The most recent four, top to bottom.
Norlita and her kitten Michi...actually every little kitten is called Michi which means small.
Making yogurt with one of my host families, Favie and Diana are my assistants. This particular batch was made with the heat from the fire. It turned out so creamy and smooth. We enjoy adding cinnamon, sugar, pears, or guava jam. We have also made lots of banana bread, biscuits, and regular bread. It brought a smile to my face when I came by for a visit, I have switched families, and they offered me fresh banana bread they had made themselves! To thank them for hosting me I made them lunch. Ham and cheese pananis, fresh vegetable salad, and oven french fries. They love Ketchup and mustard as much as I do! The whole lunch was a huge hit.
As much as I love my site, I still enjoying getting out every now and again. This time I made a stop to visit Amelia, fellow Crop Extensionist PCV who lives about 3 hours from me. We enjoy cooking together and this photo is of our mexican dinner. We made flour tortillas, guacamole, and a spicy tomatoe, onion, and garlic sauce. Oh, so delicious. And yes, I have little tiny rubber bands in my hair. Lorena, former host family granddaughter, was excited to do my hair before my trip.
Amelia and I split bamboo to prepare for a fence for her garden.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
I almost have a house...
Last week, my house went from being a cement floor and techo roof to having four brick walls with spaces for the windows and doors. I’m so excited I can’t wait to move in. This coming week I’m hoping we can put the doors and windows in so it’s ready to for when I buy my bed, refrigerator, and electric oven. We couldn’t have asked for more perfect weather all week. On Monday it rained and cooled everything off. I was playing 500 with the kids in the rain when the truck with all the bricks pulled up. I hoped on the back and road down to the building site and help unload over 1000 red bricks. Tuesday morning, I was there before the brick layer. We removed the former frame and put supporting planks to hold the roof. No zoning laws make things go so much faster. While the bricklayer built the walls, I pulled nails, mixed cement, carried hundreds of bricks, and filled buckets of concrete. My contact and his son were helping too. When I wasn’t needed I helped with lunch.
The pictures document the days of progress. Whoever happened to be there at the conclusion of each day I asked them to pose with their fingers indicating the day.
I’ll post another picture once it’s fully furnished, but that’s the latest here in my town.
The pictures document the days of progress. Whoever happened to be there at the conclusion of each day I asked them to pose with their fingers indicating the day.
I’ll post another picture once it’s fully furnished, but that’s the latest here in my town.
Dia de Enamorado
Valentine’s Day…”Felizidades” were wished to me. I don’t think I’ve ever been reminded that it’s Valentine’s day so much before. Leading up to this day I was asked by several different people what I was going to do…was I going to call my boyfriend, was he going to call me, was I going to call my family, was I going to use the internet, was I going to cry? They seemed to understand “satellite phone”. I explained that it is impossible for me to call him. I said using the internet is impossible because no busses run on Sunday, the nearest internet place is 22km from me and I’m not allowed to ride moto’s and no I wasn't going to cry.
So for those of you who wondered if Valentine's Day was merely a U.S. holiday you now know.
So for those of you who wondered if Valentine's Day was merely a U.S. holiday you now know.
one night
7. Febrero.2010 2347
I’m up so late because:
A. It’s hotter than a sauna in my room and I’m lying in a pool of sweat.
B. A cricket is keeping me awake with its extraordinarily loud chirping.
C. I turned the light on in hopes of finding the cricket and instead found a cockroach and two good sized spiders
D. I killed the cockroach with several loud whacks with my flip flops (everyone sleeps right through the dogs so I’m not worried about waking anyone)
E. I sprayed hairspray on the spiders after failing to find raid or anything close. I don’t know if it will do anything except irritate them, but it felt better than just leaving them. They are chilling in the space between the cement and wood wall otherwise I would have delivered the same death that the cockroach received.
F. In the process I discovered why I don’t like their cats and don’t let them in my room if I can help it—I’ll deal with the turd in the morning.
G. And now the dogs are worked up about something again.
It’s just another night in Paraguay.
It’s not usually that dramatic and having a fan helps the heat tremendously, but sometimes I’m left thinking how different things are in the states. Twice now I’ve stuck my foot into my boot only to frantically pull it out when I realize a toad or kururu has made his home in it. I’m just really glad it wasn’t something poisonous.
I’m up so late because:
A. It’s hotter than a sauna in my room and I’m lying in a pool of sweat.
B. A cricket is keeping me awake with its extraordinarily loud chirping.
C. I turned the light on in hopes of finding the cricket and instead found a cockroach and two good sized spiders
D. I killed the cockroach with several loud whacks with my flip flops (everyone sleeps right through the dogs so I’m not worried about waking anyone)
E. I sprayed hairspray on the spiders after failing to find raid or anything close. I don’t know if it will do anything except irritate them, but it felt better than just leaving them. They are chilling in the space between the cement and wood wall otherwise I would have delivered the same death that the cockroach received.
F. In the process I discovered why I don’t like their cats and don’t let them in my room if I can help it—I’ll deal with the turd in the morning.
G. And now the dogs are worked up about something again.
It’s just another night in Paraguay.
It’s not usually that dramatic and having a fan helps the heat tremendously, but sometimes I’m left thinking how different things are in the states. Twice now I’ve stuck my foot into my boot only to frantically pull it out when I realize a toad or kururu has made his home in it. I’m just really glad it wasn’t something poisonous.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Top to bottom
Returning home after a birthday party. Notice the 3 little boys all straddling one horse without even a saddle. They had huge smiles when I took their picture and showed off by cantering down the street.
(L-R) Diana, Favie, Karina…this is what happens when the grandmother leaves! Haha…we had a blast baking bread last week. It was my first time by myself and I followed a recipe that I wrote down back in October when I visited another PCV. They just assumed I knew how to bake bread since I could make other things. I was so excited when it turned out!! I was gone in 2 days. I can’t wait to experiment.
Feeding the most adorable little calf. He’s a wiry little guy.
Building a garden with Na Lalita and Kai Pedro. We used plenty of sheep abono which is in abundance here.
(L-R) Norita, Dalilah, and Na Asuncion’s granddaughter..her name escapes me right now. They’re playing birthday party and it’s Dalilah’s birthday and Nora’s holding a dirt pie.
Returning home after a birthday party. Notice the 3 little boys all straddling one horse without even a saddle. They had huge smiles when I took their picture and showed off by cantering down the street.
(L-R) Diana, Favie, Karina…this is what happens when the grandmother leaves! Haha…we had a blast baking bread last week. It was my first time by myself and I followed a recipe that I wrote down back in October when I visited another PCV. They just assumed I knew how to bake bread since I could make other things. I was so excited when it turned out!! I was gone in 2 days. I can’t wait to experiment.
Feeding the most adorable little calf. He’s a wiry little guy.
Building a garden with Na Lalita and Kai Pedro. We used plenty of sheep abono which is in abundance here.
(L-R) Norita, Dalilah, and Na Asuncion’s granddaughter..her name escapes me right now. They’re playing birthday party and it’s Dalilah’s birthday and Nora’s holding a dirt pie.
Monday, February 1, 2010
site presentation at last
January 22, 2010
Hello again faithful readers.
This week has gone so crazy fast I’m really not sure where to begin. I switched houses (hard to believe I’ve lived here over a month now) and although I miss my first host family I am enjoying this new family. I live with grandparents and their 3 grandchildren (ages 11, 12, and 14). I rang in the New Year with this same family. The hardest part is getting used to a new normal. At the other place, I had my routine and I knew what to expect. Adjusting is just part of the process. Two days ago I helped bring in the calves and wandering amongst the naranja hi trees as the sun was setting pulled my thoughts to home. I couldn’t stop smiling. Lorena handed me a long stick and I knocked off as many naranja hi’s as I could so we could make lemon bars again.
Yesterday was my official site presentation. The day before I walked my entire community and invited about 35 families. I baked chocolate chip cookies with soy meal and lemon bars at my contacts house and she was so sweet to keep swapping pans of cookies so I could go invite everyone.
The meeting started with about 15 people. My old host grandmother, Ña Vinda, was a chatterbox and telling everyone the crazy stories of when I lived with her. Everyone was roaring with laughter about the bull scaring me out of my daily hammock reading session and now when I visit people they ask me about fish soup and if I like it. I tell them it tastes good, but it’s a lot of work to pick out all those bones and I’d rather not mess with it when I’m so hungry. They just laugh and tell me to eat more mandi’o so I won’t notice it. They also told my supervisor that I’m always smiling. They said I’m open, friendly, and hard working. I was so touched. It’s one thing to visit people and have them thank me for visiting and to feel grateful that they even enjoy having me given I have terrible language skills, but then to have my supervisor tell me what they said about me…well, I just didn’t know how to say I was so blessed.
By the end of the meeting there were over 35 people there (mostly women since the men were working in the fields). My supervisor explained why I was there and what my goals are. She also told them how important it is that I be included in things and that I’m here for the entire community.
My snacks were a huge hit! I didn’t even get a piece of the lemon bars. Everyone wants me to teach them how to make it now and my contact wants to see if there is interest in having another soy cooking demonstration since both had soy meal as a flour substitute. She’s so clever and I am blessed to be connected with her and her husband as my contacts.
The purpose of the site presentation was also to look at housing situations. My supervisor approved of my desire to enclose the former garage now dining area of my contact families. It sites just 30 meters from their house and is attached to their utility area (I guess that’s how you would translate it to English). It’s 12’10 x 16’, but I will be able to use the utility area too so that makes my house seem larger. It has 2 sinks, the vaca mechanica(soy milking machine), washing and wringer machines. My house has a congregated roof made out of some material that I really can’t place. It’s like concrete in texture, but it’s lightweight and is easily damaged by hail. It’s not as hot as metal, but it’s not as cool as thatch or clay tiles either. The walls are going to be brick and the floor is newly poured cement. I requested that the door open to the opposite side of their yard to give me a little more independence and because I’d rather look out on trees and a field than a well. I’m eager to get my budget into Peace Corps we can start finishing the walls. I can’t wait to furnish it and finally to move in and start cooking for myself. Although surprisingly, I have grown to enjoy some Paraguayan food and I’m even writing recipes down (mostly desserts) so I can recreate a bit of Paraguay for my curious friends and family back home.
And that is the latest from this side of the hemisphere. Thank you for your prayers and support.
Hello again faithful readers.
This week has gone so crazy fast I’m really not sure where to begin. I switched houses (hard to believe I’ve lived here over a month now) and although I miss my first host family I am enjoying this new family. I live with grandparents and their 3 grandchildren (ages 11, 12, and 14). I rang in the New Year with this same family. The hardest part is getting used to a new normal. At the other place, I had my routine and I knew what to expect. Adjusting is just part of the process. Two days ago I helped bring in the calves and wandering amongst the naranja hi trees as the sun was setting pulled my thoughts to home. I couldn’t stop smiling. Lorena handed me a long stick and I knocked off as many naranja hi’s as I could so we could make lemon bars again.
Yesterday was my official site presentation. The day before I walked my entire community and invited about 35 families. I baked chocolate chip cookies with soy meal and lemon bars at my contacts house and she was so sweet to keep swapping pans of cookies so I could go invite everyone.
The meeting started with about 15 people. My old host grandmother, Ña Vinda, was a chatterbox and telling everyone the crazy stories of when I lived with her. Everyone was roaring with laughter about the bull scaring me out of my daily hammock reading session and now when I visit people they ask me about fish soup and if I like it. I tell them it tastes good, but it’s a lot of work to pick out all those bones and I’d rather not mess with it when I’m so hungry. They just laugh and tell me to eat more mandi’o so I won’t notice it. They also told my supervisor that I’m always smiling. They said I’m open, friendly, and hard working. I was so touched. It’s one thing to visit people and have them thank me for visiting and to feel grateful that they even enjoy having me given I have terrible language skills, but then to have my supervisor tell me what they said about me…well, I just didn’t know how to say I was so blessed.
By the end of the meeting there were over 35 people there (mostly women since the men were working in the fields). My supervisor explained why I was there and what my goals are. She also told them how important it is that I be included in things and that I’m here for the entire community.
My snacks were a huge hit! I didn’t even get a piece of the lemon bars. Everyone wants me to teach them how to make it now and my contact wants to see if there is interest in having another soy cooking demonstration since both had soy meal as a flour substitute. She’s so clever and I am blessed to be connected with her and her husband as my contacts.
The purpose of the site presentation was also to look at housing situations. My supervisor approved of my desire to enclose the former garage now dining area of my contact families. It sites just 30 meters from their house and is attached to their utility area (I guess that’s how you would translate it to English). It’s 12’10 x 16’, but I will be able to use the utility area too so that makes my house seem larger. It has 2 sinks, the vaca mechanica(soy milking machine), washing and wringer machines. My house has a congregated roof made out of some material that I really can’t place. It’s like concrete in texture, but it’s lightweight and is easily damaged by hail. It’s not as hot as metal, but it’s not as cool as thatch or clay tiles either. The walls are going to be brick and the floor is newly poured cement. I requested that the door open to the opposite side of their yard to give me a little more independence and because I’d rather look out on trees and a field than a well. I’m eager to get my budget into Peace Corps we can start finishing the walls. I can’t wait to furnish it and finally to move in and start cooking for myself. Although surprisingly, I have grown to enjoy some Paraguayan food and I’m even writing recipes down (mostly desserts) so I can recreate a bit of Paraguay for my curious friends and family back home.
And that is the latest from this side of the hemisphere. Thank you for your prayers and support.
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