Hello again,
Over a month has passed since I wrote last time, it seems like it was 10 minutes ago-in a couple days my group will be completing their 10th month in country (8 months as volunteers). As you’ve all been reading here, up and down is a great way to describe the experience thus far but after a recent trip away from my site, I had a really great realization that I do, in fact, feel at home and comfortable here in Villa Madrid-despite my moments of frustration and medio-insanity.
The heat has been cranked up here in Pguay lately which has made everything slow down and bit and has demanded a thermo of terere on hand at basically any and all moments. Everyone keeps telling me that the summer hasn’t even arrived yet but I literally can’t imagine it getting any hotter than it has been the past couple days. I’ve been totally jealous of the little kids who have kiddie pools to play in but have maintained my pride enough so far to not ask to go in with them….dont worry, it’ll happen. I’ve also been sporting several hats, sun glasses and copious amounts of SPF in an attempt to not burn my delicate irish skin BUT igual no mas, I’m currently the resident yankee lobster in Villa Madrid.
My classes have all finished up for the summer, both my english class and the class at the jail will start up again in February when the school year begins again. Amy and I are going to be teaching a basic business course to the inmates since many of them make their own artisan goods in their free time there but many of them have little background in business. We are hoping to help them streamline their business plans and hopefully also market their products for them in the future. The municipality employees have told me a bunch of people have come in to ask about the english class so I’m anticipating a big turnout again next time. I feel like I’ve gotten a lot better at handling bigger groups so hopefully I’ll feel a bit less overwhelmed this time around! My two big summer endeavours are going to be working with the volunteer firefighters of Limpio to procure donations and equiptment and hopefully to start up a basketball club! I recently found out that the basketball court that is at the Mormon church in town is free to use and thanks to the generosity of another volunteer I’m getting gifted a basketball as well! A sports related project has been something I’d been looking for an opportunity to start for quite a while so I’m really hoping its successful-stay tuned!
For the rest of the summer I have a good mix of work and play lined up. I’ll be attending a national volunteerism conference in the capital, as well as a three day gender camp with three girls in the middle of the month. On the 8th, I’ll be making the yearly pilgrimage to Caacupe with Rodrigo and his friends and family. The walk is only about 15 kilometers from here so we’ll walk during the night to arrive in the morning for the mass. I’ve heard it’s a really interesting and uniquely Paraguayan experience so I’m looking forward to that for sure. Then, the very next day is the concert AHENDU that I’ve been co-organizing with a fellow volunteer. We have Peace Corps volunteers, Paraguayans, and Korean volunteers in the lineup so I’m excited to see how it all turns out. We are holding it in a cultural center that overlooks the Paraguayan equivalent of the white house and the Rio Paraguay, and we even have a discount at the bar! SO, all signs point to a great event.
Spending my first major holiday away from the United States was a weird and nostalgic experience. I couldn’t help but remember back on past holidays or think about what all my friends and family were doing at home without me. Luckily, I got to do a bit of traveling down to my friend Ellie’s house in the southern city of Encarnacion. Encarn is a really different Paraguay than I had been used to filled with nice restaurants, english speakers, and air conditioning (!). It’s truly a very international city and I feel like I’ve gotten to see now the full gamete of what Paraguay “is”. Ellie, myself, and another volunteer Katie spent a few days getting to know the city and then we headed to a fancy little hotel nestled in the forest about a half an hour from the city for some quality relaxation time. We lounged in the pool, had a DELICIOUS thanksgiving dinner and spent some time with some volunteers we hadn’t seen in a while. Sunday, however, we all got some really terrible news. A fellow volunteer who had been on her way home from another thanksgiving celebration had been killed in a car accident. Her boyfriend, a Paraguayan who had befriended many of the volunteers, was in critical condition. It was sobering moment for all of us and although I didn’t know the volunteer personally, it’s a tragedy that hit very close to home. There are about 250 volunteers in Paraguay currently, and although you don’t know everyone by name, there is certainly a sense of community among us and this girls death is a loss and heartache for all the Peace Corps Paraguay Volunteers. It was a quick and stinging reminder to us all to be mindful of what we are thankful for both in Paraguay and at home and also for the opportunity we have been given as Peace Corps Volunteers here.
Loving and missing you all very especially right now.
Jaimee
