunk Paraguayan men rattling off in Guarani. I asked Rafael what they were saying and he responds "they say if we have sex I'm going to die because you're bigger than me." That is when I decided I am never asking for Guarani translations. EVER. AGAIN. haha.
¿Qué pasó, volviste a Estados Unidos?
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