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.