Paraguayan Ponderings

moving on

2011-07-26T12:20:00.000-04:00

Just to let you know, the blog is moving, for what will hopefully be the last time, to a more generic name. If you are receiving my posts by e-mail you will have to resubscribe on the top right hand side of the new site. Hopefully you will continue to enjoy my takes on living overseas on Traveling Texan Teacher http://travelingtexanteacher.blogspot.com/. You can expect a post to go up of my initial impressions in the next few days so you can use it as a test of resubscribing. Let me know if you have any trouble.

Ciao Paraguay

2011-07-22T21:03:00.000-04:00

It is hard to believe that I've already finished two years in Paraguay. To believe that I got on a plane at the end of June and may very well never return to what has been home. So as I say farewell to the country I just keep thinking of the top ten things that I'll miss from my South American sojurn.

10. Fireworks going off three to four nights a week and lighting up the sky. They may be noisy but they always bring a smile to my face.
9. Where else could you get wolf whistled at by a guy driving a horse cart hauling cardboard?
8. Unusual traditions that provide great photo opportunities, even if you can't understand exactly how they started.
7. Unexpected architecture in the middle of what seems to be a residential area.
6. Stealing tastes of ice cream from friends as we enjoy an ice cream break, after all there is practically a shop on every corner.
5. Natural fruit juice made out of any fruit you can imagine, and a few you've never heard of before.
4. How every year I've been there Paraguay has found a reason to decorate with red, white and blue to show their patriotic spirit. First it was the world cup, then the bicentennial.
3. The lapacho trees that turn the sky, and the ground, pink.
2. Hot crunchy on the outside, chewy on the inside, my favorite travel food...chipa!
1. Friends and coworkers who became my family away from home.

Come take a walk with me

2011-06-19T08:41:00.000-04:00

I thought you might be interested in taking a walk with me and enjoying some of what I pass on a daily basis during my 20 minute walk to and from school.

It is 7 am and I know I need to be getting out of the house as soon as possible if I want to make it to school by 7:30. The other schools around here must start earlier than us because as I unlock the gate the swings are squeaking across the street and kids are filing into the school. I'm always a bit amused by the bright green and blue paint job the Villa Mora school has done. It definitely makes it noticeable! I only have to pass 3 houses before I make it to the corner. The one of the corner seems rundown and broken, especially compared to the fancy one across the street. However the kittens and cats that are always milling about their "yard" means my attention is always in their yard trying to spot then newest addition to their cat family. Oops, I need to pay attention to the ground. This rough spot has done my ankles in more than once in two years! The old water pump (?) on the corner is my landmark when walking home that I've reached my street. After all, there is no street sign on my block.

The majority of my walk is down Legion Civil Extranjera (unless that is you're going the other way and the road starts out as Garay, making it confusing to find anything in this city!) and I do mean down. Unfortunately that means most of it is uphill on my home when I'm tired. There are a lot of small businesses along the way. On the corner a group of three: hair salon, clothing store and what used to be an antique store then changed into a book store and is now something new which I haven't figured out yet. A small store selling school supplies half a block down gets plenty of business from the students across the street. It is beside one of my favorite houses. A very modern, and somewhat out of place, white two story house. On the corner one of the houses has a small shrine built into their wall. An antique store, a newly renovated children's store and a bright purple accessory store complete the block on the side that I walk. The bright green women's only gym across the street is next to what is my favorite tree the whole walk. The apartment building on the left is where I turn if I'm heading to the mall and agroshopping. For school it is straight ahead until the road dead ends. Pass by the ivy covered walls that stretch an entire block and then I've arrived at the next private school - Santa Clara. I know how late I am by if the doors have already been locked, and by how many parents are standing outside socializing. That brings me to Mariscal Lopez, a busy street where I always get struck waiting to cross the street. It gives me a chance to see what the headlines are in the paper, to check out the progress being made on the bank they're building on the corner and to see what new high school events are being advertised by the painted walls. Besides, I know I'm a third of the way done with my walk.

If it is raining I know the next stretch is bound to be the worst. The water rushes down to "stream" and if I'm not careful I could lose my shoe trying to wade through the water. They're doing construction to fix that, but I doubt I'll see it finished before I leave. Don't forget to wave and greet the guard by the House of Ties (you never know if you might need his help). Check the clocks on the English school and see if any of them are working today (the answer is usually no). Pass by some condos facing a couple of run down factories surrounded by chain link fences. The brightly painted wall of a nursery school that doesn't run anymore always makes me smile. Then comes the bright blue pottery barn knockoff store. There is always a bright yellow motorcycle parked in the corner and the contrast of colors always catches my eye. The comes the darker blue corner store where it is certain that I'll either be stared out while walking by, talked about, or both. I'm always a bit surprised that the building facade/restoration office doesn't have a nicer looking office. Next to that is my favorite door of the entire walk; it seems like it could be an entrance to a secret garden! Oddly this is next door to an industrial steel furniture business, and you can bet more cat whistles will come from behind that steel fence! Across the street are some nice houses, the white one and yellow one always catch my eye. Just beyond the steel shop is a high fashion boutique, and looking in the windows always makes me slow down my walk. Then on to the decorated Via Agusta, an events center which holds many parties and quinces on the weekend. The guard house on the corner reminds to stop and make sure I'm not going to get run over as I cross the busiest street in this neighborhood.

Almost there! Just another 7 minutes to get to school...and this is usually the point where I break a sweat and just wish I was there! A greenery lined section of sidewalk lies next, usually covered with blooming flowers. The university San Carlos lies across the street, although I don't see students in the morning the place is buzzing when I walk home in the afternoon. The come a few fancy houses, the rock wall I can't even see over. Of course they're across from a dirty rundown wall guarding ??? with homemade glass bottle protection cemented on top. The street dead ends at another huge house being built. Although the white one on the corner always captures my attention because of the rhea they have fenced into a small (small!) garden who just runs around in circles.

Finally, I can see the gate to the school. Just need to cross one more road and I'll be there. Walk through the mangoes (called that because of the mango trees) then past all the other classrooms to get to my room on the far side of campus. I'll turn on my air conditioner first thing and try to cool off before my students start trickling into the room. I've got nine hours before I'll have to repeat my walk in the opposite direction.

Piki voley

2011-06-11T19:27:00.000-04:00

Piki voley is an odd game. It reminds me of when I was little and my soccer coach took us to the tennis court to play a game over the net. In fact it is extremely similar. The setup - a short, low to the ground net and a square playing court on each side. The rules, or at least whet I've been able to figure out....

(1)service is a volley over the net
(2)whoever won the last point serves
(3)3 touches total on your side of the net, you must alternate who touches it
(4)you can have fewer than 3 touches but not more
(5)the ball can bounce once before you receive it (although I don't think it has to)
(6)no bounces allowed after the first touch on your side of the net
(7)game to....?? whatever you decide?

I do know this game can entertain my students for an entire lunch period, every day, and even make them late to class. It is enjoyed by the students that they put a small court in the main courtyard of the school. I have to admit it is kind of nice to have a name for something I've played on several occasions, even if it is unique to this country.

Mbaracayu

2011-06-08T19:13:00.000-04:00

Last week we had about 20 girls come and visit our school from an all's girl school in the forest region of Paraguay. The school is run by a foundation called Mbaracayu. What they have done is created a secondary boarding school for girls who live in a remote region in the hopes that they will with education they will help their communities develop, and that it will aid them in stopping the cycle of becoming mothers themselves around the age of 14. It was interesting to talk to a few of the girls (somewhat of a challenge with my limited Spanish and their limited Spanish - they are much more comfortable with Guarani) and hear them share what sort of opportunities the choice they made to continue to school has provided. This video shares a bit of a glimpse of the school for those of you interested.

sidewalks

2011-05-22T14:24:00.000-04:00

I can't believe I'm really sitting here thinking I'm going to write about sidewalks. Have I become that desperate for a topic? No, really, I'm sure there are plenty of other things I could share, but I have to admit I spend a surprising amount of time thinking about sidewalks. This is probably because I get most places by walking, and due to the sometimes rough nature of the sidewalks here I spend the majority of that time looking down at the ground to try to save my ankles. So at least 40 minutes of my day is spent starting down at the sidewalks of this city. Put that way, perhaps it makes sense I'm going to share some of my observations from all of that time. What is interesting to me is that while almost every road has a sidewalk on each side, the sidewalks clearly belong to a house and not to the city or whoever deals with roads. Why do I say clearly? You only have to look down one block and see 4 or 5 different sidewalk styles to realize that they must belong to the house. Which explains why you can get a nice smooth sidewalk for 20 steps and then step onto a section which is broken, uneven and almost a pile of rubble. It explains why there are some sidewalks with fancy designs, others done in tile, and some with constant patterns that catch your eye. Since the sidewalk must go with the house, then it also makes sense that the owners of the house are responsible for their sidewalk getting/staying clean. Which is why most of them are free of leaves, flowers and other trash while there are occasional areas where it seems as if nothing has been cleared off in weeks. (It is very common for me to see women out sweeping the sidewalks as I walk to school in the morning.)I wonder what else I'll notice as I continue to walk?

Happy Birthday Paraguay

2011-05-17T18:24:00.000-04:00

On Sunday, May 15, Paraguay turned 200 years old. The entire weekend, or perhaps I need to say extended weekend as the government passed a movement to make Monday a national holiday for the bicentennial, was dedicated to celebrating this mile marker. The past month or so I noticed that Asuncion was starting to get dressed up for the bicentennial. Red, white and blue were getting hung on buildings all over the place (although perhaps not with quite the enthusiasm as last year for the world cup), flags were on sale on the street corners, stickers could be noticed on windows of buildings and cars alike. An entire program was set to go on over the weekend including numerous parades, music, ballet and such. I have to admit that I only managed to get myself downtown for a small portion of the going ons - namely the military parade. But what fun it was to watch the military procession and listen to those watchers cheer and comment on the groups that passed. You could feel the pride everyone had to be part of the country. The exclaimed over the groups that had their faces painted for camouflage or were wearing bush stealth outfits. Claps whenever a group of all women passed (one set of nurses with a red cross on their sleeve, one group from the navy, and finally a group of women carrying guns). Loud cheers when the reservists, any person who had previously served in the military (and by definition here could still be called up if the need arose), entered the street. Especially for the 102 year old man holding on while standing in the back of truck. Curiosity when a group from a different country marched by (Bolivia, Argentina, Brazil and others). Excitement to see the tanks and heavy equipment. Distraction when the planes and helicopters flew overhead. Bouncing to the music when a band passed by. And of course, ohhing and awing over the mounted groups and the decorated horses. Despite the rain delay everyone was thoroughly enjoying themselves. I have to admit that my favorite memory of the weekend happened because of the 30 minute rain delay. Some of the big wigs from the military where standing in trucks when the rain started to pour down. They didn't stay there long, but instead climbed down to escape someplace a little drier. Which is how I found myself sharing my umbrella with a 3 star colonel. (Ummm...this is a bit unreal!)What to do, but hold the umbrella a little bit higher? I had a nice 35 minute chat with Jorge, and then everyone was lead back out to the street for the start of the parade (which of course took at least another 10-15 minutes).

Congratulations Paraguay on 200 years! Happy Bicentennial!

[Traveling Tale] Recoleta Cemetery

2011-05-11T17:13:00.000-04:00

Semana Santa (Holy Week) was while my mom was here visiting. A week off of school meant, of course, a trip to somewhere. After several failed attempts to sort out a new destination for me, I decided that we would just spend the week in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Even though I had been there twice before, I have to admit that having someone with me, and the amount of time we had, meant I still got to see (and notice) all sorts of new things. One of the things that really stood out to me was when we went to Recoleta to see Evita's grave. Now don't get me wrong, it is kind of interesting to see where important people are buried, but I am much more interested in the strange beauty that a cemetery holds. This time though, I kept getting distracted by the door knockers I saw on mausoleums. Door knockers. On a mausoleum. As if you would want to knock to see if someone is in there. No thank you. I don't want to know if someone would actually answer a knock to the door. Does this not seem like a somewhat strange addition to a family mausoleum? I certainly hope I won't ever experience a spirit answering my knock. But I tell you, there were numerous vaults sporting this graceful addition. Creepy!

Monumento Natural Cerro Koi

2011-05-07T17:10:00.000-04:00

For a few months now I've been bugging a friend to take me out to see something she mentioned in passing. Last weekend our schedules finally worked out and we managed to spend a day in Aregua, a lake side town which is know for its pottery and the Strawberry Festival. However neither of those two things were what interested me this trip. No, I was sitting up in anticipation in the back of her off road vehicle as we bumped up the uneven road, following a policeman on his motorcycle (just an extra measure of safety), to the hillside of Cerro Koi (which means two hills in Guarani). Despite everything she had told me I didn't really know what to expect. I just knew that I was going to see an extremely rare geological formation which only exists in three parts of the world (Paraguay, Canada and South Africa). How to put it? After over over an hour on the internet I still can't give you a proper name for the formation, nor could I tell you where in those other two countries the formation is found. There is a definite lack of information out there. So, instead, you'll be stuck with what I learned there, but mind you, I don't have any way of substantiating what was told to me. The natural monument is composed of two hills (hence the name) which are extinct volcanoes. As the lava was cooling just the right conditions were met to produce a sandstone formation of what looks like tiered hexagonally shaped rods all piled on top of each other. The hill that we had access to by foot, was significantly mined. In fact the guard told us that originally pieces of the sandstone were broken off and used to cobblestone the streets in Asunción and Luque. I am a bit confused because I had assumed that the rods would be going up and down, however they were laying on their side. Did the volcano fall over? Or is this the natural lay? We couldn't get close enough to see the rods in the second hill so I don't know if they went a different way. However I was able to get close enough to the exposed hillside to appreciate the precise formations that nature is able to create! After marveling at the seemingly impossible formation we then followed the guard up and around to the top of part of the hill. A great chance to get a feel for just how large Lake Ypacarai is and to look over the countryside around Aregua.

Perhaps one of the most interesting things about going to see this geo-morphological phenomenon is that so few people seem to know about despite it being declared a protected area in 1993. In fact when I went to school on Monday people were curious as to where I had gone to see such a different sight. I find it sad that people who are interested in exploring a country don't know about, and have trouble finding out about, things that are only an hour away. For those of you interested, the entrance to the Monumento Natural Cerro Koi is marked by an sign to your right about 1 km out of Aregua on the branch road to Capiatá. It is well worth a trip to check out!

Bus rides

2011-04-14T19:29:00.000-04:00

My mom is here visiting for a while, which means I've been revisiting some of the places that are worth exploring in Paraguay. It also means that we've been taking a lot of bus rides, which reminds me of what I like about riding a bus. While I might not get a good night's sleep while spending the hours between 1 and 6 in the morning on a bus, the daytime rides to provide a great perspective to observe bits of daily Paraguayan life. I'm amused by what you might see while driving by - overfilled motorcycles, trucks filled with logs beyond expectation, the bright colors of sponsored little stores on the side of the road, stretches of green scenery which show the true beauty of the countryside, plenty of pigs and cows...I could keep going. However, my favorite part of riding in a long distance bus is the chipa. Chipa is a Paraguayan bread made out of cornmeal. Oven baked it has a crisp outside and an almost gooey chewy inside. When it is hot it is one of my favorite snacks. After several more trips on the bus I still hold that the best chipa I've had in country is what I've bought from the man who comes on to the bus between Encarnacion and Asuncion. He climbs up to the upper level of the bus with his full basket of warm chipa, chirping "chipa, chipa, chipa"and you can bet that I will be digging in my bag to find some change. He slowly makes his way up the aisle, selling something to almost every row of seats, and once he finishes the bus stops again to let him off 15-10 km down the road, where I suppose he will wait to board a bus headed in the opposite direction. In the meantime I'll keep staring out the window happily chewing on my chipa.

Tourism video

2011-04-07T21:04:00.000-03:00

As part of everything else that is going on for the bicentinial (I got invited to march in a parade with teachers, students and their families today) the Paraguayan tourism department has published a new video promoting tourism to Paraguay. I have to admit I haven't seen over half of the things in this video but it will give you some very pretty views of the country.

Little smiles

2011-03-27T21:53:00.000-03:00

One of the things that brings me a smile to my face consistently is taking a really good look at the warning signs along the road. How shall I say it? They lack the sophistication I am used to seeing in a sign and often make me want to laugh. If you take a look at the "watch for children crossing in a school zone" sign it is hard to not think that the two school children are pregnant. Really? That is the image we want to project to the public? And that is the best we can do? Although I suspect the answer to that last question might be yes. After all, the cross walk sign is not a whole lot better. If you take a close look at it the man appears to be made up of several circles for hands and head, and rectangles for all the rest of the parts of his body. With two triangles thrown on at the end to give an illusion of feet. I'm not so sure what I think of their signs, but I will definitely keep looking at them just to see what else they have managed to come up with!

It says a lot

2011-03-21T11:33:00.000-03:00

The first week we were back at school we took 10 minutes out of one day to do a flag raising ceremony with the entire school. All of the students out in the front yard from pre-K to grade 12. This was one of the special events the school had planned in keeping with celebrating the bicentennial. They wanted as many of the students and staff dressed alike as possible and so asked us to wear the albiroja - the red and white striped jersey of the Paraguayan national football team. This is what I find amusing about the whole thing. Where else could you ask every student to wear a national team jersey and they would all have it? We had perhaps 10% of the students and staff not in the jersey, and some of those I know own it and just forgot. What does it say about a country that almost everyone in it, native or foreign, owns a version of the football jersey? Does it give you an idea of just how important football is in this country? I can't blame the Paraguayan department for making that call - after all almost everyone was sporting the red and white stripes as the flag went up.

Advertising

2011-03-17T18:26:00.000-03:00

Advertising is something that often catches my attention here. I'm not sure if it is because I am no longer used to billboards after having lived in Turkey, or just because things seems to be a bit more outlandish and over the top (like the statue of liberty billboard, the giant coffee cup on top of a building, or the oversize boxes of chocolate candies that are their own billboard). Or perhaps it is just because I walk everywhere so I have time to really look around and notice things. I have to admit that some of the advertising seems to be extremely well placed for their target advertising. Such as the ads for the i-phone that went up just outside the school gates about a month before the phones arrived in Paraguay (target audience!). I'm not so sure about the three large Britanico billboards that are just across from the school, but they have been there since I arrived so I don't see them leaving anytime soon.

My favorite advertising in the city though is a wall that I walk by every day on my way to school. It is low cost advertising at its best. About every two weeks someone comes by and paints over what is on the wall and repaints information about what parties or events are going on soon in Asunción. The majority of the adverts are for parties held at one of the clubs (it is worth mentioning that this wall is directly across from another private school in the city). I've even managed to go by a couple of times when the repainting is being done and I can tell you that it seems as if it done by high school students for high school students. Why do I like these ads over others? Perhaps because they are brightly colored and hand done. The idea that they are advertisements for events rather than material good to buy is also a draw. Surely some of it is the frequent overhaul of the wall designs. But then it could just be because I spend significantly more time staring at the wall when I'm waiting for the light to change so I can cross the street.

Carrera de las Chicas

2011-03-13T18:57:00.000-03:00

One of my hobbies here seems to be running in any road race that I can find out about early enough to sign up for and train for. There are several things that I don't quite understand about the whole system including how they advertise for a run, the process it takes to sign up for a run (the most recent required an online registration, going to the mall to pay the fee, showing up at the park the day before to pick up my race information, and then returning to the park less than 24 hours later for the run...surely at least one of these steps could be eliminated.) but I have to admit that the events themselves are usually well run. This morning I ran in the Carrera de las Chicas - a 5k run just for women put on by Nike. I will say that they clearly had the best advertising images and t-shirt design of all the runs I've participated in (although I'm still not sure how I feel about fluorescent orange). What is fun about this race is that since it is only for women you get a lot of people coming out that would not normally participate in a run, and I saw several mom and daughter groupings which made me smile. It was also refreshing to hear "Go Mama" "Fuerza mama" from the side as the men in the family encouraged their women (I do live in Paraguay where the women often play a supporting role to the men). All in all I have to admit it was a pleasant way to start a Sunday despite the heat and humidity, out for a run with some of the other women who have become part of my family here.

My big news

2011-02-27T08:53:00.000-03:00

It has been a while since you've heard from, I know. I've been back two weeks from our long "summer" vacation which just happens to take place in the middle of the school year. 7 solid weeks of travelling and exploring (more on that later) didn't really leave much time for anything else. Some of you know that I decided that I was not going to renew my contract in Paraguay and would be looking to move on after finishing up my two years. As part of my vacation I spent a week in San Francisco at a job fair and yes, I ended up with a new job, a new school, and a new country for next year! In July I will be moving to New Delhi, India to work at the American Embassy School. I am not sure that I can tell you a whole lot, except that I now realize I'll be in the 7th largest country in the world, in a city with a population over 14 million. It will sure be a big change from Paraguay which has a total population of 5 million! I will be teaching high school math although I don't know specifically what yet. The math department is in starting a process to introduce a new curriculum which means that things are going to be gradually changing each year. However, the principal and the department head seem to have a clear idea of where they are going so I am not too worried.

What can I tell you about the school? It seems to have a good reputation in the international school circuit as everyone I spoke with that had heard of it had good things to say, from teachers to parents. There are around 1450 students from Kindergarten to grade 12 from 53 different countries. I believe the largest percentage is the 35% Americans, which means I should be teaching at a school that is actually international this time around. The high school has 418 students so it is about twice as larger as the school I have been teaching at but should still be small enough that I will know most of the students. There are 7 teachers in the math department and the school seems to offer the AP and the IB diploma programs. When I asked the director about staff retention I was very encouraged to hear that in the 10 years he has been there only three people have left after their initial contract was up. It looks like I'll have a great new school to start exploring another part of the world from!

Iguazu Falls

2010-12-05T16:26:00.000-03:00

Once you pay your entrance fee and enter on the Brazilian side a bus runs from the welcome center around the park making stops at some of the attractions. We got off the bus at the cataracts walk and as we stepped off we could already hear the falls – a light background noise which only increases as you get closer and closer to the falls. By the time you reach the end of the trail and are right up by the waterfall the power of the water makes so much noise you can’t even speak above it. There is nothing to do but be overwhelmed by the sight and sound of Iguazu Falls.

The trail heads down away from the road. You turn the corner and the first view of the falls opens up. Falls with an s is the correct word. This section seems as if it is made up of about 20 to 30 different waterfalls scattered across two different levels. The view is so impressive it is hard to believe that this is not even the most amazing part of the falls. Stand and stare for a while, take more pictures than should be necessary, move on. Luckily for us there are not many people there during the Thanksgiving weekend and we don’t have to battle for a good view. After just a few minutes in front of the falls I can already feel my stress melting away, being washed down river by the incessant passage of the water. Continue down the path and we follow along the side of the waterfall. Enjoying the views from every angle I am occasionally distracted by the butterflies, worms, spiders and quati. As we venture down the trail a bit more, the view of the waterfalls is obstructed by all of the trees but the sound gets steadily louder. Suddenly the view opens up again and I realize what had amazed me before wasn’t even the main part of the falls. Here is the widest falls I’ve ever seen with an enormous amount of power (no wonder the equivalent has been enough to power all of Paraguay and 50% of Brazil running only 1/5 of the year at Itapu Dam). The best part is the realization that the path leads out over the water and we will be able to get remarkably close to the water – right in front of it in fact. A goofy grin is on my face and it is as if I am a little high on the power of nature. And I truly do mean power. It is a bit like intruding on a bit of mystical magic from early days – as it does not seem that much could make any sort of difference in the view. It is out of time and one of those reminders of just how forceful nature can be. The view from right beside the falls, and then later up on an observation deck above the falls, does nothing to dissuade me. This is truly one of the most amazing things I’ve seen in my life. Grand, impressive, powerful and overwhelming in an entirely new way.

Would you like a straw with that?

2010-11-21T14:42:00.000-03:00

One of the things I’ve noticed here is that I am quite often asked if I would like a straw with a drink that I have purchased. I don’t mean when I’m at a restaurant or sitting down (although that is normal as well). No, when I stop at a little corner store to pick up a drink because it is so hot out, as I am handed my change I am also usually given a straw. The other day I was at the grocery store and had bought a small bottle of orange juice. When I went to be my school bag from the bag check the woman behind the counter saw me pull out the bottle of juice and was quick to bring over a straw for me. I guess in some ways it makes sense. When you’re walking down the street it is easier to sip through a straw then drink from the bottle. You are much less likely to spill on yourself. But it also seems to me that the way most soft drink or bottled juice containers are designed now they form a small enough opening that you don’t really have to worry about excess liquid pouring out. The only time I haven’t been offered a straw is when I buy a bottle of water. I don’t know what makes the difference. Perhaps, it wouldn’t stain my clothes if I did make a mess? I’m not going to say I exactly understand the obsession with straws (does it all go back to the bombillo with the terere?) but I will probably continue to make use of them when they are offered. Just one more little Paraguay habit that I can incorporate into my life here.

Indian Dance

2010-11-14T18:21:00.000-03:00

Last week I received an invitation by email to a night of classical and folk Indian dance. This occurs once a year in Asuncion, when the Indian ambassador, who is stationed in Buenos Aires, makes his visit to Paraguay. The embassy and the Indian community here go all out for the visit and are an excuse for me to get a bit of culture into my week, as well as some good food (as they also bring an Indian chef to the Hilton to prepare a week of “Indian food fest”). Having gone last year I was positive that I would take the time to go watch the dance this year. It is an excuse to step a bit out of Paraguay for a few hours. The steps leading to the venue sported colored rice designs. Candles flickered in the foyer. Waiters circled with Indian treats and drinks. Soon we were herded into the auditorium where traditional music and dance awaited us. With a steady rhythm pounding and a flute floating above, the night’s entertainment began. I sat enthralled by the women’s ability to control their bodies. Isolating body parts, holding awkward poses without falling, telling a story in their movement. I was able to escape my existence for a few hours as I became immersed in the dance and music on offer, a change from the traditional Paraguayan folkdance to a polka.

Election Day

2010-11-10T15:01:00.000-03:00

Sunday was election day all around Paraguay. Cities and town were voting for their new mayor. The past weeks and months have been full of heavy campaigning for the vote. After asking several people I have found out some interesting tidbits about election day, at least here in Asuncion. Typically schools function as the voting places, even ASA managed to host the neighborhood vote (which meant we were informed that we would not be allowed on campus after 2pm on Saturday). I head through various people that a lot of effort is put into minimizing the congregation of people during the weekend of the election – groups were not allowed to actively campaign after Thursday (which has made for much quieter streets this weekend as recently I have been passed by at least one large vehicle bearing election propaganda and blaring music and advertisements every time I have walked around). Bars and restaurants are supposed to close down earlier this weekend (was it just Saturday, just Sunday, or both days? I really don’t know – the more answers I got the more questions I had!). When I went into the grocery store on Sunday the entire alcohol section was closed off with a sign notifying patrons that by law the store was not allowed to sell alcohol on the day of the election. It seems that they have made several attempts to keep things from getting out of control or bloody (perhaps a reflection of how unsettling changes of power in the country have been in the past – usually accomplished by killing the person currently in the position of power). All I know for sure is that Asuncion, and the other towns in Paraguay, should have a new mayor soon and that there is plethora of advertising plastered along the streets.

Country Artists

2010-11-07T14:39:00.000-03:00

Past all of the traffic of Asuncion and San Lorenzo, through the town of Ita, take a left turn onto a country road. In the middle of, well, pretty much nowhere, we pulled over in front of a house. The sign outside read Arte en Barro. We had arrived at the workshop and home of a mother daughter pair of sculptors, Juana Martha Rodas and Julia Isidrez. Here they work with just the most basic of tools – clay, their hands and a simple firing oven – to produce pieces of artwork which have been recognized internationally. They each have their own unique style (I must admit to being personally attracted to the work of the daughter, Julia Isidrez) really the first arts I’ve seen in Paraguay that I can truly say that I like. This trip was the result of admiring some of the ceramics in my principal’s office and asking repeatedly if we could take a trip out to visit the artist. I finally hit upon a day when his wife was visiting and a plan to go take us out was soon in place. An hour drive took us to this small house where we were warmly welcomed by Julia and apologetically informed that Juana was not feel well today (we did get to meet her, a small old woman with sparkles in her eyes, before we left). We were encouraged to wander through the house, picking up and touching anything we wanted. Julia proudly unveiled a few wet pieces that she was working on, informing us that some of them were an order placed by the French Ambassador’s wife. Out back we found an overhang which housed a display of their work. Among the different types of work I, of course, fell in love with a few. After much debate and effort to discern which were my truly favorite I picked out three pieces – a large bowling ball sized piece which makes me giggle each time I look at it, a bowl with two dinosaur heads as handles and a smaller round animal. I realized that I preferred a definite style of their work, but was thrilled to find that I did love it! I had no idea of how much I might spend on these three pieces and in the end walked away feeling like not only did I end up with some artwork I love but I got an amazing deal on it (as I spent less than $20 total). What a worthwhile afternoon out it turned out to be!

Water

2010-10-15T12:26:00.000-03:00

Water. What does it mean to you? How much do you take your water for granted. When you think of water, do you think of nature's bounty...streams, rivers, oceans, rainfall? Or do you think of the miracle you get out of the tap every time you turn the faucet? Do you realize just how lucky you are to have the miracle of plumbing? Can you even imagine what it would be like to live without running water? This past weekend I had my bathroom water shut off due to a pipe leak which lead to a substantial amount of water on the kitchen floor. Even though I all the other water in the house worked, and I just had to borrow another bathroom it seemed like such a major inconvenience. Which makes me question how in the world I ever dealt with having to haul my own water from a pump for two years while living in Guinea. My daily existence involved carrying 45 pounds of water on my head for 400 meters to about half a mile (I can honestly say that carrying on top of your head is the easiest way to carry that kind of weight that kind of distance), washing dishes in a bucket, taking a bath from a bucket, praying my water was clean as I didn't want to keep drinking bleached water, considering every possible way to conserve said water (it is amazing how little water you can use in a day if you try), hoping that really was the sound of thunder because it meant I could catch rainwater to use, all while trying to ensure I consumed 5-8 liters of clean water a day to balance out the heat.

I had it easy. I had a safe water source. I had a relatively close water source. I had closed container to carry my water in. Not everyone is that lucky. Did you know that every day in Africa women and children walk a combined total of 109 million hours to get water? Did you know that unsafe drinking water and lack of sanitation kills more people every year than all forms of violence, war included? Up to 42,000 each week? Did you know that the average American uses 159 gallons of water every day? Can you even think of all the times you are using that water? That makes the 2-4 gallons I used a day seem impossible How little do you think you could manage to use for just one day? Want more scary facts? Check this out.

It is blog action day. Start thinking about water, your access to it and others access to it. Consider what it would be like to be one of those others. Imagine how different your life would be. Consider action of some form.

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[Traveler’s Tale] A flag loving country

2010-10-09T18:20:00.000-03:00

I have finally found a country which is as proud of its flag as Texas and flies it fondly. I find it a bit ironic that the flag is probably the most similar one possible to the Texas flag. Have you figured out what country I’m talking about yet? That’s right…Chile. I spent my short Spring Break (yes, remember I am in the Southern hemisphere…but too much talk of seasons just gets me confused so perhaps I should say my September Break) in Chile and honestly I have to say what caught my attention the most was the sheer number of flags that were flying. I’m not sure if this is usual or not. It could have been in solidarity with the miners stuck underground for way too long. It could have been due to them celebrating their bicentennial. All I know is that there were many a flag flying and it reminded me of home.

Honestly I didn’t see a whole lot of Chile. I decided to spend my time in the mountains outside of Santiago, in the Cajon de Maipo. I definitely picked a beautiful setting! The odd combination of snow capped mountains with cactus growing on the lower slopes (and occasionally odd views which didn’t seem like all the scenery should possibly be able to be seen from just one point). Two waterfalls hidden along a trail. Beautiful views of the water flowing through the bottom of the canyon. Bright orange wildflowers providing a splash of color. We even had our own cute little cabin, complete with fire burning stove (which by the end of four days I learned to light). It was almost exactly what I was looking for – an escape from the city, hiking, beautiful scenery and plenty of time to sleep and play cribbage. The four days was just enough to wet my appetite to explore Chile more in the future. I am sure I will be going back at some point.

An afternoon outing

2010-09-12T14:33:00.000-04:00

One of my goals for this year is to get out and explore pieces of Asuncion and close by towns (those within city bus service range) more. I suspect it is going to be quite a bit of asking around for things worth checking out and just going places for the experience since even the Lonely Planet guidebook only dedicates about 1 page to things to see in Asuncion and maybe 2 pages to things around Asuncion. (shame of them, I know there is more here then that!)

My first outing in fulfilling this quest was an afternoon in the town of San Lorenzo. In some ways I would hesitate to call it a town, as it is solid city from where I live to where we got off the bus. However, I am sure that at some point in its history it was a separate town that nowadays has just been consumed by Asuncion’s urban sprawl. Why San Lorenzo? I was asked that several times when people were discussing how they were going to use their weekend. I prefer to think, “Why not San Lorenzo?” I have been by the area several times in a bus and have always noticed the large cathedral sitting in the central square. Despite it being city all the way there I also knew that for some reason driving through San Lorenzo just felt different. Different enough that I wanted to go and see if I could figure out what made it that way.

We got off the bus at the main square in San Lorenzo. Easily recognizable by the cathedral looming over every other building (and yes it is a cathedral, because it turns out that San Lorenzo, despite being only about 15-20 km from Asuncion, is a different dioceses). At first it didn’t look like we’d be able to get into the church, but experience has taught me that you can’t say something is closed until you have walked completely around it. Sure enough, there was one gate open leading into the rose garden surrounding the cathedral, and since they were cleaning the church we got to spend a few minutes inside the soaring simple space. We probably enjoyed the peacefulness and sweet smells of the rose garden the most, a completely unexpected treat.

A wander around a few blocks of the town let us appreciate some of the old architecture which is lamentably not kept up. With a few coats of paint the downtown area could be quite cute. Down a side street to a green gate and we enter the park. A fitness park much like those in Asuncion, except for the duck pond in the middle (with these odd ducks that had balls above their beaks). The park stretched far enough that you could sit between the trees without hearing the traffic and feel like you really had gotten away from the city. Walking back to find the bus, we managed to walk through the Universidad Nacional de Asuncion (when you see guards, if you keep walking and look like you know what you are doing, they usually won’t stop you). It is a university that is still being built onto and has some interesting architectural features especially around its main entrance. So in a nutshell that is what there is to see San Lorenzo. A worthy half day escape from the Asuncion I frequent.

A run with security

2010-09-11T10:13:00.000-04:00

Getting picked up for a run before I usually wake up for school just seems wrong. Especially since Asuncion is not a city that rises early on the weekends. I know, I know, we had to start earlier than normal as this year, for the bicentennial, they decided to have a marathon in addition to the traditional half-marathon and 10km runs. Have to give those poor people enough time to run all the way out to the airport and back (making use of all of the paved roads in Asuncion). The early morning, tranquil feel makes it all the more surprising when we get to the start and see just how much security has been organized for the event. What? It is just a run. And there has never been this much security before. There is a helicopter flying circles overhead. On the top of every building around the square are armed guards who look ready to use their rifles. There are three buses of policemen checking in and being set up in places, although at least some of them end up along the course to help control traffic. Enough of the armed guards stay to line the last 50 meters of the course though. What is going on?
As we line up in our designated starting area (marathon in the front with their red shirts, 10km (that’s me) in the middle in white, the blue shirted half marathoners bringing up the rear…look…it’s the Paraguayan flag!) I’m reminded that everything that goes on this year has something to do with the bicentennial. This run included. They’ve managed to get President Lugo to come out to give a speech and blow the opening horn. The President of the Republic of Paraguay. Just 100 meters or so from where I wait to begin my run. No wonder there is so much security! It also reminds me of just how small this country is if the president is the guest of honor at an early morning race. The run definitely has a different feel this year.
Can you pick the president out?
He's in the middle , of course, wearing glasses.

There is a bigger turnout and I enjoy the mix of Paraguayan colors as we wind our way for 6km through the downtown area (I believe we used every single paved road…happily avoiding the cobblestone ones). I’m distracted enough by the sites and people that I am almost surprised when I hit the half way mark. Turn out to be my fastest run in over a year (thanks in part I think to running in South Africa which was a good 1,500 meters higher up than Asuncion) and a different experience than I had expected. You never know what to expect when you show up at event here.

Unexpected Opportunities

2010-09-05T14:22:00.000-04:00

Almost a month ago I headed downtown to go pick up my race packet for a run I had registered for. I wasn’t exactly sure where I was going having just been told the cross streets of where the race expo was. Street names which meant nothing to me. Even if I had spent 10 minutes pouring over a map and finding the streets (the one map I have of Asuncion doesn’t have anything resembling a street guide, and you need to realize that quite often streets change names as they cross over another major road making it that much more difficult to find a location on a map) I still wouldn’t have known anything about where we were heading besides the physical location. Well, it turns out that the expo was happening at the old train station in the middle of downtown, the train station that I have never before seen open. The train station that housed perhaps four trains (at most) although I think it was closer to two that ran on the one track that cut through Paraguay. (Interesting history this…you can read more although it is all in Spanish)

I was more excited to get to explore the old station with its custom wood line barriers than I was to pick up my race information. The station is a simple, yellow building with the high partly open roof that you would expect of a station. There are only two lines which enter the station so you wouldn’t call it big anywhere but here. However, you can touch a little bit of Paraguayan history in the building. One of the old engines is at an end of the building with very little to keep you from clambering aboard to get a feel for the iron machine. On each of the tracks two cabins sit parked where you can get a feel for the style the rich travelled in. A bar room in each, leather covered seats, the ornateness still limited by the dimensions of any railway car. Down a narrow hallway you can poke your head into some of the sleeper compartments (how far did the train go anyways? From what I can remember they were just short round trip journeys…but perhaps short isn’t ever a good description for a train journey) and check out the light fixtures, the bed and the “facilities.” It definitely makes me feel like I’m being introduced to a piece of a very different past. Touching this piece of Paraguayan history is made all the more interesting because currently there are no trains running in the country (that is right, even the bimonthly steam train trip between Asuncion and Aregua is currently stopped) making one wonder how much business the train station ever saw.

There is something in the air

2010-08-29T14:35:00.000-04:00

There is something in the air, and I’m talking literally here. I don’t know what it is exactly. I’d say it was smoke from people burning for heat if it were winter. Wait a minute. It is winter. But I still don’t think that is what it is as the past week has been up in the 90s every day. No need for extra heat with sun like that. Perhaps it is an excess of dust in the sky? We haven’t had any rain in quite a while. Or perhaps there is some sort of large scale fire or industry that I don’t know anything about. All I know is that the air hasn’t been the easiest to breathe, but it has made for a gorgeous red sun. Only problem is that the sun has been red the entire day. In the morning walking to school, bright red sun. When I go for lunch, still red overhead. Walking home from school in the early evening, a lower more vibrant red. It is a bit eerie really. While I enjoy the color I wish I knew what was causing it or that at least a good rain storm would come along and clear out the air a bit.

A trip to the ballet

2010-08-23T17:55:00.000-04:00

Wandering around the mall our eyes were caught by a poster on one of the shop windows. Ballet this weekend. This is one of the first times we’ve managed to find out about a cultural event earlier than the day of the event. We decide we should try to go. A talk with a saleswoman in the store reveals she doesn’t have any idea where we can buy tickets. Back to the poster. It has a phone number, which during the three days we try calling no one answers. It says something about it being the ballet for Universidad del Norte, contains an address for a bookstore, and is being held at the Municipal Theater. Out running errands with Kim the next day I manage to find the bookstore on the map just two blocks before the street. (A success of its own type.) We stop by, talk to a few people, and they say yes you could have bought the tickets here…only the bookstore is closed. It is after 12 on a Saturday. We go a bit farther downtown and decide we might as well stop at the theater and see if tickets can be bought there. By the time we find the front door we are pretty sure it is not going to work. Even though they are setting up inside the doors are not open and you can’t get to the ticket office. There is a woman outside that asks us if we want a ticket for the special performance which begins in 20 minutes (really? But there is no one here!) Plans for the rest of the day prevent us from taking the opportunity. Apparently even knowing that an event is happening doesn’t make it any easier to actually get to it.

Later that day when we’re running more errands in the mall we pass the small stand that sells tickets for random events around town. I say random, because they don’t ever seem to have posters or a listing up, and it all seems to depend upon you happening to know that something is going on. We decide to ask about the ballet tickets. Turns out they aren’t selling them either, however there is going to be a different ballet in town next weekend if we’re interested in that. Yes! Tickets in hand we are pleased that we’ve managed to find out about an event over a week ahead of time and already bought tickets. The night of the ballet we’re not really sure what to expect. None of the four of us that are going have ever been to the Municipal Theater. We show up at 7:45 for an 8:00 performance only to find a long line of people waiting at the doors, all holding tickets. Turns out so far they are only letting in the people who have special invitations right now. One benefit of going places with embassy personal is that they know people, and so somehow we follow a group of people in the side door. We’re in, having never had to actually show our ticket. Not that that means that there are any seats left at all in the theater. Major confusion in my mind. How can they sell tickets for and then not even have any seats left for the people that bought them. I guess one of my mistakes was assuming that buying a ticket would get me a seat, or even get me in the door (as I am sure that some of the people outside didn’t make it in). Right before the lights go out a man comes out carrying a stack of plastic chairs and maybe a third of the people standing manage to grab one to put in the aisles. The rest of us sit on the stairs or find a handy wall to lean against. Luckily for us, we manage to get three seats when a special guest doesn’t show up (also an advantage to being with a pregnant lady) so we aren’t going to be standing the whole night. Once the show begins I forget about the craziness of getting into the theater and sit back to enjoy the first bit of culture that I’ve enjoyed since arriving in Paraguay. We watch pairs of dancers from all over Latin America take the stage for their individual dances – from Brazil and Chile to Mexico and Ecuador, a mix of classical ballet and modern dance. I thoroughly enjoyed the evening and my bit of culture…but I’m not sure the entire theater experience has made me all that likely to try it again anytime soon, assuming I could find tickets to anything else.

Paraguayan Flag Day

2010-08-13T15:28:00.000-04:00

Today and tomorrow, August 14 and 15, is Paraguayan flag day. Or so several of my students have told me. Huh. Flag day? I don't really know what that means, and none of my students have been able to tell me anything. The only applicable thing anyone has been able to tell me is that there are a lot of holidays in this country, and so of them have been canceled by the current president. A quick web search has revealed nothing about the holiday. Presumably it is to celebrate the flag, but I can find any connection to today and the history of the flag. The flag was first adopted on November 27, 1842 (which makes it one of the older flags around). The coat of arms on the front represents the date of Paraguay's independence (May 14, 1811). So I still don't know why today. But in my digging around I have found out quite a few other little tidbits about the flag. Did you know that Paraguay is just one of three countries that has a different design on the front and back of their flag (along with Moldova and Saudi Arabia)? I've finally figured out what the colors are supposed to represent. Red for courage, equality and patriotism. White for unity, purity and peace. Blue for liberty, benevolence and truth. The circle on the front contains the coat of arms. The back side the treasury seal. On the back you'll also find the national motto: Paz y Justica (Peace and Justice). So I might not know why the holiday is today, but at least it explains why there is a flag hanging out in the courtyard of the school today. If you even run across anything that explains why August 14 and 15 is flag day here in Paraguay, please let me know!

Strawberry Festival

2010-08-08T19:00:00.000-04:00

It is strawberry season here in Paraguay, obviously as there are people selling strawberries on all the major street corners. That also means that it is time for the Strawberry Festival in Aregua, about 30 minutes outside of the city. Saturday we decided to take a little trip out to celebrate the strawberry season and see where the berries are grown that end up in our kitchen. I have to admit I expected a bit more out of the festival, but I’m willing to mark it down to showing up so late – almost 4:00. Perhaps there would have been more going on if we had gotten there in the middle of the day. Perhaps not though, as the festival seems to go on until the end of strawberry season, so maybe that can’t really do much more than what I saw for a month. The Aregua strawberry festival consisted of approximately 20 tents lined up on the side of road. Each tent seemed to belong to one family or grower and contained baskets of strawberries, whatever strawberry products they produced (jams, jellies, liquor, juice) as well as a selection of sweets (strawberry shortcake, strawberry alphahores, strawberry frozen icicle pops, strawberries and cream in a cup…). I’m sure you get the picture. I’m not going to say that there was a whole lot of variety but if you like the chance to pick what you think are the prettiest looking strawberries then this was a great place to be. With the added benefit of them being cheaper where they are grown than they are once they make it to Asuncion.

We browsed for about three quarters of an hour to the music blaring over the loud speaker before deciding that we had bought all that we wanted (1 ½ kilos of strawberries to take home for me) and that we really wanted to see where the berries were grown before we left. Strawberry fields could be found less than a hundred meters from where the festival was set up, and after gaining permission from an old man sitting by the side of the road we wandered down the dirt path between two sets of fields. Talk about a field with a view! Behind the six or so fields lined up we could catch glimpses of the lake and the palm trees. Making this one of the most picturesque places I’ve been in Paraguay. I was more intrigued by seeing how this fruit grows than the festival itself. Rows of dirt piled up, covered in plastic, with holes for the strawberry plants to grow up through. Dark green leaves next to dark canvas made the ripe red strawberries stand out and cause my mouth to start watering. Barbed wire fences to protect the fields from…cows? People? Homemade sheds along the edges acted as storage for boxes. When I saw one field being harvested by hand I had to be glad that it wasn’t my job and that I could just buy a basket of strawberries that were ready to eat. My back is thankful for that as well. It was interesting to see another side of life in Paraguay and I will eat my fresh, ripe, sweet strawberries with much greater appreciation now.

[Traveling Tale] Going on Safari

2010-08-04T22:00:00.000-04:00

After three trips to South Africa I decided that I really did need to go on safari if this was going to be my last summer/winter there (yes, it is true, I’ve finished my program and now have my Master’s degree in education). Safari. The word brings up images of wild animals and a wilder environment. But other than that I can’t say that I really had any true idea of what a safari really meant. Honestly, it turns out that it is a lot of time spent staring out of the car window hoping your eye will catch a color that doesn’t quite blend in or that a scrap of movement will grab your gaze and cause you to speak up that you see…something…perhaps a cape buffalo? But interspersed with the almost hypnotic driving are moments of sheer wonder. When you catch some movement and realize that there is a rhinoceros just over there, and then your guide/driver manages to move the vehicle so that you are positioned to watch it emerge from the bushes and cross the road just in front you. When you see a pile of cars stopped in the road ahead of you and know they must be looking at something good, waiting impatiently for your chance, and then catching the movement and seeing, yes, it is a leopard. A leopard that desperately wants to cross the road but is nervous from the noises of some of the cars. Topping a hill and realizing all those spots you see are actually zebra grazing along the plain, and indeed they are all black and white striped including their manes (which still seems like an extremely odd color scheme for an animal, if you ask me). It is sitting at a water hole and watching a couple of hippos play around in the water. Then moving on to another one and seeing a single hippopotamus get his nap in the sun disturbed by some elephants and reluctantly splashing into the water for safety. It is breakfast after 3 hours in the car at a rest camp where a hippo family makes its way across the river, and bright yellow masked weavers snack on your breakfast bowl whether you are finished or not. It is counting yourself lucky that you’ve managed to see 4 of the big 5 (leopard, elephant, rhinoceros, cape buffalo) without much effort and even managed multiple sightings of most of them. It is your guide lamenting that because you’re not from here you don’t realize how rare and amazing of a sighting that is…the inyala…when it just looks like another antelope to you, admittedly with funny white spots that almost look like its eyes. And it is going out the last time hoping that maybe this time you’ll see a lion to complete your big 5 sightings. Staring intently out the window and find you are carrying on a monologue in your head “cat! Wait a minute. Did I just say cat? Oh my gosh…maybe it is a lion. Oh, oh, need to get him to stop the car and back up.” “Stop!” “What?” “I think I saw a cat. Back up. Back up. Right there!” And then to be even more excited when you realize that there are three young lions sitting not 10 feet from the side of the road. Sitting and smiling at you as if to say “we’ve been waiting for you.” So it turns out that a safari can have plenty of magical moments in between the staring out of a car window. And if you’re lucky you’ll see all that you’ve imagined including the giraffes, warthogs and baboons, along with a few things you’ve probably never even heard of.

Our safari was well organized by Wildlife Safaris and we were quite pleased with the tour we got out of it.

Blow that vuvuzela

2010-07-05T12:47:00.000-04:00

On our way to the Ghana-Uruguay game Cairen decided that she wanted a vuvuzela so that she could fully participate in this South African World Cup. Quick bargaining occurred through the van window as we were stopped at a light and they soon came to an agreement that the yellow horn could be hers for 30 Rand (approximately $4). She quickly borrowed money to thrust it through the window as the car began to pull away with the green light. The street vendor was jogging alongside to make sure that he was able to finish the transaction. This was the first hint as to just what our experience might involve. Cairen began practicing her blows on the vuvuzela, sounding a bit like a dying elephant in the process. There is more skill involved than you would think! She continued to practice all the way to the game so that she could be read to join in the noise making.

Before the game I was struggling to decide whether I would be supporting Ghana or Uruguay. After all I’ve been to both countries and been pleased with visits to them both. I was not sure that I could choose between them (which at least has an advantage of not being upset no matter the final result). As we entered the train station I began to realize that there really wasn’t much of a choice to be had. If I didn’t want to stand out to badly I was going to be supporting the Black Stars of Ghana, the team that carried the “last hope for Africa” this World Cup. The train station held a steady stream of fans that were clearly headed…well…I assume to a train. We got caught up in the stream and followed the flow down the stairs, along a platform to await a train that would soon be stuffed headed directly towards Soccer City Stadium. The train was filled with energetic supporters of Ghana excited to be heading to a game. At times spontaneous chants broke out quickly involving the entire car. One man added rhythm with his drums while another was making sure everyone was ready to show their support with Ghanaian inspired face paint. We were off to the game!

Reaching the stadium a sense of anticipation was in the air. People (the three of us included) were so excited to be there, ready to support a team and see a great game of football being played. Despite having nosebleed seats (3rd row from the top of the stadium) gained just two days before the match, I found my seat to provide an excellent overview of the field…and the fans. Sure enough I could pick out just two pockets of Uruguayan supporters, proudly delineated in their blue and white, while all the rest of the stadium were displaying the red, yellow and green for Ghana. There were numerous people waving flags, a girl sporting the best flag topped head gear, and even a group dressed up in Ghanaian colored caps and gowns escorting a full body painted fan. Elvis was even there!

I have to admit that I was quite often distracted from the game by the fans. Particularly when a free kick came up. Without fail this would bring about a steady, rhythmic blowing on the vuvuzelas by large amounts of people. And if you think the noise sounded steady and large on the television you have no idea what it was like in person. I just had to thank my lucky stars that there was no one directly behind me adding to the noise. What’s that? Ghana just scored! With seconds left in the half the crowd goes completely wild and I am pressed to consider the last time I’ve seen or heard such a celebration for a single goal in a game. Frantic waving of flags. Jumping up and down. Loud blows of the vuvuzela. The African supporters are happy. Unfortunately the joy didn’t last until the end of the game, but despite the disappointment the crowd flowed out of the stadium pleased with how Ghana had represented themselves – marking their exclamations with quick toots of the vuvuzela. And you know what, by the end of the game Cairen was actually sounding just like all the others. All you have to do is keep on blowing that vuvuzela.

World Cup Excitement

2010-07-04T11:58:00.000-04:00

The first of several posts on my World Cup experience around the globe.
When traffic came to a standstill with no signs of it starting to move again we paid our driver and jumped out of the car to finish walking to Ellis Park Stadium. It didn’t take long before the trickle of people turned into a steady stream which converged into a mass patiently waiting in line to go through security and have their tickets taken. You need not worry about finding the stadium the day of a game here in South Africa. You really can just follow all of the people. During the walk I found myself getting a big disgusted, all of the street vendors were selling Spain things! But worse, despite clearly wearing the red and white stripes of the Paraguayan jersey they were trying to sell me Spain gear! I don’t think so! I had already assumed that I would be one of the rare Paraguayan supporters at the match, the sales going on did nothing to dissuade me. Even once we entered into the park things were clearly unequal. The official fan shop was selling 7 different Spain shirts and just 2 for Paraguay. The other goodies…either Spain or South Africa. I guess it means that I’ll just have to cheer all that much harder for Paraguay once the game starts.

After exploring the grounds outside the stadium my friend and I parted ways to find out seats. When you buy last minute tickets you’re lucky enough to get tickets, don’t even think about them being together. We were on completely opposite sides of the stadium, but that’s okay. It just means we spread out the Paraguayan support a little bit more. Sure enough after I crawled over people to my seat I was the only Paraguayan supporter in my section. My friend had it a bit worse as he was surrounded by well decorated and enthusiastic Espana supporters. I think we may have been outnumbered by 1 to 1,000 around the stadium. My amusement came when people questioned me as to why I was cheering for Paraguay. The response of “I live there,” always brought a flat “oh.” They could never give me a good reason why they were cheering for Spain except for the claim that they were supposed to be the best in the world. One man told me it was the only jersey he could find, which after my observations on the way to the park I had to give some credit to. He was excited to help me wave my flag on occasion when I got especially enthusiastic.

Sitting a mere 14 rows away from the field I felt like I was in the middle of things. Watching them walk on and line up for the national anthem I could identify some of the players I've learned to recognize over the past month. After a team huddle the players took their position and the game began. I could easily read the numbers on the jerseys of the players and even felt like I could read their facial expressions at times. Before I knew it the whistle for half time blew, and I was left to consider the scoreless half while the dancer/cheerleaders came out to perform and Zakumi, the mascot for the World Cup, wandered around. With the start of the second half I was drawn back into the battle taking place on the field. I was caught up in the game most of the time but was occasionally distracted by the massive wave working its way around the stadium or a particularly coordinated blowing of vuvuzelas by the crowd. The stadium had such a great atmosphere that I could only think of how incredibly lucky I was to be there. Even though my evening’s story ended sadly with Paraguay’s 1-0 loss to Spain (impressing many people with their level of play along the way) I know that this will be one experience I will not soon forget.

playback

2010-06-06T20:27:00.000-04:00

Living overseas I often head off to events not knowing what to expect or what exactly I’m getting myself into. Tuesday night was no exception. For a week my 10th grade students have been pestering me, “Ms C are you going to playback?” Playback? What in the world is that? I know part of their interest is the need for each of them to sell their tickets, after all this is a fundraiser for the sophomore class. But still, what is it? Words here and there tell me it is something about dance, or remaking a music video…in any case it should be a nice change from another fashion show or asado.

My friends and I show up at 7:30 for a show whose ticket said 7:00. We only have to wait another 15 minutes before the show starts (am I starting to adjust to Paraguayan time?). Soon enough the lights go down and the curtain rises at the Centro Paraguayo Japones. On stage is a group of black clad, teased hair girls. Above them on the screen is a video showing the same start. What continues on stage is their recreation of the dance video playing overhead. Ahh…that is what they mean by calling it “playback.” A group of five students from my school emerge next and proceed to dance to a hip hop mix. Perhaps what has occurred is a mix of playback and dance competition (although how you compare the two I’m not really sure). Next was my favorite, and the eventual winner, a playback which began with a conductor orchestrating three groups of dances around the stage. Add to the night a group of girls dressed in satin flight attendant costumes, another group which danced with barrels, a large group of women at work and a somewhat fireman inspired theme and you have an evening’s entertainment which is difficult to describe. I had to take some video to be able to fully convey the experience. In any case it was not my typical evening. I went to see what it was all about and ended up with quite the show! I’m left only be able to say so that is an ASA playback.

bus strike

2010-05-30T09:52:00.001-04:00

There was a two day bus strike this week, and while all reports say that it ended up with some violence and many people upset I have to admit that I didn’t see much of a an effect, unless you count friends saying that the streets were much more crowded. Accounts say that 100 buses were seriously damaged and numerous people hurt. From what I can figure out this is not because people were upset the buses weren’t running, but because not all of the buses were on strike. Apparently the city buses around Asuncion are run by several companies and at least one of these companies did not participate in the strike. That would explain why I still saw some buses in the streets, and perhaps why I didn’t really notice there was a strike. From what I can figure out the bus drivers went on strike Thursday demanding a 15% wage increase and also requesting that the bus fair go up to 2,100Gs. That is approximately 50¢. What has been my biggest surprise is how little the strike seemed to affect my life. All of the workers made it to school and we didn’t even think about our maid not being able to get here until after she had come and gone for the day. There have perhaps been a few less people standing on the side of the street waiting for buses, and I have to wonder how much of an effect it had on businesses that depend on people who use public transportation here. I am also waiting to hear if there has been any change in the bus system thanks to this strike.

The Classico

2010-05-16T17:15:00.000-04:00

A lot has been happening recently, I just haven't been able to find the time to write about it. Hopefully I'll be able to catch up on some of it this month.

A few weeks back I took the opportunity to have a “typical” Asuncion experience. Friends that are leaving at the end of the year wanted to go to the Classico – the biggest football rivalry in Asuncion, and the game that they say everyone needs to go to at least once. I figured I would take the opportunity to go with them and see what this Olimpia vs. Cerro rivalry is all about. It turns out that you can’t actually buy tickets at the stadium on game day. No worry, there are plenty of people trying to sell them on the streets. It took two men to come up with the 9 tickets we needed but there wasn’t too much of a mark up and we did have tickets in hand.

We entered the stadium a full hour before game time, to find that the stands were already almost full. We finally found seats close to the line of riot police that separated the Cerro and Olimpia fans. (Two lines of police with an empty section of seating between them). I did mention this is the biggest rivalry in the Paraguayan league, didn’t I? To the left of us there was a sea of black and white – the Olimpia fans – and to the right it was all red and blue – the Cerro fans. We were technically sitting in the Cerro section so I guess that means we were cheering for them if we wanted to cheer for anyone. (Never mind that we had all carefully chosen to wear colors not associated with either team.) The junior teams were playing but you could tell that everyone was just waiting for the real game. In the meantime I could take the time to appreciate the view out of the stadium, as we were up high enough to see the river beyond it, and shake my head at the amount of fan support each team had.

Soon enough it was game time. The officials walked out on the field and things got quiet. The announcer introduced the Olimpia team and as they stepped an entire half of the stadium erupted. Cheering, chanting, unfurling huge flags that cover an entire section of bleachers, and throwing white streamers onto the field. At one point it seemed as if the sky was a solid snake of white. And now the Cerro enter the field. The opposite side of the stadium is suddenly going crazy. Red and blue smoke pour forth, balloons are being waved, and I watch an enormous flag get unrolled over the heads of almost one fourth the stadium (How do they do that? I still don’t understand.). I began to realize that we had come as much to watch the fans as to watch the game. Perhaps that was a good thing, as it ended up as a zero – zero tie, with very few exciting moments. Although I might have missed some of the better moments when I was distracted by the crowd. We slipped out a few minutes before the end of the game to avoid the crowd and the possible craziness, however the scoreless result seemed to have kept things fairly calm. There is a part of me that wishes one of the teams would have scored just so I could have seen how their fans would react. (At least I’m not like one of my friends who has now been to three games in that stadium and not seen a single score.) In any event, it was definitely an experience.

For more about the history of this rivalry check out this FIFA article.

Time Change [a little late]

2010-04-26T20:37:00.000-04:00

One of the things I find confusing about living in the southern hemisphere is keeping track of the time difference between here and home. I had it figured out for a while - it was a three hour time difference between here and Austin. Then, Austin went forward and we were only two hours apart. A few weeks late Asuncion fell back and then we were only one hour apart. Over the span of a month I had a three, two, and one hour difference in times. Huh? Some of this is because Asuncion and the US didn't change their clocks at the same time. I'm used to time changes being just a few days apart, figuring it was some archaic reason that didn't have every country changing their time the same day. (Of course this only holds up when I don't think about that fact that there are some states and countries that never change their clocks). This year it seemed a bit different. I couldn't help but realize that the government of a country plays a definite roll in this.

Yes, it seems that the president decided to delay moving the clocks back in order to save daylight and cut down on electricity needs in the country, due to the energy crisis. The energy crisis? There is one of those here? I mean, I remember one day when all of the electricity across the entire city went out - but that only happened once that I can recall. I haven't really seen a crisis, at least not like the rolling blackouts that are common in other places. So I had to do a bit of research to find out what was going on.

It turns out that originally Paraguay was due to change time on March 14th. Due to problems with energy transmission it was pushed back to April 11th. And yes, this was official – as declared by presidential decree 3958. It doesn’t seem that the problem which lead to this change is the available energy, more that the mechanics which transport the energy are old and breaking down. In fact, from what I’ve been able to understand Paraguay doesn’t particularly worry about available energy. After all 90% of its power is supplied by Itaipu Dam, the hydroelectric dam on the Parana River between Paraguay, Brazil and Argentina.

A different kind of run

2010-04-07T19:13:00.000-03:00

As I bent down to tie my shoe and then collected my timing chip it started to sink in that this was going to be a different kind of run. Everyone around me was wearing the black tank of the race, most of them paired with dark shorts - all designed to have them blend in more. Yes, blend in - because this is not an ordinary race, it's the Asuncion Night Run. As I crack my glow stick to make it shine and wrap it around my wrist, I see that I can get sprayed by Off - probably a good idea as we're running around the botanical garden. Oh - and there I can get a longer glow stick - fun! Perhaps it will work as an arm band as I'm not sure I can handle having it flap around my neck.

As the countdown gets close to the start I test my headlamp (part of our entrance package) and make sure it is well positioned on my forehead (although it turns out it doesn't stay up very well when you're sweating and running). 5 -4-3-2-1...the runners count down to the clock and then a flurry of fireworks explode overhead signaling the start of the race. And we're off. Its packed pretty tightly to begin with, but I'm surprised at how quickly the runners get stretched out. And by just how necessary the headlamp is for lighting a circle of ground ahead of me so I can jump over tree roots and avoid the holes. When I feel confident enough to look up briefly its an eerie sight to see a long line of bobbing lights in the dark. If I didn't know better I might suspect a gathering of extraterrestrials in the woods. Instead I turn my head down again and focus on a patch of ground just a few steps ahead catching a glimpse of a couple of other circles of light ahead of me and think about what an experience this has turned out to be. A much more solitary, glowing experience than I ever expected.

[Traveling Tale] Colonia del Sacramento, Uruguay

2010-04-02T19:23:00.000-03:00

You could be forgiven being surprised when I tell you I've actually spent the last week in Uruguay. It just seems that the only time I actually have to write about a vacation is when I'm on another one. The week of Semana Santa, the holy week before Easter, sees me with a week vacation from school. And of course, a week off means another opportunity to travel.

This time I decided to focus on two cities/towns - two days in Montevideo (which has been fairly uninspiring so you probably won't hear anything else about it) and the rest of the time in Colonia del Sacramento. A UNESCO world heritage site set along the banks of the Rio Plata, across from Buenos Aires, about all I knew before arriving was that it was an old colonial town. A part of me worried that it would be similar to Cartegena but except for sections of overflowing flowers that ended up not being true at all. Think cobblestone streets, an area of about six square blocks, every street running down to the white balustrade around the water. An old lighthouse, still functioning, where it only requires 118 stairs to get to the top. The oldest church in Uruguay (1680) surprisingly simple sitting next to a small square. Colorful sunsets over the water and harbor. Old stone buildings set next to taller tile and stucco houses. A wooden, golden spiral sculpture that called to my math teacher soul. Combine all that together with some pleasant green spaces and a population that doesn't hassle and you get a very pleasant place to unwind and relax for a few days.

[Traveling Tale]Cartegena, Colombia

2010-04-02T18:30:00.000-03:00

You drive in with a strong surf pounding the rocks on your right and the old walls of the city rising on your left. Within moments I'm sure this is going to be a lovely place to explore. We got dropped off at Lucy's, a woman who runs a B&B out of her home without any advertising, accepting guests only on recommendation from previous guests. Instant enchantment when we walk through the heavy wooden doors. Behind them lies a flower filled courtyard complete with fish pond, turtles and parakeets. The doors to the rooms opening in from there. As soon as we can drop our stuff and finish our lemonade we are itching to leave and explore. Where to start? At the fort outside the walls jutting above the city? Along the top of the old walls beside the ocean? Past the convention center with its giant statues of Pegasus? The streets of the old city are to much of a draw and its there we spend most of our time wandering. Who wouldn't be captivated by the brightly colored houses, the tumbling flowers which cascade over balconies and make the streets seem enclosed? Or the fancy doorknockers and smooth lines of the taller buildings. Arched gates lead out of the old city but we're content to roam past churches, small squares and the clock tower. Really, who wouldn't be enchanted by Cartegena?

[Traveling Tale] Ciudad Perdida

2010-03-30T08:42:00.000-03:00

Some people were curious, why are you making Colombia your first destination from Paraguay? Lets face it, Colombia doesn´t have the best reputation (although I felt perfectly safe there). One of my friends who lived there for five years lured me to visit with her with the idea of hiking up to Ciudad Perdida (the lost city). A quick search for some pictures convinced me that I could get into this 6 day hike and that the view at the end would be entirely worth it.

Ciudad Perdida is located high up on land that is controlled by the Kogi, one of Colombia´s four main indegenous groups. They strongly believe in protecting the environment and being stewards for their region (living a simple, quiet mostly agricultural life). Access to the area is limited and you can only go up through oneof the five tour companies that operates trips.

We lucked out with our chosen Turcol tour - only six people hiking, four from our group and one other couple. Add in the guide and a cook and we had a total of eight. The trip up was to take three days, and while some days really did require a lot of up, I don´t think we ever hiked more than five hours in one day. Making the whole trip a pretty pleasant experience, especially for a multi-day hike. The three days down went a bit faster, even if it was harder on my joints.

The challenge comes the third day when, after eight river crossings, you leave the river bed and begin climbing up the ancient stone steps laid into the mountain side. They claim its just 1200 of these up to the terraces. What they fail to mention is that those will only take you to the first lower terrace, and there is at least another 500 ahead of you to get to the main terraces. But it is worth it when you step up and see the main terrace ahead of you with a chain of about four more cut into the mountain side beyound. If you can ignore the presence of the military (there to protect the tourists) is seems magical. Calling you to explore and experience a small piece of this ancient communmity that laid stone pathways throughout the Sierra Nevadas. The site is a beautiful location set in the mountains where the mists roll in every evening to enclose you in a smaller world. But no matter what you might get distracted by you will always turn back to the terraces as if to assure yourself they are real and not something you imagined. Even as we started down, wandering past what they think was the quarry and additional smaller terraces, I know that I´ll leave here feeling as if I´ve had contact with a previous civilization. While I might enjoy being back down by the river and the peacefulness there, there is no doubt that the sight of the terraces on the mountaintop will be a lasting one in my memories.

[Traveling Tale] 24 hours in BA

2010-03-28T09:03:00.000-03:00

What do you do when you have a 24 hour layover in Buenos Aires? Well, when that means you have to go through immigration, pay the $130 entrance visa and collect your luggage you might as well go into the city. Knowing this was coming (due to flights changing after booking my ticket) I had booked a bed in a hostel and proceeded to lug my two as-heavy-as-allowed suitcases carrying my goodies from the US up two flights of stairs. Happily relinquishing them to the luggage room I ask the front desk for a mapy of the city, mark the location of the hostel and set off to find the closest "sites of interest" marked on the map. This led me to a plaza with the Metropotian Cathedral (a very boxy church) on one side adn to la Casa Rosada, the pink house, at the far end. Now if you´ve seen the movie Evita you´ll recognize this building as being the place where speeches and presentation were made. You can see that it really is a dramatic backdrop. A circular loop takes me past the national congress, some other old buildings and the obelisk. That is enough for round one. Travelling has made me tired and I need a nap!

Awakening refreshed I decide to head a little father afield to one of the places everyone who visits mentions and make my way to Recoleta, the famous cemetery. Oh my. It is about one block large and it absolutely draws me in. I find myself happily taking pictures over the next hour and a half before closing time, drawn by the mix of regular and irregular lines on the above ground masoleums. Fascinated by decorative touches and all the statues of angles and women. A line around one corner tells me I´ve found the burial place of Eva Peron - covered n plaques but not located in a place of prime importance. I still feel as if I´ve encountered a piece of history. With a last lingering glance at this place that has let me escape the city amidst a mix of trnaquility and beauty, I head back to my bed knowing that if I had to have a long layover at least I´ve used it well. Perhaps next time I´ll manage to get more thatn 24 hours in BA.

My Thermos

2010-03-21T09:21:00.000-03:00

I figured I needed to post an update about my terere thermos. When I got back from Christmas break it was waiting for me with a friend and I have to say that it turned out to be remarkably close to what I had imagined while putting together my order. The dark brown leather with a purple and a teal butterfly embroided on it (my only complaint is that the two butterflies are so far apart you can’t see them both at the same time). The stitching is a mix of teal and purple. I can delight over the little details that always have to be a part of a thermos with all the extras – a sleeve for my bombillo (straw/strainer) and for the wampa (the cup). Perhaps my favorite though is the wampa itself. Smaller, the design show up well with the butterfly standing out, and yes – it is made out of cow horn. Now I feel like I own my own little part of Paraguayan tradition.

Hinchada

2010-03-10T20:23:00.000-03:00

Bam, bam. Rat at at a. The banging on the drums signal the start of another game at Intercolegial. I find the fans to be more fascinating than the games themselves. Never before have I seen this kind of fan support for high school teams just playing in a city tournament. At some games a school manages to fill over half of the bleachers with jumping, screaming students. Have I mentioned they have drums? Chants pour forth out of the group and at times it is hard to think much less hear anything that is going on on the floor. And the referee whistle? Forget it. Even if you could hear it you would still have difficulty distinguishing it from the whistles coming out of the stands. The hinchadas will all be color coordinated (school colors of course), most likely with some sort of face paint. Where I started to get overwhelmed was when they unfurled a flag that took every person to hold up and flutter, a flag that takes more than 10 people to just carry into the stands. These people have it together! Coordinated enough to get the flag over all of the students and often to have matching shirts, this level of planning is impressive. I’m not so amused by the fireworks going off (some even in the gym the final day of play), but it still amazes me the level of commitment they have to cheering. It doesn’t surprise me that it is part of every professional football game here, but for high school sports? It is so hard to describe you probably aren’t getting an accurate picture, so please, just take a look at the videos.

Intercollegial

2010-03-01T19:06:00.000-03:00

All my students have been thinking about this past week is Intercollegial – a large sports tournament that occurs across Asuncion. Many of the private schools in the city host their own tournament, all called Intercollegial, ASA just happens to always host the first one. I’m not sure if they are all as big as this one, I doubt that they could be as I don’t think many other schools have the facilities that we have. This particular tournament is over two weekends (oh the joy, that means my students won’t be worth much this week either), has 20 schools competing, and includes 5 different sports (football, volleyball, basketball, futsal and handball). It is no wonder that all of our fields and courts have been pressed into use over the weekend. The tournament itself is not such a surprise to me, particularly when you take into account the Paraguayan love of sports. What has been a surprise is the number of people who turn up to watch the games (the guards estimated about 5,000 per day), the crazy cheering sections schools bring (more on that next week), and the amount of advertising that is on campus. There are booths covering our courtyard area and half of the parking lot, places where you can buy crocs, compete at dance revolution with a blue mascot, play air hockey at the cell phone provider tent, or buy food to snack on. When I was told it was big I never imagined it was going to take over the campus! My goal for the next week is to just try to keep my students somewhat focused until Friday, and then to enjoy watching sports again.

First Impressions (or second)

2010-02-24T20:50:00.000-03:00

It seems funny to think about first impressions 6 months after first arriving but I felt as if that was exactly what I was getting when I flew into Asuncion in January. Perhaps a bit of time back at home and in Buenos Aires was enough to open my eyes. Flying in all I could think was green. There sure are a lot of trees in Asuncion. It really is quite a green city. My taxi driver was complaining about the traffic at 1:30 in the afternoon and while I have to admit there was some it still only took 30 minutes to get me home. I know its worse around 5:00 but you have to realize that nowhere in the city has more than two lanes in one direction. So the amount of traffic can’t begin to compare with the eight lanes of congestion you get in other cities. Asuncion really is a sleepy sort of capital city.

Houses are set close to the road; the idea of a front yard is not very practices. Houses jut up just past the sidewalk and the space is left for green in the more private backyards. I’m not sure if I would say there are individual lots, space is well used here and it seems that one building grows out of the walls of its neighbors – only wall color giving an indication as to where one ends and the next begins. What other differences will I notice as I continue to look around the city with my eyes actually opened now, instead of just focusing on my survival?

[Traveling Tale] A Texas Daytrip

2010-02-14T08:55:00.000-03:00

[I've got a lot of traveling stories to share, it may take me a while but I'll get them posted eventually...]

We decided it was time for a girls day out in my family and so my sister, my mom and I piled into the van and started to drive. About 2 ½ hours northeast of Austin, after a drive past scenery that exemplifies what I think of when I think Central Texas (large pastures, barbed wire fences, gently rolling hills, a herd of cattle, a few stock ponds and a windmill or two thrown in for good measure)you arrive in the town of Calvert. You might wonder what is so special about Calvert, a town many Texans have never heard of, that we would make it our destination for the day. My sister had done her research and learned that amidst the antique stores on the main street of town there is a place called Cocoamoda. It is a producer of fine truffles and just happens to also have a cafe that is open for lunch and dinner. Thanks to our cold midweek choice we happened to be the only three in the restaurant. After ordering from our waiter (who used to be a server for Carnival Cruise lines) we were given three sample of truffles (a seriously yummy appetizer). I can highly recommend the double chocolate truffle. Lunch itself was also enjoyable – my quiche was fluffy, moist and hot (although perhaps a bit too hot as it cracked the Wedgewood plate it was set on) and my mom and sister seemed to enjoy their choices. Of course, though, the best part of the meal was dessert. We got a sampler of truffles – and when they’re so rich you can definitely share one among three people, seven new choices were more than enough. While sampling our treats we got to meet the owner and confectioner (?? What do you call someone who makes truffles?) and received a nice short lesson on what was necessary to truly appreciate a good truffle, a bit of his history and that of the café, as well as a glimpse of his future plans (all I can say is that it involves gold coating). All in all a delicious experience and one I can recommend.

Ordering a Terere Thermos

2010-02-08T16:09:00.001-03:00

After consulting with several teachers at school and then asking some others for directions I, along with a friend, ventured out on a mission to order my own custom made terere thermos. What is that, you may wonder? It’s the one thing you will always see any group of Paraguayans carrying. In reality it consists of a thermos of cold water, a cup with terere leaves and other herbs in it and a bombillo – half straw half strainer – that you drink through. Terere has to be the national drink of Paraguay.

Back to the adventure…we walk into the store and notice shelves covered with different types and patterns of leather and wander around for a while. I never dreamed there would be so many choices, or that I’d have so many different decisions to make. On a low table was a collection of leather swatches and flipping through it became we’d need to decide on a color (dark brown) and a finish (suede, smooth leather or bumpy like alligator skin – I went with smooth in the hopes of it staying a bit cleaner). Then there was a question of sewing pattern. Crisscross? Diamonds? Smooth cover? I decided I might need to think of accents before I made a choice about that. So I started paging through giant books of embroidery designs, flipping quickly until I came to several pages of butterflies I found a simple design that would please me. Of course she then had to ask one or two? (two) What color? Out came a tri-fold of stitched thread, but beware – we actually can only use the ones with a highlighted number (okay with me, that means a few less choices). I finally settle on a turquoise and a purple. In the meantime the woman who owns the shop has begun to sketch out my requests on a simple form she has. Stitching on the jug and handle? Oh, sure, make that a mix of the two colors. What about the cup? Do you want a design on it? What color? What about the stitching? I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed by this point but know that there can’t be too many other decisions to make. I no longer think I’m going to end up with as simple of a thermos as I originally anticipated but it will definitely be uniquely mine. I can’t wait to see how it turns out!

Clever!

2009-12-14T20:06:00.000-03:00

I went down town this weekend to the artisanal market in the hopes of finishing up the last of my Christmas shopping. I looked around at the leather goods, wooden bowls, embroidered clothes and jewelry but nothing caught my eye. In the end I returned home with only two new photographs to speak of. These pictures show what I think is quite clever, the kind of second hand use of things that I love to see people do. As you can see the men in this area have come up with a cheap way to play checkers. All it took was a bit of paint to put the board on the concrete slabs that were already there along with enough bottle caps in two colors to make up the two playing pieces. A few steps further on I actually saw two men playing, only they had collected yellow and red twist off lids for their playing pieces. Clever!

Virgin of Caacupe

2009-12-08T14:09:00.000-03:00

Today is a national holiday. The holy day of the Virgin of Caacupe which also happens to be the feast of the Immaculate Conception. I have been gathering a vague idea of what this holiday means to Paraguayans over the past week. My Spanish tutor shared a bit of the history and told me that she will taking a bus to a town close to Caacupe where she and her family will make a one to two hour pilgrimage on foot to Caacupe. This is something that it seems a large part of the population chooses to do on this day. Why? What is the story? From what I have been able to piece together there was a Guarani Indian being chased when he hid behind a tree. Praying to the Virgin Mary he promised that if they would pass him by unnoticed he would carve an image of her. Which, of course, is exactly what happened. The man then carved a statue of the virgin (or two depending on the story) one of which is in the cathedral of Caacupe. Paraguayans see this as a true miracle story and believe fervently in the Virgin of Caacupe. As for me, I’d be interested in going to Caacupe (perhaps on the 8th of December next year) and experiencing some of the national belief myself. In the meantime I will try to sort out more of the story (although I have little hope in actually covering the one true story as is so rare in much of Catholic history).

See here for an account of Caacupe.

How much?

2009-12-06T19:29:00.000-03:00

After four and a half months in Paraguay I still find myself struggling with the money. It is not that I don’t understand how much people are telling me, although I have to admit at times I’m not sure I understand, and at others I think I must be wrong because it is just to cheap. No, my problem comes when I actually try to pull out the money to pay. I’ve got the bills down fine. There’s the green 100 mil bill (worth approximately $20) with a picture of the dam on the back. A purplish 50 mil, the blue 20 mil, the brown 10 mil and the red 5 mil. The different colors help to keep it all straight, and the numbers are pretty easy to see. I might not know who the people are on the front side yet (except for the name which is written on it) and I might have trouble keeping small change as no one ever wants to give you change except at the grocery store. No my problem comes from trying to use the coins. There are coins worth 1 mil, 500, 100 and 50 Guarani. That should be four different coins. Not to hard, you think. Not so true when there is two different versions of almost all of the coins. One gold and one silver 500. The same for the 100 and 50. Add in the different thicknesses and you start to see how sorting out coins by touch can be hard. Oh, and did I mention that the silver 50 is almost exactly the same size as the silver 1 mil? Is it any wonder that I get confused? Usually I just end up paying with bills and not worrying about the change, which as you can imagine makes it pile up. The alternative is the pile of coins it takes to pay for something when I decide to actually dig it all out. I wonder if I’ll get it all figured out by the end of two years?

A shopping ???

2009-11-21T20:59:00.000-03:00

I’m not quite sure what to call it. It is not exactly a shopping basket, nor is it really a shopping trolley (cart). Although at times it functions as either one. I think perhaps I should call it a shopping…trasket. You’re probably thinking, what are you talking about? I have to tell you that the shopping trasket is one of the more clever things I’ve seen here in Paraguay. It is perfect for when you are just running in to pick up some groceries and end up with a few more than are comfortable to carry over your arm, yet fewer than you really want to deal with a trolley for. It is basically a shopping basket on wheels. Often there are two handles – one which lets you carry it over your arm as you would with a normal basket, and a longer flip up one which allows you to pull the trasket along behind you on its wheels. One of my friends raves about them for the simple reason that they work for a person of any height. Are you shorter? That just means that your trasket will be a bit farther behind you. Are you taller than the average Paraguayan? No worries, the handle will still be long enough for you to hold comfortably. I’m telling you, this is a gadget (can you can it a gadget?) that I’d love to see adopted in other places. In addition to its versatility in handles you also have to appreciate a smaller wheeled container which doesn’t clog up narrow aisles and makes it quite simple to pass the shopper who is stopped studying the racks. You can stick with your shopping cart or basket if you want, me, I’m going to grab a shopping trasket as I go into the store.

It's getting hot down here

2009-11-15T21:39:00.000-03:00

It’s getting hot down here, not that this is any real surprise. After all one of the big draws of Paraguay for me was that I would be moving back to a country that was predominantly warm and sunny. The heat definitely suits me more than the cold. The real sign for me that summer was truly coming here was when all of the street corner vendors start displaying pool floats and blow up pools. At times they seem to call to me saying “you know you need a way to cool of once you’re back at your house.” Most of the well off (and middle class) families have some sort of pool in their backyard. Most of the time the pool is just big enough to cool off in not the sort you would do any exercise in. Sadly that is the one thing our house doesn’t have. The way we’ve been debating the blow up pools lately, it wouldn’t surprise me if we end up with one our back porch though. In the meantime I’m stuck trying to figure out how to talk about the seasons. I know this is summer, or soon to be, but at the same time I’m considering the approaching Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays and wondering how they can really take place in a season that is not fall or winter. Talking to folks back home just makes me even more confused, is my upcoming break from school the summer break or winter break? It will be summer here, but I’ll be returning to visit winter for a good part of it. How to keep it all straight in my head? Perhaps I’ll just stick with saying it’s hot down here.

White ribbon campaign

2009-11-10T19:52:00.000-03:00

White ribbons for hope. I am starting to see them all over the areas of Asuncion that I walk in. It started out with white strips of fabric and plastic tied onto car antennae and luggage racks. It expanded to grace the gates and doors of houses around the town. Now it has expanded to include white ribbon stickers, bracelets, stickers stating “together for a safer Paraguay”, and posters proclaiming “White Ribbon campaign for peace in Paraguay”. I have even seen my students out on the street by school asking if they could attach a ribbon onto the cars stopped at the stoplight. What is this all for, and why are my students involved? Sadly, a few weeks ago a man was kidnapped here. He happens to be the uncle to several of the students at school and part of one of the largest families that I’ve been exposed to through the school (yes, this is exactly the type of students I teach). What is going to happen? Who knows – it is a situation which leaves many people feeling helpless. There is no telling what will happen. I have no idea if they are attempting to pay the ransom, or if they could even gather enough money if they wanted. The most that the majority of us can do is hope. Hope for a good outcome. Hope that things turn out in a way that won’t traumatize the family any more. For my part I am trying to give all of the nephews I teach (they all seem to be boys in the high school) the most normal continuation of life as they deal with this turmoil. Students and teachers have banded together for this campaign of hope, as a show of solidarity for the family. There isn’t much more I can do, except to remember to hope each time I see a flutter of white in the air.

(Please don’t worry about me….as far as I can tell something like this only happens once every couple of years, besides teachers don’t make enough money to be worthwhile!)

Scarily Crazy

2009-11-01T20:19:00.000-03:00

You wouldn’t think that Halloween would be a big deal in a country that doesn’t exactly celebrate it, but today I am telling you that my school goes absolutely crazy about Halloween, scarily crazy. I had no idea that the American School would so wholeheartedly adopt this crazy American celebration, after all the American population of the school is only about 5%. When the hallways outside the elementary classrooms began to get decorated with smiling spiders, ghosts galore and witches, I began to wonder. When some of the elementary teachers shared that there was actually an informal competition between the class moms for the hallway decorations I suspected that it would get a bit over the top in that area. And sure enough for the last two weeks you’ve had to dodge hanging decorations to get to the classrooms in that part of the school. Then about a week ago decorations stated going up around the school. One day the courtyard area had streamers, ghosts and pumpkins. The next day there was a giant wooden “Happy Halloween” sign above the guard house. The following I saw giant ghosts peeking out from behind trees and hanging upside down out of the branches. After that came a blow up Frankenstein to greet visitors to campus and scary mask/wraiths along the sidewalk. It got to the point where I wasn’t even sure I wanted to see what else would go up. And I didn’t even see the school when it got to its most decorated as I didn’t return for the Halloween party on Friday evening. While I’m pleased to have actually had something that felt a bit like Halloween I have to question the over the top way in which it was done. A few of the cleaning and maintenance staff tried to ask teachers what the point was, why they went so crazy for the holiday, and frankly none of us could come up with an answer beyond “because they can.” Looking at it through their eyes we could see how difficult it could be to watch the celebration when you know there are so many other things that the money could go to. Is it worth it? I really can’t say. All I can say for sure is that ASA goes scarily crazy over Halloween.

Climate Change

2009-10-15T17:08:00.000-04:00

It is blog action day again, the one day a year that bloggers unite to write about a topic of concern. This year I've been asked to write about climate change. With all of the recent news stories about tsunamis, hurricanes, floods and such it is hard to ignore the disastrous affects that climate change is having on lives around the world. This is truly a topic which concerns us all. The deeper question for me is always to try to figure out how does this really affect me - and what steps does that mean I can and should take to help do my part? Here in Paraguay I'm not sure that climate change is a big concern. There don't seem to be any emissions control on vehicles, liter is clearly a big problem, recycling has just begun to be talked about and spread (our students are trying to reach out to other schools to get them interested in recycling programs, although there are the horse cart men who dig through the trash for recyclables - more on that at a later date), clean water is still not available for everyone even in Asuncion leading to greater use of bottled water...I couldn't even tell you if any changes in climate have affected crop growing in Paraguay at all. I just don't see the immediate results here. So what are the affects? Personally, I think it is in the idea of places that I want to travel to having a limited shelf life - will I get to the Galapagos Islands before they are to far destroyed to admit visitors? Will weather patterns make it difficult to enjoy the time off to travel I do get? Those are the thoughts which lead me to consider what I can do personally that might make a difference. My lifestyle doesn't lend itself to saying I'll try not to take gas guzzling flights, but that doesn't mean that I can't do some small things. I can continue to walk the 20-40 minutes it takes to get to almost any of my destinations in Asuncion, instead of calling a taxi, or explore the bus system. I can continue to "Agroshop" on Tuesdays - local farmers with products (possible organic) available 6 blocks from house. I can make sure all that paper I'm throwing away at school goes into the recycle box instead of into the trash can. I can embrace reusable plastic containers over plastic bags for packing lunch and snacks. I am sure there are many other things I can be doing in the belief that the only thing that makes any big change is all of the little people making small changes. I encourage you to think about what steps you could take to help combat the problems brought about by the climate changes in our world.

Crossing the border

2009-10-11T14:36:00.000-04:00

“Pardon me, can you tell me how to get a bus to Posadas?” I can’t believe I’m asking how to take a bus to another country for the day. “Just cross the street and get on any bus labeled Posadas-Encarnation.” Really, it’s that easy? Turns out, yes. You can take what amounts to a city bus from Encarnation, Paraguay to Posadas, Argentina. Just make sure you get off twice – once at the Paraguayan border and once at the Argentinean border (don’t ask me why all those people didn’t get off the bus, trust me its better to get your passport stamped). Oh – and take all your stuff because you might not be getting on the same bus you got off if it has driven on before you get done. They don’t wait for you. But the good news is even if it is a different bus you won’t need to buy a new ticket (after all there isn’t exactly anywhere else you could have come from). Did I mention the Argentina immigration officials will have difficulty believing this is your first entry into Argentina? They’re probably wondering why start with Posadas? It is not that it is an unpleasant town, it is just that it is a border river town. The highlight is a bricked walkway running beside the river and the good food you can find across the street (personally I recommend the pumpkin ravioli). Still you can tell you’re in a different country (a 20 minute bus ride away). People seem a little better off, the buses are newer…Be warned though that the town takes a 3 hour siesta around 2 pm. You might want to wait to eat until then otherwise you won’t be able to find anything to do except wander around town looking at the closed shop doors. But it is true – you can take the city bus to another country, and it will only cost you $1.

Small Pond

2009-10-04T20:04:00.000-04:00

I might teach some of the big fish in this town, but in the grand scheme of things I have to say that Asuncion is a small pond. I feel that I can say that with some authority. The reason? Anywhere that teachers are matter of factly included in events which also include multiple of ambassadors, government officials and even Miss Paraguay, the pool of individuals cannot be that large. This is exactly the kind of event I found myself at last Thursday. The first of October the South Korean embassy celebrated Foundation Day for South Korea (actually on the third, it commemorates the founding of the first state of the Korean nation). I went for the food, to be perfectly honest, but found myself intrigued by the people watching and the entertainment. In some ways I wish I had had a guide to point out who people were as I wandered about the back yard, past the pool and tennis court to the food tents which were by the waterwheel. The one person who was easily identified was Miss Paraguay, thanks to her crown and sash. After a bite to eat we were informed that the young girls would be performing a fan dance for us. These girls, who attend a Korean School on Saturday to ensure that they do not lose the Korean culture, were actually quite good. In their green and pink national costumes they turned, circled and waved through the dance. All in all an enjoyable evening for me which was nothing like I had ever expected to experience in Asuncion.

Jesuit ruins

2009-09-29T18:52:00.000-04:00

Take a bumpy bus ride into the farm country, passing “urban zone” signs where only one farmhouse and a field of cows is visible, and you will be on your way to the Jesuit Reductions of Trinidad and Jesus. These two UNESCO world heritage sites give a glimpse into the role the Jesuits played in introducing the region to Spanish rule and the Catholic Church. Located in the middle of farm country, the most you would say is that they are peaceful spots, the sort of place I would go to escape from the hustle of a city. But in their day they were home to over 6,000 Guarani, along with 3-4 priests. The settlements seem to take a standard format, even if the architecture of the two churches is different. There is, of course, a large church calling your attention as soon as you approach the site – you can never forget these were religious sites. But you will also find school rooms, artisan workshops and housing for those higher up in the local culture along with fields and irrigation. These were self sufficient communities which just happened to also send back a great amount of crafts and wealth to Spain.

The skill of the Guarani craftspeople is visible in the stone carvings which decorated the church, some now stacked on shelves at Trinidad, others still gracing the walls behind the altar a silent testimony to the musical ability of these people. The immenseness of the project to build the church becomes evident when you see the baptismal fount and pulpit carved out of enormous blocks of stone, and when the provisional church in and of itself impressive is pointed out as being built a just a temporary measure until the main church was finished. A tall tower served as a connection in between Trinidad and Jesus, allowing communication by mirror, bell and fire – even though Jesus is an unfinished mission. Begun as the Jesuits were losing favor and never finished due to the Jesuit withdrawal, today it sits in a peaceful spot off a dirt and cobblestone road. Rising out of the fields the church remains seem to make a statement about the strength of Catholicism in the country. With the half columns standing within the shell of the church it is clear that the time of glory for the Jesuits has passed in Paraguay, but there is also no denying the impact that was made on the country in both the religious and political arena.

Boogie Woogie

2009-09-21T19:37:00.000-04:00

One of the things I love about working at a school is that sometimes you get to see performances or hear speakers that are amazing, and that you wouldn't normally run into on your own. A few weeks we were told our schedules would be rearranged a bit because we were going to having a short concert and lecture about the boogie woogie genre of music. Turns out we were being given a lesson by one of the best boogie woogie piano players in the world - Axel Zwingenberger from Germany. All I can say is that his fingers flew over the keys! I had a difficult time staying still, and some of our students even got up to dance a bit. I'm still not sure what a boogie woogie player from Germany was going in Paraguay, but I'm glad he chose to stop in Asuncion and included the school among his stops. What a foot tapping, clapping good time. Enjoy a bit of it below:

In the paper

2009-09-10T20:27:00.001-04:00

I had to laugh a bit when shortly after I arrived at school on Monday someone excitedly came up to tell me that my picture was in the paper. What?!? Oh yeah, that’s right. When I was at the school “Extravaganza” a parent-alumni-teacher celebration a woman asked if she could take a picture of me and two of my friends and then had us write down our names. Turns out the newspapers in Asuncion still have a society page (or entire section) and we were at the front of it on Sunday. This will tell you a bit about the type of circle our parents are in. Especially when I tell you that they also appeared at our school picnic the week before (during which my roommate was also photographed and put in – she’s now been in the paper twice having been in Paraguay less than two months). The whole thing just seems a bit odd to me. It seems that we were the token foreigners to be included to give an idea of how “international” our school is. I can’t say I ever would have thought I’d be in the society pages, which just goes to show that you should never say never. At least I had a fairly enjoyable evening with a mini Chinese buffet and a DJ to dance to after 1 am. I’m beginning to think that I will never be able to predict what will come next.

Football fever

2009-09-06T18:49:00.000-04:00

“Are you going to watch the game, Ms?” was a question I heard several times this past week. Each time I had to stop and think a minute before I realized what my students were talking about was the match between Paraguay and Bolivia. The national team was playing as part of the World Cup qualifying and it has become clear to me that this country gets behind their team. As I was walking around today I noticed the red and white stripes of the Paraguayan national team jersey swaying on a line at almost every main intersection. “Buy here, support your team today,” they seemed to whisper to me. I walked into the grocery store only to notice that every single cashier was bedecked in red and white instead of their normal uniform polo. Out on the street cars flew past with small Paraguayan flags sticking up from a window. A few enthusiastic individuals had huge flags completely over their cars, making it seem as if they were just waiting for an excuse to use the cap to fly away. Even some of the guard stands were sporting the red, white and blue stripes of the Paraguayan flag. Clearly there is much love and pride for the football team here (and don’t even doubt for a moment that I’m speaking of what North Americans would call soccer). I had to laugh when an email went out on Friday saying that the school extravaganza that is going on tonight will be starting a bit earlier than planned so that you can come “watch the game on the big screen.” An acknowledgment that the only way to get people to a competing event is to draw them in with match. I’m still not sure if I’ll watch the game, although I have no doubt I’ll hear of the result soon enough. And I still don’t have my own red and white striped jersey. I have a feeling it is just a matter of time before I give in and buy one, around the same time I manage to score tickets to watch the team play (hopefully).

[I talked to a few people after the game, they were quick to inform me Paraguay won 1-0 but they were a bit disgusted that they could only win by one goal. At least it was a win!]

This is the southern hemisphere

2009-08-30T20:43:00.000-04:00

For the most part, I don’t really realize that I am in the southern hemisphere now. Sure, sure, I know that the water is suppose to swirl the other way when it goes down the drain, but honestly I can’t say I ever watch the water whirl down the toilet bowl. I did think that I might get to see some of the constellations I learned while living in Australia that aren’t visible from the northern hemisphere (the southern cross being the one I know I could pick out) only I don’t seem to the stars very much. I’m not sure if it is because there are too many lights in the city, because the stars aren’t visible or just because I’m not looking up at night. So it is kind of a relief to get the occasional reminder that this is below the equator. And that reminder has come out in full bloom this week. We are entering spring here in all the color and fragrance that means. If it weren’t for all the plants flowering I’d say we skipped right from winter to summer (it reached 91 degrees today, I’m not sure what that means for the summer to come). As it is I’m fully enjoying the trees covered in pink – the lapacho tree is the Paraguayan national tree, and after they burst into full bloom this week I can understand why. The walk to school has definitely gotten prettier, and I’m hoping all the flowers will stay around a bit longer to keep adding color to my day.

Welcome to Paraguay, have some hand sanitizer

2009-08-16T18:34:00.001-04:00

My first real introduction to the swine flu frenzy has been in Paraguay. Sure I’ve read about it other places, but this is the first country I’ve landed in which seems to have numerous cases and the paranoia that goes along with that. Arriving in Asuncion my director met me in the airport carrying a surgical mask while most of those around him were wearing one. It turns out that you couldn’t enter the airport without sporting a mask…just in case someone coming off a plane was contagious with the swine flu. On our first excursions around town the faculty liaison apologized for not putting any hand sanitizer into our welcome packages, explaining that the stores were completely out of it. Around the same time I found out that the Paraguayan national schools were delaying the start of school by two weeks for fear of too many students coming sick and passing on the illness. Not so our school. ASA started right on time, not that any of us were to worried. I was amused to have two boxes of Kleenex delivered to my room the day before classes started along with a jug of hand sanitizer, only to have a bottle three times as large delivered two days later (do they really think my students and I would use that much that quick?). Whatever. I’m willing to play the game, and have put it all out on my desk where my students have easy access to it throughout the day. Perhaps my biggest surprise in all of this was talking with my students the first day of school. I asked them to tell me a few interesting things about themselves, prompting them with “what did you do over the break?” if they got stuck for ideas. Several of them told me they “were in quarantine with their family because my sister/brother was sick.” While another shared that he had “had the swine flu, but don’t worry I’m over it and not contagious anymore.” Huh. I guess that should be enough to make it more real for me. At least it hasn’t turned out to be as fatal as health officials were initially expecting. Welcome to Paraguay, here is your mask and hand sanitizer.

The first day

2009-08-09T20:38:00.000-04:00

It might not be my first week in Paraguay, but the first week of classes seems like a much bigger step. All in all I have to say that my week went great, and I think I made a good choice coming here. I have just a few thoughts to share about the start to the school year. I am always interested in how the first day of school plays out in a new place. Ranking my four schools I have to say that this was the second most productive. In Guinea the first day was all about getting someone to scale the flagpole to run a string up it and having the students clean the classrooms. In Turkey we pretty much had an assembly and a picnic lunch before sending the kids home. In Paraguay the only difference from a normal school day came from the opening part. Apparently it is tradition in Paraguay, or at least at my school, for the seniors to party with the freshmen and stay up all night the night before school starts. In order to combat the problem of drunken students on campus the administration this year chose to send home all of the seniors after the opening assembly. An assembly which seemed to celebrate the installation of the class of 2010 as seniors. The theme this year was jailers and prisoners, with all of the seniors dressed up as the jailers and the freshmen dressed up as prisoners in black scrubs with 2013 on the back. I had to take attendance (without a roster) before anything began but as soon as my students heard some fireworks going off they started running out of the door and towards the gym. They didn’t want to miss the seniors coming. The entrance was…interesting. The 60 or so seniors piled in the back of a large truck (think more like a dump truck then a pickup truck), waving flags, blowing whistles and all in all making a ruckus. Parents line the sidewalk snapping pictures. The freshmen congregate on the sidewalk waiting for the seniors to disembark and chase them inside – a noisy and chaotic affair. I slowly made my way into the gym only to be surprised by the amount of noise 120 students can make (the sophomores and juniors are fairly quiet in this whole tradition). The seniors were making laps around the gym blowing on their whistles and popping balloons (activities which continued through most of the assembly) while the freshmen bounced in the stands screaming. Things calmed down a bit and the requisite speeches went on – the director, the principal, the senior class president, and a guest (a former teacher who had returned briefly) – then the seniors handed out a t-shirt to each of the teachers and we were off back to class. Time for me to get introduced to most of my students and give them an idea of my expectations. Now I need to get serious about learning the names of my 90 new students, never mind learning how to pronounce them correctly.

Out for a run

2009-08-02T20:00:00.000-04:00

I was pleased when I realized on the flight into Asuncion that there were some organized run in Asuncion, or one at least. Lucky for me the half marathon that took place today also had a 10k option. In an effort to keep myself running and exercising I signed up for it online two days after arriving in country…and so I ran today. Not that that tells the whole story. I must say that I should be used to things not going quite the way I expect them to when I first arrive in a new country (I’m not sure if things actually go the way I expect once I’ve been around longer or if I just change my expectations). I went to collect my number and chip on Friday evening only to find that they had no record of me in the system. That’s funny; the charge has cleared on my credit card so I know I registered. With a bit of help from a friend (my Spanish is still nonexistent) they sorted it out and re-registered me without making me pay. Sadly it meant that I didn’t get my name on my number which meant less cheers. Oh well.

This morning my friends picked me up on the side of the main road at 7am. I have to tell you that Asuncion is pretty much dead on a Sunday morning. In fact, it was still quiet when we had finished our race and tried to go find brunch around 10:30. I guess we started so early though so that they wouldn’t have to close off the streets when traffic was really around…especially as the race pretty much just went straight up one of the main thoroughfares and then turned around and went back down it. At one point I was bit nervous about the fact that I was running down the yellow strip in the middle of the road while cars were driving by on either side of me. Huh. Always a new experience when you run a race in a different country. Happily I finished without any incident, in a time I could be happy with, and pleased to have had a chance to look at some of the neat buildings that line many of the streets here. What a way to spend the morning.

Train to nowhere

2009-07-29T20:54:00.000-04:00

They call it the train to nowhere, although I’m not sure I’d agree. It actually goes from Asuncion to the lake town of Aregua. It is a bit odd to think that this is the national railroad of Paraguay, and that this is the only route it runs. Did I mention it only goes twice a month? If you choose to take this trip you will be riding on the only wood fed steam train still in operation today (if their claim is true). You’ll also get to ride in the original cars (thankfully with cushions added on to the wood seats)…or perhaps I should say mostly original. I know for sure that some of the windows have been replaced as a branch broke about 10 of them during our ride on Sunday. (Things never go quite as expected here.)

When we boarded the train on Sunday for our trip up to Aregua about all I knew was that we’d be going on a steam train, would get about 2 hours in the town and then would be headed back. There was so much that I just didn’t expect to be part of the experience, beyond even the window breaking and subsequent pause in the journey. It started out with some laughter as we noticed a “guard” dressed up complete with a painted on mustache. Continued with some small theater pieces given in the aisles of the cars. Confused by the appearance of joker, penguin and batman (I’m still not sure what they were doing on the train besides providing more entertainment). Surprised by the scene of people all along the tracks stopping outside to watch the train go by, wave and take photos (I’m convinced there were as many pictures taken by people watching the train pass as by those riding the train). Amused by the shock of seeing pigs in yards, my first pig sightings in three years (oh yes, that’s right, I have been in a Muslim country). Unclear as to the difference between a strawberry and frutilla when the frutilla looks just like what I’d call a strawberry (they say a strawberry is more purple…I’ll have to see for myself once the season comes). Entertained by some of the staff playing music on the way back down. Needless to say it was more that I had bargained for but a completely memorable and entertaining experience. It makes me wonder what else Paraguay has in store for me.

First impressions

2009-07-20T16:41:00.000-04:00

It is hard to believe that I’ve already been in Paraguay for five days. It doesn’t seem as if Asuncion is all that different from things that I have experienced before. I’m not sure if this is a result of having now moved around more than the last time I picked up and changed countries, if it is because I didn’t actually make it back to the US this time before leaving again, or because I really knew so little before arriving. While there have been instances when I’ve had to pause and think to myself “oh yes, you are living in a new country” such as when we passed a man juggling fire in the middle of a street one evening, I also feel as if things are a bit more familiar. Although in the past few days it has really hit home to me that I need to learn yet another new language. Until I get a handle on Spanish I will not feel self sufficient here. Most of what I have been exposed to is my new school. The American School of Asuncion has a nice campus just off of one of the busier roads in the affluent part of the city. What I do like is that it is a campus set up around green space. Students will be walking outside to get from class to class, and they are free to make use of the grassy areas as they wish (or so I’ve been told). It is clear that the school is smaller than the one I just left…there are probably fewer classrooms for K-12 here than there were for the high school in Istanbul. This just gives me hope that I really will know all of the students better, even if I don’t teach them. Sadly I’m still in a hotel, but there is hope that we might get to move into our house tomorrow (more on that later). I’m excited to see what this country holds in store for me, I have no doubt it will be another great adventure which I’ll be happy to share with you.

Another query

2009-04-28T14:34:00.000-04:00

Much of what I learn about Paraguay comes from questions that people ask me which I can not answer at the time. Today at lunch one of the other teachers asked me where exactly Paraguay was. He didn't want to know what countries bordered it (Brazil, Argentina, Bolivia)he wanted to know where it was in terms of latitude. Frankly telling him an inch and a half below the equator didn't seem like it was going to cut it. So tonight I looked it up, the capital Asuncion is around 25 degrees South. The Tropic of Capricorn (23.5 degrees South) also passes through it. To put it a bit more into perspective I had to look at what other countries contain the Tropic of Capricorn. The answer is Chile, (the northern tip of) Argentina, Brazil, Namibia, Botswana, Mozambique, Madagascar, and Australia.

Map from www.mapsofworld.com

Figuring things out

2009-03-15T13:59:00.000-04:00

I won't be moving to Asuncion for another 4 months, and yet I feel as if I've been inundated with e-mails and information from the school non-stop in the past week or so. It is so odd to realize that things are really getting sorted out. My main accomplishment, if you can call it that, is that as of this weekend I now have my housing situation for next year sorted out. Along with two other new teachers I will be taking over a house that several teachers are moving out of. It is more than a bit odd to think that I now have a house I've never seen, with two roommates I've never met. But despite that all there is a big sense of relief to know that I will have someplace to go to when I arrive in Paraguay in mid-July. The house seems nice enough from the pictures, as you can see.

Paraguayan flag

2009-02-19T15:07:00.001-03:00

Last night someone asked me what the Paraguayan flag looked like. I had to admit that I didn't have any clue! Of course when I thought about I realized that very seldom do I know what a country's flag looks like before I ever arrive. But in the name of becoming better informed (which really means adding any little piece of information to my admittedly meager knowledge) I went to look it up. Turns out it is this:

And is one of the few countries which has a different seal on the front and back of their flag. In Paraguay's case the seal of the country and the seal of the treasury. I was kind of bummed that they weren't still using one of their provisional flags which I think is so much more unique and recognizable. Oh well.

A new destination

2009-02-19T15:06:00.000-03:00

Come July I'll be moving to Asuncion, Paraguay to start a two year teaching contract at the American School of Asuncion. I have to admit I'm a bit overwhelmed by the way things are working out (especially the way my timing will go this July) and am curious as to what I have really gotten myself into (again). I'm not sure I can even explain how little I knew about Paraguay when I accepted my job (ummm...it's in South America, they speak Spanish...that about sums it up). Thankfully since then I have learned a bit more, and found a few things to be excited about.

(1) Paraguay is one of only two landlocked countries in South America (Bolivia is the other one). It is bordered by Brazil, Argentina and Bolivia.
(2) The population of the country is less than that of Istanbul, about 6.8 million. The population of Asuncion is roughly 1.2 million. I did say I wanted something smaller.
(3) I'm moving back to a land of mangoes and papayas. Yum!
(4) Paraguay is the third largest exporter of soybeans in the world. Huh. Who knew?
(5) The majority of the population is bilingual speaking Spanish and Guarani. (I think I'll focus on learning Spanish.)
(6) There are only about 20 books printed in English about Paraguay. (I guess that's more than enough, just doesn't seem like that many...)

It should be an adventure!