So there has been a lot of celebrating going on in Villa Madrid this week (surprise, I know). Sunday was el dia de la Amistad “friendship day” which this year was declared by the UN as an international holiday, kinda cool. Friendship day is a day when everyone gives each other “felicidades” for being friends and they also sometimes give little trinket gifts and things to show their appreciation for their friends. Naturally, there was a festival in the church with singing and dancing, etc. Also, coincidentally, this festival coincided with the 19th anniversary of the founding the Villa. So, the older members of the community gathered their pictures of the founding of the Villa and made a nice exhibition for the community on the walls of the church. They sang the mass in guarani and even the priest who had originally founded the church came back from Spain to participate in the mass! It was quite an event. It was really interesting to see the progression of the building of the villa-how the school used to look, how the church used to be, the HUGE open space where the community center now stands, etc. It made me feel a little more attached to this place for sure, knowing how far it’s come in the past two decades.
I am currently (still) in the process of getting the library committee reorganized for the coming week. After a lot of back and forth with the current members about when and where would be best to have the meeting, we have finally agreed and have invited the teachers and the elementary and high schools to come participate as well but like with all things here, vamos a ver if they are going to end up showing up. The director of the community center has been really great and supportive and is going to try to rally some of the parents at the day care there to also join up with our cause. She has also this week put me in touch with a professor who teaches enrichment courses at the community center who wants to work on a professional development course (which he also said he wants to aim specifically at female youth-BONUS). He is currently teaching a waiter/waitress course there (a job skill that could potentially provide a very good life for someone here for their whole lives) and asked if I would help them with some gastronomical english lessons-talk about something I NEVER thought I would be asked to do. He seems like a pretty motivated guy and it is for sure meeting people like him that keep the wind in your sails when its FREEZING and people (including yourself at points) are more or less without motivation.
Additionally this week, my contact in the municipality asked me to come and work with a newly formed woman’s group in the community center that is trying to start a small seamstress business. A woman who already works as a seamstress in the neighborhood as offered her time to come and teach a week long course to the woman (that I also get to take!) and the municipality has donated some machines and fabric to start up with. My role is going to be working with them to form a business plan, another thing that I am less than qualified to do but I will hopefully be able to solicit some help from my community economic development folks to get them the type of plan they need. Needless to say, the workload has gotten a bit heavier this week!
Things remain shaky but generally ok in the comedor. They are having a fundraiser this weekend to raise some money for the extra that they need. The kitchen seems to be running much more smoothly than before and the nutritionist from the municipality is scheduling training in how to use soy in the menu for the next couple weeks. Stay tuned!
Friday night was AHENDU (I hear in guarani) a volunteer/Paraguayan concert in Asuncion that is meant as a way for the volunteers and the Paraguayans to sing together, share a little bit of culture, and usually a lot of beer. I had been convinced to sing after a LONG time of badgering and since I hadn’t sang in public in a long time, and hadn’t sang by myself in an even longer time I was quite nervous but everything went well and we all had a good time. A couple of my Paraguayan music enthusiast friends came to sing but due to some scheduling problems they didn’t get on. They enjoyed themselves the same and are already talking about what they are going to sing at the next concert in December (the concert that I have been nominated to be vice-coordinator for, yikes!) Then Saturday we all went out in Limpio to dance some cumbia! Sum up of the weekend: success.
The weather here has TRULY been unpredictable. As I sit here writing this I am in shorts and a tank top but just 48 short hours ago I was in several layers, scarves, gloves-the works. The climate here is bizarre to say the least and everything from my skin to my sinuses are suffering for it. It is rather impressive how Paraguayans transfer wardrobes so quickly, never seeming to be unprepared for the weather.
All for now mis amigos
Jaimee
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