If you're a strong female, you don't need permission

     Week 4. I don’t know if that is a lot of time or a little of time any more. But here we are. I have a new attitude, we’ll see how long this lasts, but I decided that I am going to find the positives, the moments of joy and the beauty that is seeping out of every moment, everything around here.  It has been a month full of EVERYTHING yet nothing at the same time. Weird.  I have always wanted to do this, and I AM DOING IT.  I have to give myself more credit, and stop being so egotistical/greedy/materialistic- overall bratty, which is a place that my mind often wonders to. So we’ll try this and see how it works. Paraguay, be warned.

     Since our last update, life has become more routine-and by that I mean the routine is no routine.  We wake up and have no idea what the day will bring. I kind of like it. Although, whenever we ‘plan’ to do something, it never happens because we have other places that we are supposed to be that we find out five minutes before we have to be there. Oh Paraguay.

     Jess and I just got back from a festival of San Miguel. We went with one of the artisanas, Rita, who is a character. On our way, we were standing on a corner waiting for the bus and a family invited us to sit with them and drink some terere. One of them knew Melissa, and that was all that was necessary. They pulled up chairs for us, and passed around the wamba.  Didn’t even exchange words, and yet we became friends. Love that community here. After, Jess and I got on the bus and we almost missed the church we were supposed to get off at because we were gabbing away; but Rita stopped the bus and got us off. We saw the chapel, sat under the shade (today was HOT, and it’s only Spring….), drank some strawberry juice and then moved to another shadey area. People just sat. A concept we really don’t have in the U.S. I have gotten used to the sitting and doing nothing, but at first I was wondering ,”Okay, What are we gonna do?” But today, we just sat. After a while of sitting, Rita got some food and we walked, a long walk, back to her house. She lives with her mom, uncle, and 83 year old Abuela, who only speaks Guarani.  As I was being attacked by flies, and sitting above chickens and roosters running into each other and my chair, we sat at ate some pollo, sopa, and arroz. Abuela thought I was 15. We sat there and Si-ed (Yes-ed) her, because we really had no idea what she was saying. After the girl chat, we walked back to the festival.  By that time, 2 ish, the party had started. People dancing, music pumping. After much observation and a few turned down invitations to dance, Rita convinced us to head into the center of the circle where the hip shaking was occurring. Also, before that, a guy bought us ice cream and sent it over-talk about the way to a girl’s heart.  We danced some polka, cumbia, and some soccer anthem songs. One reggeaton song same on and you know home girl did her thang. I don’t think they were ready for my jelly, so I toned it down a little. Oh Paraguay. Dancing under sunlight, drinking soda because the water was too hot at this point, and getting creepy eyes from surrounding men as Rita swats them away, livin the Paraguayian life.   We left, walked about an hour home, and here we are. Sunburnt and a bit tired, but getting ready for another long day tomorrow. We have to be at the Sisters house at 6 am tomorrow to go to the Good Shepherd prison to check that out. One of the Hermanas wants me to go with her often to teach the men how to make different types of bracelets. We shall see, remember, there are no plans here.

     Other updates… Spanish class has become a place that has turned into a nice, separate place where we get cookies and coffee. We always leave in a better mood then we enter with. My Spanish hasn’t become drastically better, but the class is definitely appreciated.

     Last weekend, we got to hang out with Cheryl, the first GSV in Paraguay, and her husband Jim, who served two years with the Peace Corps in Honduras. REALLY COOL PEOPLE. It was nice to speak English with fellow North Americans, and be in Ascunsion. They had some great points of advice, amazing stories, and a fun, spirit filled attitude that we soaked up.

     In addition to The Help readings that I act out, I am now reading Eat Pray Love. I am loving it. The Italian, the sense of adventure, the overall insight she offers, and the laughs that I have as I read it, is much appreciated.

     I have bites from bugs all over. Some are itchy and in the most inconvenient locations like on my knuckle.  Clever little insects.

     Jess and I made up a dance to a reggaeton song that was on a CD we found that has Lindsay Lohan on the cover.

     The first day of Spring was a big celebration here. Balloons, signs welcoming spring, streamers, and an empanada luncheon for the first day of the new season.  Why don’t we do this at home? Great reason to celebrate.

     I thought of being an at home vegetarian for a day. The day started with me opening a bag and seeing a chicken’s head and gobbler still attached. I was supposed to prepare the chicken for lunch. I closed the bag back up and put it back in the fridge. Then I ate the chicken when Claudia, the woman who has been helping us cook, handled the ‘dirty’ part. So much for that.

     I guess that is it for now. I should go look at my Spanish notes, but I shouldn’t plan. Someone may come in and tell me that I should be teaching an English class or attending a ceremony with the local farmers or something…both real scenarios. Sending tons of love, hugs, and reminders to find the beauty out there in this crazy world of ours.

Just love.

Bienvenidos a Paraguay!

     So here we are in Itaugua, (pronounced both Ita-gua or It-agua) Paraguay. Week two, whatever that means, because and I am pretty sure I have felt a year’s worth of feelings already. One minute I will be walking in my new community thinking, “Yea, I got this”  as I say Hola to passerbyers- then five minutes later, I habitually flush toilet paper down the toilet and clog our bathroom; which leaves me feeling frustrated, embarrassed, and wishing for plumbing I am used to.  My mind cannot grasp the concept of Jess and I living in this little neighboring house of las Hermanas del Buen Pastor for an entire year, but here we are, taking it moment by moment.

     Two weeks in and what a whirlwind! A positively, constantly spinning, yet sometimes still, colorful, beautiful mess of a whirlwind.  Through these rollercoaster of highs and lows, we have our new home that is nestled beside mango, avocado, star fruit, and mandarin trees. Jess and I share this humble abode with a fellow GSV who is about to complete her time in Itaugua, Melissa. She is extremely helpful from her fluency of Spanish to her extensive knowledge of the work we will be doing to the best cookies to buy.  The three of us are residing in our casita that is compromised of a kitchen, a bathroom (which contains a shower head, toilet, and sink in one common area), a room with a sink and washing machine (which is an interestingly different machine than that in which I am used to, but easier than scrub cleaning everything), a living room area (which also doubles as a home gym), and two bedrooms.  Jess and I, beds side by side, share one room where we have been watching movies, journaling, and reading both to ourselves and out loud to each other.  We have a little concrete porch area in which we sit and drink some mate or terere. For those who aren’t familiar with the Paraguayian culture, mate and terere are Paraguayian drinks that are EVERYWHERE. Recipe: Yerba tea leaves in a wampa cup, add water, hot for mate cold for terere, stick in your bombilla straw and enjoy. Sip and pass to your neighbor. It is a very communal part of the culture here. Speaking of neighbors, we live about thirty feet away from las Hermanas. They have been patient with our lack of knowledge of the Spanish language and very hospitable. They have given us a list of rules and are inquisitive about our lives and our whereabouts; it is going to be an interesting relationship full of patience and acceptance on all parts. Behind them, live retired sisters of the Good Shepherd. They are so sweet and we plan on hanging around them, chatting, watching some Spanish soap operas. We are one big family here in Itaugua, including the local cats and dogs that roam the area and the community of people that we work with, which is a five minute walk from our door. Everything is nice and cozy here.

     We are definitely still adjusting and figuring out where we stand in all of this. The language, for me, can be very frustrating at times. I just want to be able to speak eloquently and not constantly confuse Italian words for Spanish words. I realize it will be a process, but now I want to have full knowledge of the language and while I’m wishing, their native language of Guarani would be helpful as well, because that is often thrown around and then I am completely lost. Two days a week, we travel to the capitol, Asuncion, for language class, to help this ‘problem’. The only other students are under the age of ten, and they are learning English. (Maybe I can transfer to that class; I may do a little better) Jess and I are at different levels with the language, so our teacher doesn’t really know how to productively work with us- but I hope we will get things figured out. It is a challenge, but this is what I wanted…right? In order to get to class, we have to take two buses. Buses that barely stop for you to get on or off, that shove as many people in as possible, and will pull over whenever, wherever a request is made. And I thought subway traffic was bad. 

     Another learning process is in figuring out what work we will be doing. Our days start at 7am, (usually we go to bed by 10 or 11pm, which is totally not my style, but hey this year is all about challenging old ways and adapting to new J) and then we head to the center. The center has various different offices. Medical offices, psychologists, adult learning center, community development, pharmacy, translation, a school for girls to learn different trades and crafts; I cannot keep track of all the helpful community projects that las Hermanas run here. Everyone has been very welcoming and they are dedicated people who I look forward to working more closely with. The one office that we are concerned with now, although we can work in other areas in the future, is the fair trade business Tekojoja Kuna Rembiapope. This translates to work for the justice of women in Guarani. We work with different artisanas who bring in their nanduti lace pieces that we pay them for at a justly wage. From there, it is sold to various Good Shepherd stores throughout the world. I love seeing the women and their work and knowing that someone in Australia, or Italy, or the U.S is going to buy and use their work in their lives. It is a really cool concept and the work is beautiful.  I’m sure I will come home with mariposas, paz purses, headbands- the nanduti works.

     There are moments of homesickness, but having each other here is such a benefit. We are big goofballs and are making fun out of everything we can. Some examples: We toasted Reeses for as long as the bag lasted that my mom bought for the voyage. We work out in our little living room area and jump around blasting our North American music, smacking ourselves in the face with some resistance bands along the way. We read The Help out loud to each other, in different character accents. We celebrate the little things like our first showers, our first walk to the corner store for cookies, our first meal cooked all by ourselves (because we have had women come to our home to show us how to cook and clean), our first batch of terere- it’s the little stuff that counts, duh.

     In summation, life in Paraguay is Paraguayianlicious. The best is yet to come; well, that is what we have been told. Sending love and sunshine to all my loves back home and in the world wherever you may be.

Just love.

P.S- I still have to continue to fundraise to reach the goal of $4,000. If you are feeling finically generous, have some spare money, or meant to but forgot to before- you can STILL donate! Thank you so much to those who have donated, it is very much appreciated every day. 

To Donate online: www.gsvolunteers.org

Donate Tab and  please put Krystina Monetti in the comment box 

P.P.S- Today Melissa, Jess, and I were the only ones left on the bus when the bus driver decided to take a small break at his house and leave us on there with it running. Can't get that in the U.S people.