Friday, November 5, 2010
Back in Good Ol' Corvallis
Wow. It has been almost 3 months since I got back from Paraguay - longer than I was there for, but definitely the time seemed oh so much slower. I truly miss so much about Paraguay. And I never thought that it would be so hard to leave my home down south. I miss the kids at Santa Teresita, and I miss my family. I miss speaking,dreaming, and thinking in Spanish everyday, and waking up to that feeling that I knew I had dreamed in another language the night before. I miss eating chipa, and drinking cocido en la guarderia. I miss chocolate caliente y pan for merienda, and my favorite juice in the world, which I now know is passion fruit. Literally, I think of Paraguay every day, if not every hour.
It was hard when I first got back. Not everyone understood how much I had gained from those short two months in the opposite hemisphere. I couldn't have the same type of conversations with my AFS friends about their experiences. And after a few days, the excitement for being home wore off, and I realized que me faltó era Paraguay (what I was laking was Paraguay).
It's kinda funny how I seem to slip little things about Paraguay and my life there into all of my classes. It gives me a different perspective on things in International Lit/Studies, and I now understand better what it is like to have lived in a developing country. I think back to the beginning when it took me two or three tries to completely understand what everyone was telling me, and I compare it to now and when I left. The ease of being fluent made my last few weeks so enjoyable, and in that time I know I learned so much. I'm pretty sure I haven't lost much, if not any, of my Spanish. I prefer to think things in my head in Spanish, and I'm still reading Harry Potter (though that is because I have no time to finish it because of school work).
Actually, it seems that my Spanish may be getting better because I have Spanish 4 right now, and even though it is a breeze, I'm solidifying all that I learned over the summer. I'm never going to forget Paraguay, my family, all the little niñitos, and all the wonderful people I met. Paraguay es un parte de mi alma - ahora y para siempre. Nunca la voy a olvidar. Espera para mi - yo regresaré.
It was hard when I first got back. Not everyone understood how much I had gained from those short two months in the opposite hemisphere. I couldn't have the same type of conversations with my AFS friends about their experiences. And after a few days, the excitement for being home wore off, and I realized que me faltó era Paraguay (what I was laking was Paraguay).
It's kinda funny how I seem to slip little things about Paraguay and my life there into all of my classes. It gives me a different perspective on things in International Lit/Studies, and I now understand better what it is like to have lived in a developing country. I think back to the beginning when it took me two or three tries to completely understand what everyone was telling me, and I compare it to now and when I left. The ease of being fluent made my last few weeks so enjoyable, and in that time I know I learned so much. I'm pretty sure I haven't lost much, if not any, of my Spanish. I prefer to think things in my head in Spanish, and I'm still reading Harry Potter (though that is because I have no time to finish it because of school work).
Actually, it seems that my Spanish may be getting better because I have Spanish 4 right now, and even though it is a breeze, I'm solidifying all that I learned over the summer. I'm never going to forget Paraguay, my family, all the little niñitos, and all the wonderful people I met. Paraguay es un parte de mi alma - ahora y para siempre. Nunca la voy a olvidar. Espera para mi - yo regresaré.
Sunday, August 8, 2010
One More Light Bulb
So, I'm sitting here at the computer after watching a video about Paraguay with my siblings, and I'm still not quite sure if it has hit me that tomorrow at this time I will be squished onto an airplane, leaving my second home and second family in Paraguay. Originally, seven weeks seemed like a long time, but, as everyone says, Time flies when your having fun. And literally it does. Of course, life always has it's ups and downs, where the downs seem to drag, seconds are minutes, minutes are hours, but then there are the ups where Time just doesn't want to stop and take a breath.
I have learned and experienced so much these past seven weeks. Here are a few:
-always appreciate what you have
-live in the moment
-if you put your mind to it, you can do it
-nothing is ever perfect
-you don't truly realize how lucky and fortunate you are until you see and experience those who have less
-a roller coaster wouldn't be very fun if it didn't have its ups and downs.
-I'm a Paraguayan carnivore and an American vegetarian
-Of course, the list goes on and on....
I know I'm going to miss a lot about Paraguay. The food, the people, the 2 kisses on the cheek, the way that people come up to your car and shake your hand through the window, terere, mandioca, chipa, all the children at Santa Teresita, the crazy traffic at 6:30 am, the street vendors, the fresh juice at lunch, the occasional siesta, speaking spanish, dreaming in spanish, and most of all, my family. I can now say that I have 4 siblings, not one, and 4 parents, not two. I can't express how grateful I am to my family here, who was always loving, enviting, and the best teacher possible. Muchisimas Gracias, mi familia! Nunca me voy a olvidarte!
Okay, and now a quick briefing of what I did today. My dad and sister drove me through lots of different towns such as San Lorenzo, Itaupu, Aregua, and Luque. Each has it's own specialty. Itaupu - nanduti, Luque - plata y oro, y Aregua - pottery. Plus, I got to see some beautiful country side, and a bit more of the less-westernized Paraguay. Yo vi muchas vacas!! :D We stopped in Aregua at the Frutilla Expo (Strawberry Expo), which had about 40 stands filled with strawberry this, and strawberry that. Strawberry torta, helado de frutilla, y strawberry juice. Delicious!!!! Mouth watering!! and yes, their strawberries grow in the winter, not the summer where they would shrivel up and die. :D
In light of what i've learned and experienced, i like to give this analogy about AFS exchanges. Every time you travel some where, whether it be another country or city, maybe just another state, you can imagine what life is like (a daily routine, what's for lunch). After awhile you start to accumulate images, like little light bulbs on an interactive map. But after living in a country for 2 months, you are a part of that culture, you know what life is like, you know what is for lunch. And you just turned on 10 more little light bulbs.
So, to all my family, friends, relatives, and Paraguay, Muchísimas gracias! Mi tiempo acá era muy corto, pero yo aprendi mucho sobre las personas, la cultura, y yo misma. Paraguay siempre está en mi corazón! Un día, yo voy a volver. Hasta luego, Chau!
I have learned and experienced so much these past seven weeks. Here are a few:
-always appreciate what you have
-live in the moment
-if you put your mind to it, you can do it
-nothing is ever perfect
-you don't truly realize how lucky and fortunate you are until you see and experience those who have less
-a roller coaster wouldn't be very fun if it didn't have its ups and downs.
-I'm a Paraguayan carnivore and an American vegetarian
-Of course, the list goes on and on....
I know I'm going to miss a lot about Paraguay. The food, the people, the 2 kisses on the cheek, the way that people come up to your car and shake your hand through the window, terere, mandioca, chipa, all the children at Santa Teresita, the crazy traffic at 6:30 am, the street vendors, the fresh juice at lunch, the occasional siesta, speaking spanish, dreaming in spanish, and most of all, my family. I can now say that I have 4 siblings, not one, and 4 parents, not two. I can't express how grateful I am to my family here, who was always loving, enviting, and the best teacher possible. Muchisimas Gracias, mi familia! Nunca me voy a olvidarte!
Okay, and now a quick briefing of what I did today. My dad and sister drove me through lots of different towns such as San Lorenzo, Itaupu, Aregua, and Luque. Each has it's own specialty. Itaupu - nanduti, Luque - plata y oro, y Aregua - pottery. Plus, I got to see some beautiful country side, and a bit more of the less-westernized Paraguay. Yo vi muchas vacas!! :D We stopped in Aregua at the Frutilla Expo (Strawberry Expo), which had about 40 stands filled with strawberry this, and strawberry that. Strawberry torta, helado de frutilla, y strawberry juice. Delicious!!!! Mouth watering!! and yes, their strawberries grow in the winter, not the summer where they would shrivel up and die. :D
In light of what i've learned and experienced, i like to give this analogy about AFS exchanges. Every time you travel some where, whether it be another country or city, maybe just another state, you can imagine what life is like (a daily routine, what's for lunch). After awhile you start to accumulate images, like little light bulbs on an interactive map. But after living in a country for 2 months, you are a part of that culture, you know what life is like, you know what is for lunch. And you just turned on 10 more little light bulbs.
So, to all my family, friends, relatives, and Paraguay, Muchísimas gracias! Mi tiempo acá era muy corto, pero yo aprendi mucho sobre las personas, la cultura, y yo misma. Paraguay siempre está en mi corazón! Un día, yo voy a volver. Hasta luego, Chau!
Friday, August 6, 2010
My Last Few Days
Time has literally flown bye, and now I have 2 full days left (well, really only one because I have an AFS camp tomorrow) with my family. I have learned and experienced so much these past 7 weeks, and I have become so acustomed to the Paraguayan way of life and speaking Spanish, that it will be very strange, and hard, to leave.
Before I left, I told myself that I was going to dream in Spanish. Well, I have. About 5 times. The first time, about 3 weeks after I came, and that was only partially in Spanish. But this past week, almost every night I've had a dream in Spanish. And last night, it was completely in Spanish. This is pretty exciting, as it really shows that I've learned a lot. :D
Today was my last day working at Santa Teresita. I took lots of pictures of the kids who have all changed my life. At lunch, the directora, Senora Zully, came and gave me a large card that the staff signed and the kids "hand-printed". They also gave me a small towel engraved with Santa Teresita, Asuncion, Paraguay. Never will I forget working with the kids, and I know I will come back and visit.
It seems weird that in 3 days I will be speaking English, not waking up at 5:30 am, not driving through lots of traffic, not seeing all these kids, all my family, not eating delicious food like chipa and chorizo. Yes, I will probably even miss not throwing toilet paper in the toilet. They say time flies by when your having fun, and it truly does. 7 weeks went like that. And now I'm at the last weekend with my family who I have grown so close to.
I know it will be hard to say "Chau". My sister and mom already left on a bus for Buenos Aires, and it was so hard to say goodbye. I don't know when I'll see everyone again, but I can be sure that I will be returning often. Para siempre, Paraguay esta en mi corazon!
Before I left, I told myself that I was going to dream in Spanish. Well, I have. About 5 times. The first time, about 3 weeks after I came, and that was only partially in Spanish. But this past week, almost every night I've had a dream in Spanish. And last night, it was completely in Spanish. This is pretty exciting, as it really shows that I've learned a lot. :D
Today was my last day working at Santa Teresita. I took lots of pictures of the kids who have all changed my life. At lunch, the directora, Senora Zully, came and gave me a large card that the staff signed and the kids "hand-printed". They also gave me a small towel engraved with Santa Teresita, Asuncion, Paraguay. Never will I forget working with the kids, and I know I will come back and visit.
It seems weird that in 3 days I will be speaking English, not waking up at 5:30 am, not driving through lots of traffic, not seeing all these kids, all my family, not eating delicious food like chipa and chorizo. Yes, I will probably even miss not throwing toilet paper in the toilet. They say time flies by when your having fun, and it truly does. 7 weeks went like that. And now I'm at the last weekend with my family who I have grown so close to.
I know it will be hard to say "Chau". My sister and mom already left on a bus for Buenos Aires, and it was so hard to say goodbye. I don't know when I'll see everyone again, but I can be sure that I will be returning often. Para siempre, Paraguay esta en mi corazon!
The Picture of Americans
Last Tuesday, a woman who works at la guarderia asked me an eye-opening question. She asked why so many Americans were close-minded, and didn't know/want to learn about other cultures, but then there were people like me who were willing to adventure and learn. She asked if now schools did more to teach about the world and other cultures. This was a bit of a shocker. So far, no one had asked me much more about the U.S. than the weather. I'd get the occasional, "Que tal Obama? Te gusta?" and at least I could truthfully say "Si, me gusta" and not die of embarrassment to be marked as an American. But never had someone asked me why so many were closed-minded.
Actually, I'm glad she did. It served as an eye-opener, and made me think again about how the picture of Americans today is often muttled and warped by what is shown on T.V, and in the news. I don't deny that some are close-minded, and think mainly about themselves, but not everyone is perfect (and that goes for the whole world, too). My reply to her question was that, now, in schools, they teach many more classes about the rest of the world; that I have world history classes, world literature classes (well, all this coming year, but it was simpler to state it that way), and that much more people are aware about what is going on in the world.
I realized that I haven't had much exposure to the way Americans publish themselves to the world via media. I don't watch T.V., I don't live in a big city, I don't listen to the 10 Pop Stars, I don't drive a gas-guzzling SUV. And Corvallis is such as small, liberal town that sometimes I forget that not everyone wants to explore, to travel, and to learn. Sometimes I forget that what other countries see on their T.V.s are scantously-clad women wrapped in an American flag driving large cars, or the U.S. army blowing up villages in Iraq, or millions of gallons of oil flowing into our world's precious oceans.
But I owe a big "Muchas Gracias" to this woman, who really made me stop and think, "Do I do things that make me seem like the "average" american?" "Have I come to Paraguay and represented my beliefs well?"
This is the point of exchanges, right? To learn about other cultures, and in turn, share things about yours; change the way they see the stereotypical _______ (in my case, American).
Actually, I'm glad she did. It served as an eye-opener, and made me think again about how the picture of Americans today is often muttled and warped by what is shown on T.V, and in the news. I don't deny that some are close-minded, and think mainly about themselves, but not everyone is perfect (and that goes for the whole world, too). My reply to her question was that, now, in schools, they teach many more classes about the rest of the world; that I have world history classes, world literature classes (well, all this coming year, but it was simpler to state it that way), and that much more people are aware about what is going on in the world.
I realized that I haven't had much exposure to the way Americans publish themselves to the world via media. I don't watch T.V., I don't live in a big city, I don't listen to the 10 Pop Stars, I don't drive a gas-guzzling SUV. And Corvallis is such as small, liberal town that sometimes I forget that not everyone wants to explore, to travel, and to learn. Sometimes I forget that what other countries see on their T.V.s are scantously-clad women wrapped in an American flag driving large cars, or the U.S. army blowing up villages in Iraq, or millions of gallons of oil flowing into our world's precious oceans.
But I owe a big "Muchas Gracias" to this woman, who really made me stop and think, "Do I do things that make me seem like the "average" american?" "Have I come to Paraguay and represented my beliefs well?"
This is the point of exchanges, right? To learn about other cultures, and in turn, share things about yours; change the way they see the stereotypical _______ (in my case, American).
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
S'MORES - an American Favorite
Seven weeks ago, when I was contemplating what would be a good present for my host family, my mom and I came up with the idea of s'mores - america's favorite camping food, and probably something they don't eat in Paraguay too often. So, I bought a box of graham crackers, a bag of marshmallows, and two bars of hershey's chocolate. It is actually a lot more difficult to fit all of those things into a backpack than you might think, but I suceeded. Only concern - What would they (meaning the security people) think at the airport? Suspicious? But, my marshmallows, graham crackers, and chocolate survived the beedy eyes of airport officials, survived being squished into my backpack, survived the heat of the first week, survived the cold of the Paraguayan winter, and made it all the way to the end of week 5, where they were made into delicious s'mores, via la micro-onda.
Yes, sadly we had to use the microwave, as there was no campfire handy to do the authentic toasting of the marshmallows. I did try using the gas stove that my family has to toast them, but that didn't work so well. Ended up burning them more than toasting, and not fulling warming all the way. Oh well. Actually, it is quite entertaining to make s'mores in the microwave, as they puff up really big and ooze onto the plate, if you aren't careful. And they taste wonderfully yummy, all the same. As much as my family tries, they can't pronounce marshmallows correctly. It is more "marsh-shmaaaaallows" instead of "marshmeuuuuhhlows". I did get my parents to try them, and they did like them (seriously, who wouldn't like s'mores?). My dad then asked me how many people in America eat. I answered anwhere from 1 to 3, but that when I was little, I probably ate as many as 5. My siblings easily ate 3 to 5 for merienda, as first they has to try it, to see if they liked it, then once they discovered how wonderful they were, they had to make lots more in the microwave, plus try one on the stove.
It definitely was a very entertaining merienda, and gave them a good taste of traditional American camping. :D To my surprise, you can buy marshmallows in Paraguay (even the little colored ones!) I kinda thought Americans would be the only people crazy enough to pack that much sugar into one tiny little piece of comida.... hahaha. Here are some pictures:
Yes, sadly we had to use the microwave, as there was no campfire handy to do the authentic toasting of the marshmallows. I did try using the gas stove that my family has to toast them, but that didn't work so well. Ended up burning them more than toasting, and not fulling warming all the way. Oh well. Actually, it is quite entertaining to make s'mores in the microwave, as they puff up really big and ooze onto the plate, if you aren't careful. And they taste wonderfully yummy, all the same. As much as my family tries, they can't pronounce marshmallows correctly. It is more "marsh-shmaaaaallows" instead of "marshmeuuuuhhlows". I did get my parents to try them, and they did like them (seriously, who wouldn't like s'mores?). My dad then asked me how many people in America eat. I answered anwhere from 1 to 3, but that when I was little, I probably ate as many as 5. My siblings easily ate 3 to 5 for merienda, as first they has to try it, to see if they liked it, then once they discovered how wonderful they were, they had to make lots more in the microwave, plus try one on the stove.
It definitely was a very entertaining merienda, and gave them a good taste of traditional American camping. :D To my surprise, you can buy marshmallows in Paraguay (even the little colored ones!) I kinda thought Americans would be the only people crazy enough to pack that much sugar into one tiny little piece of comida.... hahaha. Here are some pictures:
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
What a Wonderful Weekend!
This weekend I got to experience the real downtown of Asuncion. What I had thought was the "downtown" that I drove through every day on my way to work was really just the outside of "el centro". Saturday, my siblings took me to lots of historical places en el centro de asuncion, such as an old train station, el Palacio de Heroes, and the President's Palace. It was a beautiful day for walking around, in the 80s, which was a nice change from the previous weeks of frio. I tried chipa so'o, which is a softer chipa with carne (meat) in the center. Riquísimo!
Sunday, Andrea and I did some Paraguayan cooking after I chatted with my parents in the E.E.U.U. on the phone for 45 minutes :D We cooked chipa guasu, which is kinda like corn bread, but not really a bread. It has corn, milk, queso paraguayo, and eggs, and you bake it. it is still kinda wet on the inside, and crispy on the outside. Very delicious, and traditional! While we were cooking, my dad was preparing his "vaca" or cow that he had bought (yes, a whole one). We had chorizo, a traditional sausage, with mandioca for a "snack" around 1 pm, and then more of the cow for our real lunch around 3. It was really good, and had been Paraguayan bbq-ed (i'm not going to attempt to spell bbq, haha). Later, my mom prepared cocido, a drink with yerba, sugar, and more sugar, that is mixed with milk. It is super good. We drank that with mbeju that my mom and i made for merienda around 7. Mbeju is a tortilla, pancake - like food that isn't really like that, but oh well. it has mandioca flour and queso paraguayo, and a little milk. You cook it in a pan, like a pancake. Love it!
Friday my sisters and I went to the Expo, which is a display of Paraguayan industrial, farming, and artistic products. pretty cool to see it all. I bought a guampa and bombilla so that i can drink terere and mate back home in corvallis.
I feel like I am a ton closer to my whole family now, after this weekend. But, i think that has to do with the fact that i can understand about 95% of what is said, plus, I can respond with more than just Si,Si. I only have a week and a half, which is definitely not long enough. My time has flown bye. Well, I'm too lazy to put up pictures, but you can creep on my facebook page if you want to see them.
chau!
Sunday, Andrea and I did some Paraguayan cooking after I chatted with my parents in the E.E.U.U. on the phone for 45 minutes :D We cooked chipa guasu, which is kinda like corn bread, but not really a bread. It has corn, milk, queso paraguayo, and eggs, and you bake it. it is still kinda wet on the inside, and crispy on the outside. Very delicious, and traditional! While we were cooking, my dad was preparing his "vaca" or cow that he had bought (yes, a whole one). We had chorizo, a traditional sausage, with mandioca for a "snack" around 1 pm, and then more of the cow for our real lunch around 3. It was really good, and had been Paraguayan bbq-ed (i'm not going to attempt to spell bbq, haha). Later, my mom prepared cocido, a drink with yerba, sugar, and more sugar, that is mixed with milk. It is super good. We drank that with mbeju that my mom and i made for merienda around 7. Mbeju is a tortilla, pancake - like food that isn't really like that, but oh well. it has mandioca flour and queso paraguayo, and a little milk. You cook it in a pan, like a pancake. Love it!
Friday my sisters and I went to the Expo, which is a display of Paraguayan industrial, farming, and artistic products. pretty cool to see it all. I bought a guampa and bombilla so that i can drink terere and mate back home in corvallis.
I feel like I am a ton closer to my whole family now, after this weekend. But, i think that has to do with the fact that i can understand about 95% of what is said, plus, I can respond with more than just Si,Si. I only have a week and a half, which is definitely not long enough. My time has flown bye. Well, I'm too lazy to put up pictures, but you can creep on my facebook page if you want to see them.
chau!
Vacaciones por el frío......huh?
So, as I said in the post before this, some schools get another week of vacation because it is has never been this cold. Hmmmm..... Ironically, no hace frío!! Yesterday was a lovely 13 C, Monday was about 18, and today was well over 20. So, about 60 F + this week, so far. There isn't any school at Santa Teresita because it is a public school, and all public schools got another week. So, this means that I get to continue to spend my mornings watching Barney, Bob the Builder, Hi5, and other "wonderful" T.V. shows in Spanish. haha. but, look at it this way, i'm just learning more spanish... :D
Monday, July 26, 2010
Well, I lied. I'm still working in la guardería this week because all public schools in Paraguay get an extra week of winter break because of the cold. Apparently it hasn't been this cold for so long ever in Paraguay, and the government was afraid that colds were going to be spread around. So, back in la guarderia, and hopefully, next week (my last :( ), I'll be in the school - just to see what it is like.
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Last Day in La Guardería
So, I've been here for 4 weeks. And honestly, it has flown by. I can't believe that in 14 days I will be sitting on a plane for who-knows how long, and flying back to U.S. of A.
Friday (yesterday), was my last day working in the guardería, as for the next two weeks I will be working in the school at Santa Teresita. Well, this is as long as Santa Teresita doesn't extend their winter vacation for another week too (Most schools in Paraguay get another week of winter vacation because it is the coldest it has ever been for a really long time. The ironic thing is, it isn't cold right now.:D haha)
I've enjoyed working with the little kids these past 4 weeks, and I'm actually glad that I didn't get a vacation from volunteering when my siblings got a vacation from school. Most days I do a lot of sitting and watching, which is why I'm excited to work in the school cause maybe I can do some teaching. At 9 am they have their mid-morning snack (yogurt, fruit, cookies, crackers, etc). After, I help them brush their teeth. Then, they either get to play some more until lunch, or we go outside to play. So, I guess, they play either way. I bought two books for them a couple of weeks ago, so sometimes I'll read those. Also, after snack we sometimes do an art project, so I help with that too.
I'm definitely getting good at blowing noses. Haha. I don't think I've ever washed my hands more in my life. And, I'm pretty good at helping to spoon soup into the mouths of little children who don't want to eat :D
But, all in all, these children have really changed my life. They've taught me that you can come from any background, any where, and whether you have a life full of excecities, or one that just scrapes by with the necesities, you can be happy, spunky, and full of laughter. All these children latch on to you the moment you arrive and show that you care about them. They call any one who helps them, and is about 3x as tall, Tía or Tío. It makes me so happy to know that I've helped these children so much these past 4 weeks. Thank you Hogar Infantil Santa Teresita. Thank you ninos!
Friday (yesterday), was my last day working in the guardería, as for the next two weeks I will be working in the school at Santa Teresita. Well, this is as long as Santa Teresita doesn't extend their winter vacation for another week too (Most schools in Paraguay get another week of winter vacation because it is the coldest it has ever been for a really long time. The ironic thing is, it isn't cold right now.:D haha)
I've enjoyed working with the little kids these past 4 weeks, and I'm actually glad that I didn't get a vacation from volunteering when my siblings got a vacation from school. Most days I do a lot of sitting and watching, which is why I'm excited to work in the school cause maybe I can do some teaching. At 9 am they have their mid-morning snack (yogurt, fruit, cookies, crackers, etc). After, I help them brush their teeth. Then, they either get to play some more until lunch, or we go outside to play. So, I guess, they play either way. I bought two books for them a couple of weeks ago, so sometimes I'll read those. Also, after snack we sometimes do an art project, so I help with that too.
I'm definitely getting good at blowing noses. Haha. I don't think I've ever washed my hands more in my life. And, I'm pretty good at helping to spoon soup into the mouths of little children who don't want to eat :D
But, all in all, these children have really changed my life. They've taught me that you can come from any background, any where, and whether you have a life full of excecities, or one that just scrapes by with the necesities, you can be happy, spunky, and full of laughter. All these children latch on to you the moment you arrive and show that you care about them. They call any one who helps them, and is about 3x as tall, Tía or Tío. It makes me so happy to know that I've helped these children so much these past 4 weeks. Thank you Hogar Infantil Santa Teresita. Thank you ninos!
Monday, July 19, 2010
Half-Way
So, this past Sunday marked the half-way point for my exchange. Which included receiving an email from AFS about my return-trip itinerary. Let's just say this isn't a good thing. So much has happened these past three weeks it is really hard to believe that I came only 21 days ago. It is now a joke within my family about my lack of speaking the first day, which amounted to a lot of "si, si" and a nod of my head. Though, probably about half of my "si"s realy should have been "no"s.
So, here is a summary for you.
Day One: Si, Si, Nod of head, wait, no!
Week One (minus Day One): Ok, i can understand somethings.
- Worked at the guarderia Monday - Friday
- Friday, shopping
- Saturday, Toy Story 3 (which i miraculously could follow)
Week Two: Understanding more every day. Speaking more every day - Thank you Ninos :D
- working with the kids everyday helped me understand so much more. It is quite amazing, the vocabulary that children have when they are 3.
- Shrek 4: understood the majority of the movie. Woot woot
Week Three: Large conversations, understanding the majority of things said
- Well, i thought i was going to get a vacation, but no. Still went to guarderia (but that's ok, i like it)
- Finished my book, and was desperate for another one, so I started reading my Spanish Grammar book (pretty helpful, actually)
- Trip to Villarrica
- 1/2 a dream in espanol :D
And now I am here, Monday, 4:58 pm (16:58). I have exactly 3 weeks left, and I realize now that what I thought would be a long time, sufficient enough to quench my thirst for exchange, is only just a teaser, leaving me hungry for more (You could compare it to how eating snow just makes you thirstier).
This weekend Gabi and I went to Villarrica, a small town about 3 hours from Asuncion. There, we stayed with my abuelo, and I got a taste of traditional Paraguayan music. Here goes. Saturday, we went with some of Gabi's friends to a Traditional Paraguayan (polka??) concert. this was definitely one the highlights of my 3 weeks so far. Even though it was freezing cold outside, I got to enjoy the variety of Paraguayan music. There were two groups that played. The first comprised of about 5 college-age chicos/as. The 2nd, 3 older men who played the guitar extremely well.
Paraguay is rich in tradition and culture. From music to the streets to everyday life, people are immersed in their traditional native Guarani culture. I love drinking Terere and Mate (both made from Yerba, an herb, Terere is cold, and Mate hot). Horses pulling wagons are still used on the streets, and people live a much more simplistic life. No one has a dishwasher, and few have microwaves.
Well, my time here has been excelent. I only wish that I could have gone to school to meet more people. Chau!
So, here is a summary for you.
Day One: Si, Si, Nod of head, wait, no!
Week One (minus Day One): Ok, i can understand somethings.
- Worked at the guarderia Monday - Friday
- Friday, shopping
- Saturday, Toy Story 3 (which i miraculously could follow)
Week Two: Understanding more every day. Speaking more every day - Thank you Ninos :D
- working with the kids everyday helped me understand so much more. It is quite amazing, the vocabulary that children have when they are 3.
- Shrek 4: understood the majority of the movie. Woot woot
Week Three: Large conversations, understanding the majority of things said
- Well, i thought i was going to get a vacation, but no. Still went to guarderia (but that's ok, i like it)
- Finished my book, and was desperate for another one, so I started reading my Spanish Grammar book (pretty helpful, actually)
- Trip to Villarrica
- 1/2 a dream in espanol :D
And now I am here, Monday, 4:58 pm (16:58). I have exactly 3 weeks left, and I realize now that what I thought would be a long time, sufficient enough to quench my thirst for exchange, is only just a teaser, leaving me hungry for more (You could compare it to how eating snow just makes you thirstier).
This weekend Gabi and I went to Villarrica, a small town about 3 hours from Asuncion. There, we stayed with my abuelo, and I got a taste of traditional Paraguayan music. Here goes. Saturday, we went with some of Gabi's friends to a Traditional Paraguayan (polka??) concert. this was definitely one the highlights of my 3 weeks so far. Even though it was freezing cold outside, I got to enjoy the variety of Paraguayan music. There were two groups that played. The first comprised of about 5 college-age chicos/as. The 2nd, 3 older men who played the guitar extremely well.
Paraguay is rich in tradition and culture. From music to the streets to everyday life, people are immersed in their traditional native Guarani culture. I love drinking Terere and Mate (both made from Yerba, an herb, Terere is cold, and Mate hot). Horses pulling wagons are still used on the streets, and people live a much more simplistic life. No one has a dishwasher, and few have microwaves.
Well, my time here has been excelent. I only wish that I could have gone to school to meet more people. Chau!
Monday, July 12, 2010
Sunday With the Family
I really enjoy the sense of family that Paraguayans have. Lots of their family lives close to one another, and see each other often. At home, I rarely get to see my cousins, maybe once every 3 years, so I really appreciate how we can just go over to my aunt/uncle/cousins´house for lunch.
Sunday, instead of going to Caacupé because it was raining, we went to my cousin´s house for lunch and to watch the final World Cup game. I had lots of traditional foods while there, such as mandioca, and sopa paraguaya, along with a sausage that is eaten a lot.
It was all great fun, and after eating, we watched the world cup (Holanda vs. España). I was for Holanda, and i´m pretty sure most of my family/cousins were too, cause España beat Paraguay, and they weren´t very happy about that. But, sadly, España won 1:0 after about an 1 1/2 of extra time. I also played the Wii for a bit with my cousin Fabrizio, my sister Gabi, and my brother Guillermo. Then, after, my cousin and her friend came home with us. My sister, cousin, cousin´s friend, brother, and I all went to a dance from 11:30 - 3:30, which is clearly the party spot for all Paraguayan teenagers. It wasn´t really my cup of tea, but I guess it was a cultural experience. But, I did see 4 other AFS USA students who are here for the summer, so it was nice to say hi.
An exciting thing happened Sunday. As we were driving home from my cousins´house, i realized that I was understanding basically everything that my family was saying. All of a sudden it is so much easier to talk, understand, and respond quickly. :D
Sunday, instead of going to Caacupé because it was raining, we went to my cousin´s house for lunch and to watch the final World Cup game. I had lots of traditional foods while there, such as mandioca, and sopa paraguaya, along with a sausage that is eaten a lot.
It was all great fun, and after eating, we watched the world cup (Holanda vs. España). I was for Holanda, and i´m pretty sure most of my family/cousins were too, cause España beat Paraguay, and they weren´t very happy about that. But, sadly, España won 1:0 after about an 1 1/2 of extra time. I also played the Wii for a bit with my cousin Fabrizio, my sister Gabi, and my brother Guillermo. Then, after, my cousin and her friend came home with us. My sister, cousin, cousin´s friend, brother, and I all went to a dance from 11:30 - 3:30, which is clearly the party spot for all Paraguayan teenagers. It wasn´t really my cup of tea, but I guess it was a cultural experience. But, I did see 4 other AFS USA students who are here for the summer, so it was nice to say hi.
An exciting thing happened Sunday. As we were driving home from my cousins´house, i realized that I was understanding basically everything that my family was saying. All of a sudden it is so much easier to talk, understand, and respond quickly. :D
When it Rains, it POURS!!
Weather here in Paraguay can be a little finicky. Some days it will be beautiful, sunny, warm, summer-ish (even though it is winter), but other days, it is raining, overcast, and super cold. Last Friday it rained. And when I say rained, I mean it POURED, and POURED, and POURED!!!! All day, non-stop rain, more rain, and more rain. I was at the guardería Friday, and because of the rain, we couldn´t go outside, which meant the little kids were a little fidgety after awhile, but that´s okay. Here are some pictures of the flooded playground, and the kids who were stuck inside.
When my parents picked me up, it just happpened to be raining cats and dogs, o estaba lloriendo a cántaros. I literally had to jump puddles and rivers of water as I made a dash for the car. Then while we were driving home for lunch, it was like we were driving through a lake. Clearly the roads have bad drainage, for there was so much water, and it was splashing up to the windows on our truck. I was just waiting for our car to hydroplane, but we didn´t. Here are some pictures of the road and the rain.
When my parents picked me up, it just happpened to be raining cats and dogs, o estaba lloriendo a cántaros. I literally had to jump puddles and rivers of water as I made a dash for the car. Then while we were driving home for lunch, it was like we were driving through a lake. Clearly the roads have bad drainage, for there was so much water, and it was splashing up to the windows on our truck. I was just waiting for our car to hydroplane, but we didn´t. Here are some pictures of the road and the rain.
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Vida y Comida
So, here in Paraguay, things are different, obviously, but in a good way. In the U.S., people have a small (or large) breakfast, medium lunch, and big dinner. Here, Paraguayans have a desayuno pequeño, or small breakfast (yogurt or fruit, maybe a little cereal, or coffee), a very large lunch, almuerzo, (this is the meal of the day and is like the American dinner, normally meat and some form of pasta, potatoes, or mandioca). Then there is merienda, or snack, where one would drink coffee or hot chocolate, eat bread with jam or cheese, or maybe have a piece of fruit. Cena, or dinner, is also small, and very late at night (9 ish). Normally it is a small sandwich, or a few small empanadas, or nothing at all (depending on the day and person). Paraguay is big on meat (always with lunch, mainly with a small dinner, sometimes for breakfast). Basically a vegetarian wouldn´t last here, so for two months, i´m an omnivore again, or more like a carnivore.... But, all the food is super good, and I love all of it.
To mention a few funny things:
1) Milk, or leche, doesn´t come in cartons, it comes in bags that are about a quart. There is a special bucket thing for the milk bag, cause it doen´t have firm sides, just flimsy plastic.
2)Celusal is common here, or salt without fat (i think)
3) eating ensalada is not what most people think. in the U.S., it is shredded lettuce with tomatoes, vegetables, sometimes meat or fish, salad dressing, and croutons. Here, ensalada is eating whole lettuce leaves with a fork, no dressing, and commonly with salt. people eat the lettuce, tomatoes, and cucumbers separately, again, with salt.
4) Yogurt you drink, no spoon, as it is very liquidy (but good). A common brand is bebible. beber is to drink, so it translates roughly to a "Drink It".
But, aside from these funny observancies, i love paraguayan food. People love to give you more, and share what they have.
Tereré is a tea that is very common. Basically everyone drinks it here. Maté in the morning, tereré in the afternoon when it is hot. Maté is the same herbs, but with hot water, and tereré is with ice water. i love it. it is very refreshing, and cultural. Here, people share drinks, so you share tereré with your friends and family. i have it every day at the guardería, and a lot of days when i come home with my sister. you drink it from a guampa with a bombilla straw, which prevents the herbs from being drunk.
Here is what my average day is like:
5:30 - 5:40 -- wake up
6:00 -- breakfast
6:10 - 6:15 -- leave in the car with my family (we drop off my mom first, then my sister at school, then me. it is absolutely necessary to leave not later than 6:15 as there is a crazy amount of traffic in the mornings)
7-ish -- Arrive at the guardería
7 - 8 ish -- kids play with toys/breakfast
8:30 -- craft
9:00 -- snack for the niños, then they brush their teeth
9:30 - 10:30 -- go outside to el parque
11:00 ish -- lunch with the niños (i eat a little to be polite, but i have lunch when i get home, so i don´t eat too much. normally it is soup with other stuff in it)
11:30 -- Niños take a nap
12:00 - 1:00 -- My parents pick me up, and we go home
1:00 ish -- lunch at la casa
2 - 3:30 -- nap, read
4 - 5:30 -- read some more, hang around the house
5:30 -- merienda
7:00 -- my sister and i sometimes go to the gym
9:00 -- cena/dinner
9:30 - 10 -- bed (i´m super tired by the end of the day!)
Thursday, July 1, 2010
World Cup!
Oh, i forgot to mention. Paraguay loves soccer! The played Japón on Tuesday and were tied by the end of the game. but, they needed a winner, so each team had five penalty kicks. Japón y Paraguay each made the first two, and then Japón missed the 3rd, but Paraguay made it. Then, they both made the 4th. So, if Japón made the 5th and Paraguay missed it, they would be tied. BUT.... Paraguay made it, which meant that they won!!!!!!!! everyone was estatic!, and immediately all these fireworks went off around the city. it was pretty cool. plus, there are all these paraguay soccer t-shirts for sale on the streets, and almost every single car has a flag on it. thought i´d just mention that.
but, on the sad side, one of the really good Paraguayan players, who i think made the last goal was shot yesterday. he wasn´t killed, but is in the hospital and will not longer be able to play soccer :( :( :(
but, on the sad side, one of the really good Paraguayan players, who i think made the last goal was shot yesterday. he wasn´t killed, but is in the hospital and will not longer be able to play soccer :( :( :(
Familia, Niños, y Asunción
I love my family! i was picked up by my host parents from the Paraguay orientation on Sunday around 11:30. Everyone here greets each other with a kiss on each cheek. We climbed into their car and drove home. they insisted that i sit in the front because i am so tall. When we got home, my siblings Gabi, Guillermo, y Andrea came out to greet us. Everyone was very excited. Everyone here is pretty short, and i´m pretty tall, so I´m about a head taller than everyone in my family. I share a room with my sister Gabi, who is also 15. We are already really good friends. About 10 minutes after i got home, we all got in the car (again, they insisted that i sit in the front because i´m so tall), and we went to lunch at the Club Internacional de Tenis (CIT), which is a very nice sports club. Everyone eats a really big lunch here and there was a buffet of food that we could choose from. it was all very good. then my siblings and i walked around the club, and came back for dessert.
i love talking with my host siblings. The first it was hard to understand most things, and i ended up nodding my head a lot and saying "si, si." But Monday (day 2), was much easier. Everything wasn´t blended together, and i could pick out more. my sister and i listen to the radio sometimes, and i can understand some of what the radio guy is saying. We watched at paraguayan T.V. show Tuesday and i was surprised that i could understand most of it. I can tell that everyday i pick up more things. responding faster is getting easier, i´m understanding more, and not feeling as lost as the first day. Working with the kids in the guardería is super helpful too because they talk to anyone and don´t care if you don´t understand. i know i´ve picked up a lot of simple words from them.
Asuncion is the capital in Paraguay. i live basically in the city, not a suburb or anything. We leave around 6:15 most mornings when i drive with my parents and Gabi to the school. We drop off my mom at the office (it is some kind of mail/package business), then Gabi at school, and finally me at the guardería around 7. so it takes about 45 min to get there, but that´s because there is a ton of traffic! Oh, and by the way, driving in Paraguay is crazy!! People like to go fast, plus, they don´t like to slow down for a bus or anything, so they just zoom around. people literally have to run across the street because there are so many cars/buses/motorcyles in the mornign that they would never get across otherwise. Lots of students take the city bus to school, and if you look at the buses when driving by, almost all of them are crammed with students (who all have to wear uniforms :D)
i go to the guardería everyday from 7 - 12 (ish, Paraguayan time is never ontime). There i play with the kids, who are all about 2-4, most of them 3. The place i work is called Hogar Infantil Santa Teresita. it also has a school for kids ages 4-6 ish. the school is run by the government for children who have single parents who mainly work street jobs. Some children spend Monday - Friday there. Those who do sleep get baths and new cloths. All the children get breakfast, snack, and lunch. Those who spend the night get dinner. All of this is completely free. I feel like this is such a great program. We don´t really have anything like this in the U.S. (or at least in the Corvallis area). all the children are so cute, and latch onto you the first day you are there. They all call me Tía, or auntie. i work with two other women, and one of the woman´s daughter comes to help after snack. All these kids want to be with you, sit on your lap, have you play with them. they love going down the slide on my lap. i feel so lucky to be able to work with them, and i know that they will always leave an impact on me. Yesterday a little boy came up to me, grabbed my hand, and gave me a dead fly. ¡Que suerte! haha :D I hope that i might be able to work with some of the older kids later on.
overall, i´m having a great time hear!
Chau!
i love talking with my host siblings. The first it was hard to understand most things, and i ended up nodding my head a lot and saying "si, si." But Monday (day 2), was much easier. Everything wasn´t blended together, and i could pick out more. my sister and i listen to the radio sometimes, and i can understand some of what the radio guy is saying. We watched at paraguayan T.V. show Tuesday and i was surprised that i could understand most of it. I can tell that everyday i pick up more things. responding faster is getting easier, i´m understanding more, and not feeling as lost as the first day. Working with the kids in the guardería is super helpful too because they talk to anyone and don´t care if you don´t understand. i know i´ve picked up a lot of simple words from them.
Asuncion is the capital in Paraguay. i live basically in the city, not a suburb or anything. We leave around 6:15 most mornings when i drive with my parents and Gabi to the school. We drop off my mom at the office (it is some kind of mail/package business), then Gabi at school, and finally me at the guardería around 7. so it takes about 45 min to get there, but that´s because there is a ton of traffic! Oh, and by the way, driving in Paraguay is crazy!! People like to go fast, plus, they don´t like to slow down for a bus or anything, so they just zoom around. people literally have to run across the street because there are so many cars/buses/motorcyles in the mornign that they would never get across otherwise. Lots of students take the city bus to school, and if you look at the buses when driving by, almost all of them are crammed with students (who all have to wear uniforms :D)
i go to the guardería everyday from 7 - 12 (ish, Paraguayan time is never ontime). There i play with the kids, who are all about 2-4, most of them 3. The place i work is called Hogar Infantil Santa Teresita. it also has a school for kids ages 4-6 ish. the school is run by the government for children who have single parents who mainly work street jobs. Some children spend Monday - Friday there. Those who do sleep get baths and new cloths. All the children get breakfast, snack, and lunch. Those who spend the night get dinner. All of this is completely free. I feel like this is such a great program. We don´t really have anything like this in the U.S. (or at least in the Corvallis area). all the children are so cute, and latch onto you the first day you are there. They all call me Tía, or auntie. i work with two other women, and one of the woman´s daughter comes to help after snack. All these kids want to be with you, sit on your lap, have you play with them. they love going down the slide on my lap. i feel so lucky to be able to work with them, and i know that they will always leave an impact on me. Yesterday a little boy came up to me, grabbed my hand, and gave me a dead fly. ¡Que suerte! haha :D I hope that i might be able to work with some of the older kids later on.
overall, i´m having a great time hear!
Chau!
Arrival and Orientations
So. I left Corvallis Wednesday around 2:30. We got to the airport, checked my bag, and headed towards the plane. My dad had a business meeting in San Francisco, so he flew with me. We met Granny Jeanie at the airport and had dinner at this nice little Italian restaurant, Buno Gusto (or something like that). Then i got back on a plane and flew to Miami, which is where the orientation was. It was a five hour flight and i got about 2 hours of sleep, so i was exausted when i got there at 8 in the morning. I had to go get my luggage and then catch a small hotel bus to the Embassy Suites in Miami. the bus comes every 20 minutes or so, but i was lucky and only had to wait about 5 minutes, though most of that time was spent figuring out where to stand, etc. Confusing.
I got to the hotel, and they had an AFS table set up, so it was easy to know where to go. They didn´t have rooms for us yet cause Argentina and Chile hadn´t left yet, so i got to sleep on the couch in the lobby. Yay! plus, i was the first AFS-er going to Paraguay or Costa Rica. But when i woke up, there were a whole bunch of people there.
The orientation stuff was super boring. And basically was what we went over at the PDO. But, we did watch a movie in Spanish. i think it was argentinian, but it was super confusing, even with subtitles, and everyone was lost. costa rica had to get up at 5:30 to go to the airport, so we had to cram all the important stuff into 7 hours (4 - 11). But, in the morning we got to sleep in, and didn´t start until 11. and all that we did was some surveys and watch the movie. We left at 4:30 for the airport. We had an AFS person take all 19 of us to the airport and help us check our bags. Then she gave us our passports, sent us through security, and we were alone. Everything went well, and we had lots of extra time getting to the plane (about 2 hours, but international flights board an hour before departure instead of 30 minutes).
It was a 8 hour flight to Sao Paulo, but we had a really nice plane. We flew Tam, which is a really big Brazilian airline, kinda like Lufthansia, if you fly to Europe. There were 3 rows (2,4,2), and i sat on the aisle, which was nice cause there wasn´t much space and my legs are long. The man sitting next to me was Brazilian, but lived in the U.S. He was very nice, and we talked about AFS for awhile. Across the ailse from me was a woman who went on an exchange to Spokane,WA for a year when she was in high school. i don´t think she went with AFS, but some Brazilian program. She lives in Florida now, but was going back to visit.
Airplane food is pretty weird. The dinner was good (i had pasta and salad), but the breakfast had the strangest eggs i´ve ever had. i have no way to describe them, except for that they were super weird. someone said that they add cream cheese to them. We got into Sao Paulo at 5 in the morning, which is 4 in the morning in Miami. We were all super tired, but luckily we didn´t have to go through customs. We had about 2 1/2 hours to kill, and i just sat around the whole time. but we did meet this man who is from Paraguay and went to the UK for a year with AFS. He talked to us for awhile and all his info was super helpful. He said that he now goes to Georgia Tech, i think. Then we also met a woman who went to Paraguay for an exchange two years ago. She is from the U.S., and did community service for a year. i think she said that she worked in a school. but, she was coming back to visit.
we got to Asunción at 10 in the morning, went through customs, and met an AFS woman who had gotten most of our bags for us already (they all had yellow AFS luggage tags). The whole time that we were flying from Miami to Asuncion we got these funny looks cause there were 19 of us all wearing bright yellow AFS t-shirts (but it got people to ask what we were doing, which spreads the word about AFS). Anyways, the Asuncion airport is tiny. it seemed smaller than the Eugene airport, but i don´t really know. We all climbed on a bus and were taken to the retreat-ish place in Asuncion for ANOTHER orientation. But this one was actually useful and was all about Paraguay. we were there for a night and then our host families picked us up.
I got to the hotel, and they had an AFS table set up, so it was easy to know where to go. They didn´t have rooms for us yet cause Argentina and Chile hadn´t left yet, so i got to sleep on the couch in the lobby. Yay! plus, i was the first AFS-er going to Paraguay or Costa Rica. But when i woke up, there were a whole bunch of people there.
The orientation stuff was super boring. And basically was what we went over at the PDO. But, we did watch a movie in Spanish. i think it was argentinian, but it was super confusing, even with subtitles, and everyone was lost. costa rica had to get up at 5:30 to go to the airport, so we had to cram all the important stuff into 7 hours (4 - 11). But, in the morning we got to sleep in, and didn´t start until 11. and all that we did was some surveys and watch the movie. We left at 4:30 for the airport. We had an AFS person take all 19 of us to the airport and help us check our bags. Then she gave us our passports, sent us through security, and we were alone. Everything went well, and we had lots of extra time getting to the plane (about 2 hours, but international flights board an hour before departure instead of 30 minutes).
It was a 8 hour flight to Sao Paulo, but we had a really nice plane. We flew Tam, which is a really big Brazilian airline, kinda like Lufthansia, if you fly to Europe. There were 3 rows (2,4,2), and i sat on the aisle, which was nice cause there wasn´t much space and my legs are long. The man sitting next to me was Brazilian, but lived in the U.S. He was very nice, and we talked about AFS for awhile. Across the ailse from me was a woman who went on an exchange to Spokane,WA for a year when she was in high school. i don´t think she went with AFS, but some Brazilian program. She lives in Florida now, but was going back to visit.
Airplane food is pretty weird. The dinner was good (i had pasta and salad), but the breakfast had the strangest eggs i´ve ever had. i have no way to describe them, except for that they were super weird. someone said that they add cream cheese to them. We got into Sao Paulo at 5 in the morning, which is 4 in the morning in Miami. We were all super tired, but luckily we didn´t have to go through customs. We had about 2 1/2 hours to kill, and i just sat around the whole time. but we did meet this man who is from Paraguay and went to the UK for a year with AFS. He talked to us for awhile and all his info was super helpful. He said that he now goes to Georgia Tech, i think. Then we also met a woman who went to Paraguay for an exchange two years ago. She is from the U.S., and did community service for a year. i think she said that she worked in a school. but, she was coming back to visit.
we got to Asunción at 10 in the morning, went through customs, and met an AFS woman who had gotten most of our bags for us already (they all had yellow AFS luggage tags). The whole time that we were flying from Miami to Asuncion we got these funny looks cause there were 19 of us all wearing bright yellow AFS t-shirts (but it got people to ask what we were doing, which spreads the word about AFS). Anyways, the Asuncion airport is tiny. it seemed smaller than the Eugene airport, but i don´t really know. We all climbed on a bus and were taken to the retreat-ish place in Asuncion for ANOTHER orientation. But this one was actually useful and was all about Paraguay. we were there for a night and then our host families picked us up.
Monday, June 21, 2010
Everything
Clearly I'm not going to be a very good blogger, as it has been over a month. Oh well. Quite a bit has happened in the past month. 1st, I GOT MY HOST FAMILY!!!! I'm so glad,and they seem like the perfect fit. I have two sisters, Gabi and Andrea. Gabi is my age, which is awesome. I've talked to both on Facebook, and they are super nice. Plus, i could understand what they were saying (which is good - haha). Then, i have two brothers, Guillermo and Miguel. They are both older than me, along with Andrea, and I haven't talked to either, but i can't wait to meet them. I'm going to be living in Asunción, the capital of Paraguay. I've heard that it isn't as traditional as the rest of Paraguay, and more westernized, but that's ok. i'm happy with whatever, as long as a get to go and have a great time. Actually, i think it will be pretty cool to live in the city, as i don't get much "big city life" here in Corvallis. I'm hoping to find a music rental store and rent a cello for two months. I heard once that they were arranging somewhere involving children to volunteer at, but i haven't actually gotten a notification of where and what. Time's kinda running out, so i'll probably just find out when i get there.
Also, i mentioned earlier the country specific conference call. So, that was June 6 (i think). It was really helpful. There were 5 or so of us on the call, along with a returnee who did the soccer program. We got to answer questions, and stuff like that, which was really helpful. there were some others on the call who will be living in Asunción, and some that are doing the community service one, so hopefully we'll all become great friends.
I've started packing. I heard from a 2009 returnee that it was super cold when she went (in the 30's), but i checked for this year, and currently they are having weather in the 70's. My dad looked at the average temperatures, and apparently last summer was on average about 20 degrees cooler than the accumulative average of a few years. Guess i lucked out. haha. I was definitely preparing myself for some VERY cold weather, but hopefully it will be a bit warmer. Yay, cause it means i won't have to pack all of my warmest (ski-ish) cloths like long underwear and hats and gloves that i was thinking of bringing. It seems it will be quite pleasant :)
So, just a few things going through my mind. I have to say i'm poco nervioso, but i know i'll be fine. I just hope that i don't forget all the Spanish that i've learned. My goal is to come back fluent-ish. This may seem like a large goal to accomplish in 8 weeks, but i WILL DO IT!!! :D
Well, i've got about 48 hours left here in small Corvallis. Then off to Miami for the Gateway Orientation, and then we hop on a flight to Asunción. How exciting!!! This is something i've been waiting to do for so long, and i can't believe that i'm actually doing it now. I know that when i get back i will be a changed person (in a good way), who can hopefully speak/understand almost anything in Spanish. I'm going to miss everyone.
Also, i mentioned earlier the country specific conference call. So, that was June 6 (i think). It was really helpful. There were 5 or so of us on the call, along with a returnee who did the soccer program. We got to answer questions, and stuff like that, which was really helpful. there were some others on the call who will be living in Asunción, and some that are doing the community service one, so hopefully we'll all become great friends.
I've started packing. I heard from a 2009 returnee that it was super cold when she went (in the 30's), but i checked for this year, and currently they are having weather in the 70's. My dad looked at the average temperatures, and apparently last summer was on average about 20 degrees cooler than the accumulative average of a few years. Guess i lucked out. haha. I was definitely preparing myself for some VERY cold weather, but hopefully it will be a bit warmer. Yay, cause it means i won't have to pack all of my warmest (ski-ish) cloths like long underwear and hats and gloves that i was thinking of bringing. It seems it will be quite pleasant :)
So, just a few things going through my mind. I have to say i'm poco nervioso, but i know i'll be fine. I just hope that i don't forget all the Spanish that i've learned. My goal is to come back fluent-ish. This may seem like a large goal to accomplish in 8 weeks, but i WILL DO IT!!! :D
Well, i've got about 48 hours left here in small Corvallis. Then off to Miami for the Gateway Orientation, and then we hop on a flight to Asunción. How exciting!!! This is something i've been waiting to do for so long, and i can't believe that i'm actually doing it now. I know that when i get back i will be a changed person (in a good way), who can hopefully speak/understand almost anything in Spanish. I'm going to miss everyone.
Saturday, May 22, 2010
PDO, etc
I went to the Pre-Departure Orientation two weeks ago. It might not have been the most intriguing day of my life, but it certainly got me exciting for the exchange. I also got my travel itinerary, so i know when i leave and when i'll be back. I'm only gone for about 8 weeks, and in Paraguay for about 45 days. It seems so short already, but I'm definitely going to make the best of my time there. I'm also in the process of applying for my visa, so everything is starting to wind down when i leave (i still have a month).
I think i may be becoming a little obsessive about checking for new info. I check the AFS website, Portal, and my email almost every day. I've found the Forum, which has been quite helpful. And, i finally found time to do that Culture Trek thing.
I am so excited about going. I know that this is truly going to be one of the best adventures of my life time. My friend went to Thailand last year, and I've been listening to her stories. Not only does it make me jealous that I'm not going for longer, but all the stories have made me realize how life-changing/eye-opening these 8 weeks may turn out to be.
I'm still waiting to hear about my host family. It is killing me, not knowing, but i'm trying to be patient. I'm sure I'll hear soon, but I so desperately want to know now. haha. Oh, i also have the country conference call coming up, which hopefully will let me "meet" other AFS-ers going to Paraguay this summer, and hopefully doing the community service program.
So. now i diligently wait for more news, and for the day when i'll step onto the airplane headed to Asuncion! :)
Adios
I think i may be becoming a little obsessive about checking for new info. I check the AFS website, Portal, and my email almost every day. I've found the Forum, which has been quite helpful. And, i finally found time to do that Culture Trek thing.
I am so excited about going. I know that this is truly going to be one of the best adventures of my life time. My friend went to Thailand last year, and I've been listening to her stories. Not only does it make me jealous that I'm not going for longer, but all the stories have made me realize how life-changing/eye-opening these 8 weeks may turn out to be.
I'm still waiting to hear about my host family. It is killing me, not knowing, but i'm trying to be patient. I'm sure I'll hear soon, but I so desperately want to know now. haha. Oh, i also have the country conference call coming up, which hopefully will let me "meet" other AFS-ers going to Paraguay this summer, and hopefully doing the community service program.
So. now i diligently wait for more news, and for the day when i'll step onto the airplane headed to Asuncion! :)
Adios
Saturday, April 24, 2010
waiting....
So, I'm still in the process of getting ready. I'm extremely excited about going, and can't wait for school to get out! I've been talking to a returnee from town who went to the same program last summer. I'm definitely going to remember to bring warm clothes!
I'm still waiting for information about getting a visa and my host family (hopefully it'll come soon. I really want to work with children in a school, so I've requested that and hopefully i'll get to.
I'm still waiting for information about getting a visa and my host family (hopefully it'll come soon. I really want to work with children in a school, so I've requested that and hopefully i'll get to.
Monday, March 22, 2010
AFS exchange: something that's been on my mind for a while. I love to to travel and explore countries, I love to learn languages, and I love to meet people. What couldn't be better than an exchange? Over the past couple of years, an exchange has been on my mind. I didn't really care where, as long as I got to go on one. The decision to do one this summer was, I have to say, spur of the moment - kinda. More like I decided in three days, rather than three months.
Well, you probably want to know why I want to go on an exchange. There's a long list, but basically it is so that I can experience something completely different and new, along with meeting lots of people and practicing my Spanish. I feel like the community service based exchange that I'm going on will be an eye-opening experience and something completely different from my everyday life back home. But we'll have to see...
The preparation for the exchange has been a beneficial one too, and definitely reminded me that everything takes more time than you think. All the paperwork and doctor forms took longer than I expected. I have to say the most disappointing thing was when I checked on the AFS website, just merely checking in the obsessive habit that I been doing for a month, and saw that they Argentinian homestay had filled up the day before I was planning to apply. :( But, I think that my Paraguayan community service/homestay will be even better and teach me more.
No puedo esperar hasta junio! Hola Paraguay, adios Corvallis!
Well, you probably want to know why I want to go on an exchange. There's a long list, but basically it is so that I can experience something completely different and new, along with meeting lots of people and practicing my Spanish. I feel like the community service based exchange that I'm going on will be an eye-opening experience and something completely different from my everyday life back home. But we'll have to see...
The preparation for the exchange has been a beneficial one too, and definitely reminded me that everything takes more time than you think. All the paperwork and doctor forms took longer than I expected. I have to say the most disappointing thing was when I checked on the AFS website, just merely checking in the obsessive habit that I been doing for a month, and saw that they Argentinian homestay had filled up the day before I was planning to apply. :( But, I think that my Paraguayan community service/homestay will be even better and teach me more.
No puedo esperar hasta junio! Hola Paraguay, adios Corvallis!
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