I'm Backkk

Hello all!  I cannot tell you how many times I've sat down to write this blog just to get back up again in frustration.  Sometimes I feel like I have so much to say, while other times I feel as if I have nothing at all to say.  I went through the last couple months of my journal to see what I've been up to lately only to find a lot of nothing and a couple of ridiculously hilarious stories that are not blog appropriate.  Womp Womp.

So I’ll start with my trip to the States…AMAZING…except for that one night I totaled my mom’s truck.  Sorry mom L.  But it was so so so good to see everyone!  I was a little nervous to come home because I know I’ve changed…I see things differently, and I think about things differently, and I was scared that was going to affect me in my relationships; However, I was able to fall back into place with all my friends and family as if I had never left.  Thank you to everyone for being AWESOME!  I didn’t do anything super exciting.  A lot of hanging out at the house, happy hours, a few stops in at the gym, a couple of Taco Tuesdays, but I just enjoyed being home, speaking English, and spending time with the wonderful people in my life.

After our ENTIRE flight was waved freely through customs, I emerged through the doors of the airport to find my host mom and sister from training welcoming me home.  I was very surprised and happy to see them there waiting for me!  They accompanied me to the bus terminal, made sure I was able to get a bus back to town, and we exchanged gifts before they went on their way.  My bus left the capital at about 10:00pm meaning I didn’t arrive in my pueblo until about 3:00am.  While waiting for my friend to come pick me up, a few Paraguayan men decided to strike up some small talk with me… “So are you pregnant?”  Excuse me, what?  “Are you pregnant, or are you just fat?”  Oh Paraguay how I’ve missed you and all your inappropriate comments.  No I’m not pregnant, I’ve just been traveling for close to 48 hours, I’m ridiculously bloated and I haven’t pooped for days…do you have any other questions?  Thank goodness Luis pulled up right at that moment.

One of my friends, Danielle, came to my site last week.  We went to this super sweet natural swimming pool in a nearby community on Sunday.  We swam for a bit, and then shared a few beers and some food with her fiancé and one of my friends from site.  It was a very relaxing Sunday before a week of summer camp with the kiddos!  Summer camp went really well.  There weren’t too many kids that came, but the ones who did enjoyed themselves.  Monday’s theme was trash and recycling so we played a bunch of games, sang some songs and did a few charlas covering these topics.  Tuesday we talked Nutrition, Wednesday we did arts and crafts all day, and Thursday we played games/sports and did an hour of “carnaval” basically just water balloons and slip ‘n slide.

-The super sweet natural swimming pool-





-The cows came to summer camp too-

-Me and the kids on Arts and Crafts day with their masks-

Last week I also started an exercise class.  We’ve been meeting three times a week.  I only have about 5-10 women coming each time.  I’ve heard all kinds of excuses of why the women aren’t showing up.  My favorite so far?  “Casey, I haven’t been coming to your exercise class because I don’t have “lindo” (pretty) tennis shoes.”  I just looked at her and laughed in her face.  I can’t make this stuff up.  Paraguayans are obsessed with Lindo.  Everything has to be lindo so this is an actual concern of theirs that I will just never understand.  However, the most common excuse is that the women want to come, but they are too shy.  Hopefully they will get over their timid-ness and get their booties to the field sometime soon.  I’ve been doing crossfit style workouts…short, but high intensity.  The women keep telling me they’ve never sweat so much in their life, and that their bodies hurt and I just say GOOD…and you’re going to hurt more tomorrow!

I’m still working with my bathroom commission, but we’ve hit a bump in the road.  The governor, who promised us 100 million guaranies (basically the total cost of the project), is apparently being accused of embezzling some ridiculous amount of money (I heard 122 thousand million guaranies…I can’t even fathom that number in my head) and the government is currently undergoing an audit thus freezing ALL funds for three months.  I have no idea what’s going on, if this is true, or what’s going to happen. We’re planning on going to talk to the government sometime next week in order to try to get some answers.  Jahechata.  But…we are currently organizing a horse race for next weekend and a fiesta for Valentine’s Day in order to raise some of our own funds.

And other than that I haven’t been up to too much… We're currently in the middle of summer...which means it’s hot as balls out and not much is going on.  I spend most of my day sweating, swinging in my hammock, writing in my journal, watching movies or TV shows from my hard-drive, sweeping, killing bugs, listening and singing along to my favorite music (I made myself hoarse the other day), and drinking LOTS of terere with my neighbors.

The next training group…our sister G (G-38) will be here in about 2 weeks so that’s super exciting!  If any of you have happened to stumble across my blog feel free to send me any and all questions/concerns you have and I will be happy to do my best to answer your questions.  And, word of advice?  Do not listen to the packing list that Peace Corps sends you.  Bring the things that you use/wear now on a regular basis…that’s what you’ll be wanting and wearing.

The Best and Worst of Peace Corps Paraguay

Hello all!  I'm sorry I have been completely MIA for a while now.  I got caught up in who knows what here in Paraguay and then I went home to the U.S. for a few weeks to spend Christmas and New Years...and now I'm back again.  I am WAY overdue for a real blog update, and I have lots of things to fill everyone in on!  I've been having a rough couple of first days back so I'm going to wait until I'm back on my feet before I write a real update.  Gotta get all the negative out in my journal before I can fill you all in on the positives.  But, I wanted to let you all know, I'm alive and well and chugging away down here...and here's a little Questionnaire I filled out to keep you all entertained in the meantime...Enjoy :)

Moment that made me rethink dairy: Chunky milk.  Stinky cheese. Nuff said.

What reminded me most that I’m in Paraguay: The beautiful red dirt roads, and the fact that I only know what is happening/being said about 5% of the time.

Most surprisingly tasty food: Milanesa de cocodrillo mmmmm mmmm so tasty.  Fried crocodile.

Favorite thing to find being recycled by other volunteers who have recently returned from The States or had a friend come visit: Well I’m bringing some pretty sweet stuff from the states for myself.

Most entertaining adventure: There are so many!  There’s the time when I was going for a stroll and catching up with Stacy when the chiv cramps overtook me and I had to relieve my bowels on the side of the road.  There were the Eco Reserve-hanging bridges, zip lining, and propelling adventure.  There was the time I took the wrong bus and ended up in some weird neighborhood outside of the capital.  It took me approximately 4 hours to get home instead of 1.  There was the time I got woken up at 5am with a message to go watch a cow slaughter.  And there are MANY more that are not blog appropriate J

Moment that made me realize no bug experience could ever get much worse: The day I woke up with 163 bug bites on my legs during training.  The worst part was the walk home…it was so hot and I was sweating so much I was stomping during our walk home in an attempt to relieve the itch without scratching…and I may or may not have started crying. Haha.  Or perhaps when I tried to engage war against the ants, moved everything in my entire house was spraying them to death, powdering them to death and running outside gagging and gasping for breath only for there to still be ants and their eggs falling on my bed.

Favorite thing to do on vacation: Sit in climate controlled areas.  Workout at a gym.  Understand what is going on around me.  Appreciate time with my family and friends.

Moment that made me stop and say, “Where am I?”: During my first week in site where I attended my first horse race…about a 5 minute walk from my house.  So awesome.

Most shocking information I have given to a Paraguayan:  The fact that I think black people are beautiful.   They didn’t understand.  And I don’t understand how you cannot think they are beautiful.

Most entertaining question asked by a Paraguayan: Hmmm…I’m so immune to the strange questions now that I can’t think of a good one!  The geography questions are pretty good… “The United States is right next to Japan, right?” And, one time I was talking to a nursing student about the healthiness of vegetables to which he responded “Who says?”

Something I would never have done if I were not living here: Pooped in a bucket in my living room.  The cement in my bathroom was drying and I didn’t have access to a latrine.  What would you have done?

Favorite new culinary technique: Homemade pizza.

Funniest Guarani word learned: We’ve been over this before…because of its translation Ejapiro…peel your penis.

Most uncomfortable charla moment: Before I gave my breastfeeding charlas...whenever someone asked me what the topic was I would automatically grab my boobs and say breastfeeding!

Favorite American topic that Paraguayans like to talk to me about: How rich we ALL are.  Righttt.

Longest running joke in my host-family: “Casey Crazy”  my nickname.  Or, the fact that I like large mandioca (penises)…hooray for language mishaps during lunchtime.

Moment that almost gave me a heart attack: When I got charged by a bull during my future site visit.  I literally thought I was going to die at that day.

Strangest thing I have seen being sold on a city bus: Oh you can buy anything on the buses.  You need oil, apples, oranges, pineapples, DVD's, weight loss supplements, chains, watches, wallets, belts...you name it and your neighborhood bus will most likely pick up a vendor selling it.

Hottest day: I try not to look at the temperature because I don’t even want to know.

Thing that makes me feel like a lot tougher than I am: Dealing with all of the “creatures” that live with me.

Favorite book read in site: “Shantaram.” Gregory David Roberts

Most unusual injury sustained when considering I am a Peace Corps volunteer: Thankfully, I haven’t had any major injuries…but I did have infected/inflamed hair follicles on my scalp at one point.  How does that happen?

Funniest cultural thing in general: How indirect the people are about most things…but yet ridiculously, rudely (interpreted by someone from the U.S.) direct about other things.  Strange.