I can tell fall is coming because the daily heat seems to be less and less extreme…and for that I am thankful. Today I started off the day by putting some dirty clothes into my washing machine that the house’s owner left behind when she went to Buenos Aires to work. After a couple of bangs on the old thing, it kicked to life and so began another slow weekend day in Paraguay.
Seeing as the school year began about three weeks ago, my week days are now full of running from one place to the other. After leading an extra-help program in the 2nd and 3rd grade at Escuela Basica Dr. Francia, holding “Present and Future” classes at a center of technology, doing model lessons at two other primary schools, workshops with the Board of Education and working at the orphanage, my Monday – Fridays are teeming with activities, yet my weekends seem to get the better of me because they are so uneventful.
After reading two books last weekend and one this weekend, I am desperately trying to think of new things to do to keep myself from getting bored. I think to myself that it is ok to not do anything…that working so much during the week merits a peaceful weekend, but alas it is not in my natural to sit still.
Topic Change:
For Christmas my Aunt Cindy sent me a very interesting present. She sent me a box of note cards that each holds a date. A card for each day of the year of 2012. According to her instructions, I am to write something every day. Whether it be a quote, passing thought or event, I have tried my best to write something to record this eventful year of my life. A Peace Corps year.
I would like to share some of the things that I have written.
January 3, 2012
- Went to the Plaza de Mayo (Buenos Aires) and saw where the Madres of the disappeared from the 1970s still protest for justice. I thought I was going to start crying. Tears swelled up in my eyes. Inspiring area. May I always fight for what I believe in like these women.
January 4, 2012
- More walking around Buenos Aires. Went to La Boca (a colorful neighborhood that was previously settled my Italian immigrants) and a Beatles’ museum. I think that was Pop’s favorite thing in B.A.
January 6, 2012
- Went to the glacier. When the ice broke off it was so loud. Pop made an interesting observation…you could see the ice break off and hit the water before you could hear it (sound travelling slower than what you see, which I have not thought about in years)…the wonders of science and the atmosphere are so beyond me. Amazing day. I was glad Mom, Pop and Carrie were there to share it with me.
January 10, 2012
- Did a kid seriously puke 20 minutes after we (Pop, Mom, Carrie and I) left Encarnación? Yes. Did the bus driver stop and clean it up? No. Went to the “Hippie Market”, swam at the Alpes Hotel and ate pizza.
January 13, 2012
- Slept late…then read Trueblood all day. Lazy, I know. Talked to Katie Hunt for the first time since I’ve been here. I miss her. I miss my friends and the people that I trust. Sometimes I want to talk to someone, and I literally just come to the same conclusion…I have no one here I really want to talk to.
January 15, 2012
- Today I felt the overwhelming relief that I did not have any obligations. Free. Peace, inside and out…for the 3rd or 4th day in a row actually. So, I was back to the Trueblood series. Seeing as I finished the last paper copy (4th book) yesterday, I began to pick up on the PDF of the 5th book that I started last night. I’m officially cross-eyed from reading from the computer from 10 am – 6:30 pm. I cannot fathom that Eric and Sookie aren’t real people. I swear that I think I am Sookie. Is it because the books are staged in the South? When am I going to find my Eric?
January 17, 2012
- Another day lacking activities and the outdoors…read the remainder of the 6th Trueblood book and made myself rice and chorizo for lunch. It was a really hot day, so I thought about going to the river for about ½ of a second. Sadly, going alone isn’t fun, so I stayed indoors. I know that I am hiding from the world in this house. School will start again soon, and I’ll have to get back to being proactive and productive. At least that is what I am telling myself…
January 20, 2012
- VAC meeting today. Ate at Hiroshima. Then went to Aldito to buy boy’s jeans to master the boyfriend jean look. Tonight Natalie, Nicole and I watched YouTube videos and had cheap box wine. My fan conveniently broke again, so looks like I’ll be taking to get it fixed tomorrow. Today is Carrie’s 22nd birthday.
January 23, 2012
- Went to Nicole’s community. She organized the kids in three groups, and we worked on literacy. It rained off and on. Nicole’s community is really pretty. It is about 45 minutes from where I live. It is about 30 minutes done a dirt road. No wonder Nicole’s feet are always red. From the red dirt. The dirt is different here. What is the mineral?
January 28, 2012
- Went to Carnival in Encarnación. Encarnación is supposedly the host to the biggest and best celebration of Carnival. It consisted of a neat/sexy/colorful parade of barely dressed women and children/adults spraying foam in my face. And in two weeks, I am going back for more…haha
March 1, 2012
- Today it rained!! Yeaaaaa! It hasn’t rained that much lately, and no rain really affects people here. Some people don’t have running water for days/weeks until the next rain comes. Natalie, Nicole and I had a great day of lying around watching telanovelas and playing Clue. Days like these are the ones that get me through.
March 5, 2012
- Nicole and I went to the Board of Education in Encarnación today to talk about doing didactic material workshops at schools outside of the centro. I thought the supervisor was resisting our idea, but Nicole said that she thinks that he’s thinking it over. Thanks to Nicole I made my first homemade pita bread tonight. It was really good and definitely health. I really want to start cooking new things and eating better…I also went by the gym to make sure the prices and times had not changed. We will see whether I can get the fuerza to go three times a week like I am planning to do.
March 6, 2012
- Busy, Busy, Busy day. And it was 114.8 degrees! Good and bad things happened today. I did two classes with the young kids (12-30) at the University of Leonardo Di Vinci. The university has a center with specialized classes like computer skills, etc. In the 2nd group the oldest student (around 30) broke down into tears when she was supposed to answer the 3 things that she was good at question from the activity we are doing and talked about how she was abused by her father as a child. I did my best to help calm her down. Then I went to the Formación Docente and despite the Ministry of Education’s ruling they are still training primary school teachers…Yay! We can teach our didactic materials course! Then to my school (Dr. Francia) were we cut out working with the 1st grade in my extra-help program and added one day with Jardin (grade before kindergarten). Lastly, had a meeting with the PR teachers at UNAE (university).
March 7, 2012
- I had my first German lesson today! The teacher went over the pronunciation of some of the letters and talked about some general rules. I am really excited and hope that I will work hard and not get too frustrated with German. I am going to look for index cards to start making flashcards tomorrow and poco a poco. Aprenderé más y más. There are so many things I want to learn and do in life. I am glad that I have this kind of want and drive. I am so busy this week. I have so much going on and it is so hot outside so that is adding to my exhaustion. It is a good tired though. I love the U.S. and want to go home, but it is hard to imagine my life one year from now
March 12, 2012
- After a quick 40 minute lesson today at Escuela Basica Dolores Cuña, I came home and spent the day reading and reading. I finished the 2nd book to the Hunger Games series. I feel guilty because I didn’t exercise again today. I am going to try to go to the gym on Wednesday and Thursday. Ideally I should go Friday, but I don’t have any commitments in the centro, so I know that I won’t go. It is just so hot outside. It is hard to get motivated to do anything, but sit and drink loads of water. Tomorrow I have a packed day. Sadly, I have to leave the house by 6:30 am…wahhh. I keep seeing where everyone is getting engaged and/or married on FB. I have always gone my own path.
March 13, 2012
- Started the apoyo (extra-help) program today. The most I had in one group was 6 and the least was 2. The 2nd graders in the afternoon are going to need a lot of help. I always wonder what happens to the children that don’t learn how to read…? Why do teachers here just give up so easily on children? I think about the U.S. and how I want to get involved with literacy in the schools in my community. As technology continues to grow, children become more and more disconnected with books. What a different world you can experience with books…I don’t want other children to lose out on this valuable part of their imaginations and educations. What a beautiful thing it is to read.
March 14, 2012
- Two 4-hour workshops with Nicole and the women in charge of the 1st ciclo pedagogica (1, 2, 3 grades) in the Board of Education. The first had 8 teachers and 21 in the 2nd. We talked about didactic materials (my favorite topic). After the taller, one of the teachers asked me and Nicole if we could come to talk on her TV show on Canal 15 in two weeks. She wants us to talk about what we work in and why we are in Paraguay. I am so tired. Getting up a 5:30 am, me cuesta mucho! Tomorrow is my second day of the apoyo program.
I will truly try to blog more and to keep everyone more up-to-date about lo que está pasando acá en Paraguay!
Staying true to yourself, is the best path... You're finding it... :)
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