reconnect

April 22, 2010
It’s been almost a week since I returned from our 4 month reconnect. Everyone in my group of volunteers returned to Guarambare for language training and other technical information. It was great to catch up with everyone (many who I hadn’t seen since swearing-in), but by the end of the week I was ready to return home. It’s been a whirlwind of activity since I got back.
Getting back was exciting (when is it not intense). Somehow, I managed take a bus that didn’t leave until after 8 even though I was there in plenty of time to catch a 7am bus. But that’s just how it is sometimes. I was hoping to buy a few groceries and check my mail before heading back to the campo, but I was lucky I didn’t miss my bus. I lugged my bags over to the appropriately nicknamed Rusty Butt bus and stashed my stuff in the back. I nearly fell thru the rusty steps in my hast to exit. I ran up to the grocery store and made quick work of grabbing everything on my list. I usually don’t buy from the Economia grocery store because they follow me around and I hate that, but today I took advantage of that by asking for things on my list while I grabbed the rest. As I was returning to the bus a women who I had spoken to earlier when I first stored my belongings in the bus was rushing towards me. She didn’t want me to get left behind since they were ready to pull out. I was grateful for the help. On the ride home I learned she was from Anne Kenney’s site that was a few K before mine. I took the steps as gingerly as possible with all the extra weight from my pack and campo bag. Thankfully, I didn’t have to carry my campo bag very long because a guy pulled up on a moto and asked where I lived. I handed him my bag, but told him I couldn’t ride when he told me to hop on. As I neared my house my contact’s 4 children all came out to great me since they knew I was close because the guy had dropped off my bag.
Within an hour of getting back into site Ña Lourdes showed me to soy beans she had soaking. I ate a quick bite and helped her process the soy. She was so excited to finally have the dish detergent kits and after the soy we made one of them. Because of the time flipping back, it was already dusk when we finished.
This past week I have spent nearly every day at the school helping with the school garden. With the 9th graders I did a tablon planning activity. I presented them with a chart of companion plants and plants that don’t go together. I showed them the seed packages that I got from ABC Color (newspaper) and in groups they drew the vegetables for their seed beds. Lastly, each group presented and talked about how they use the vegetables (Remolacha por jugo—beets for juice).
In spite of the soil being hateterei, the guapo 8th graders dug all 6 of their tablons. Today, it finally rained and next Wednesday we will plant.
Tomorrow, the 9th graders will plant in bottles the vegetables that need to be transplanted. And on Monday we will dig 6 tablons together.
I’m excited about using the garden to facilitate other topics: health, cooking, homemade pesticides, building a compost pile, planting green manures, etc.
Besides the school garden, I’ve been tutoring kids in English. I am trying to make it fun and free flowing like my language training was here. We played Simon Says to conclude the day. You know you made some progress when 4 year-old Dalilah asks you for the English word for the part of the cow intestine that they use to make cheese. I had no idea. Teaching English is great because I always pick up new guarani and Spanish words. Yesterday’s word was ronroneo. Purr. You just never know when you might need that word.