The temperatures of Paraguay

Last week was one of the coldest weeks Paraguay has ever seen. For 2 nights it got below freezing and there was frost. For all you North American’s this is nothing but this almost never ever happens here and it was cold. Normally I wouldn’t do much when its cold, stay bundled in my bed and drink hot tea but last week was my friend Alex’s birthday and I traveled to her site to celebrate. We had a great time, a cold time but a great time. She just moved into her house and it was nice to see where she will be living for 2 years and how beautiful her site it, I fell in love! She lives in the Paraguayi department of Paraguay and it is filled with mountains and rolling hills. We had fun exploring. Here are a few pictures from the trip. Notice how bundled we are, and I promise you I was still shaking a little from the chill. But no matter the temperature we had a good time celebrating and eating a homemade chocolate peanut-butter cake! It amazing me how out of my element I find myself here somedays and then to be more amazed at how adaptable I can be. Because I promise you in america I would have been crying! 

After visiting her site I spent some time in my house then left again for my groups 3 month re-connect training. Before going into training we all met up in Asuncion for a night and hung out. I had to share this because to explain to you the climate in Paraguay you need to see this picture. From the same week I was bundled in 5 layers last night in Asuncion I was sweating in my skirt, sandals and tank-top.... its just shocking. It reminds me when I was in college and we had a snow storm over spring break! 

Now I am at my first host families house in the first place I lived at when I came to Paraguay and I could not be more happy. This family is truly amazing and I love them and my heart is so full when I am here. I will be here for the next week have more language class and technical training and then traveling back..but not before celebrating friendship day with a cookout and then my host mothers 50th birthday....paraguayan style! I can’t wait! Also I might even come out of this week with a precious little puppy, Vamos a ver ( we will see) 

The unexpected the beautiful

My days in Paraguay are unexpected... when ever I think I have the perfect plan for my day and I let the american planner in me take control the unexpected will still happen, every time. Something I was warned about but still find my self learning, daily. Its a good time, I like the unexpected its means there is always something happening. Before Paraguay I was fearful of the unexpected and was content with the confined daily plan of my routine-we will call that life pre peace corps... but now I wake up in the morning seeking the unexpected activities the day holds and I LOVE it. 

So yesterday I had a perfectly planned day. I woke up drank my coffee (starbucks via my amazing family gracias again!) read, watered my plants, made my smoothie and planned my day. I went into my community and invited 6 little girls over to my house for an afternoon of coloring, baking, hula hooping and doing all those things little girls like to do. Like questioning me of why I have so many headbands and realizing it is actually ridiculous that I have 15 headbands, like for real? I don’t even wear half of them... but anyways I went along with my planned day. Then afterwards I was going to Romina’s house to paint our nails and drink mate ( hot tea). A pretty average day for my Paraguayan life. 

Then the little unexpected details of life happened, as I was walking back from my house after walking the girls home I ran into a group of ladies- 2 moms each with their 3 daughters. They were collecting plastic bottles to recycle and exchange for money. As soon as I said hello I knew there was a new friendship formed... I invited them into my house to get my plastic bottles but so much more happened. We all sat down in my little patio chatted, shared stories, laughed, hula hooped and talked like we were old friends. During that visit I thought 2 things- 

1. This is how it is supposed to be, fluently conversing in the local language naturally and I’m doing it, I’m really doing it. They understand me and I understand them- AWESOME. 

     2. I love these people and I have literally known them for 5 minutes, is this real life?

The next morning ( today) they came by my house before I was even out of my pajamas, but in Paraguay pajamas can also be considered regular clothes so in the end that detail didn’t matter. (but still funny) Anyways they invited me to their house. So I went in my pajamas, walking hand in hand with my new friends that instantly felt like family. I spent 6 hours in their house today. 

We talked, exchange stories and recipes, looked a pictures, sat in their beds and played with their toys, chopped vegetables, ate lunch ( 2 lunches actually because both families wanted me to try their food) painted our nails, played with my hair , they taught me new words in guarani and I taught them words in english and much more. As I sat in their home with the sun to my face and my new family surrounding me I thought a few more things-

1. My life is full right now and I am more in love with my life here, right now then I have even been with anything in my whole life.
2. These are the nicest people I have ever met and I don’t even know their last name or for some their first names.
3. I am lucky and blessed and there really is a bigger plan set before me and although its unclear and unexpected, I can’t wait to see what that is! 

So that was today and I will be going back tomorrow. New friends are my favorite. I  love the potential of what I can teach them but even more what I will learn from them... its a good life down here and I have a good feeling about these next 21 months. I would recommend anyone to come check it out, its only been six months and my life is forever changed, I imagine yours would be too! 

Then the unexpected happened again... I found little honeysuckles budding in my yard and my heart leaped. Honeysuckles remind me of being young and free and that is what I feel like here as well... and they smell just as good as they taste! Oh heavens! 

my beautiful honeysuckles!

Buen Dia ( Good Morning)

This is a quick post but I had to share. I woke up with a nasty cold this morning and wanted to stay in bed all day. You know close my curtains lock my door and hide in my bed still I could breathe out of my nose. But when I walked outside and saw my view, I knew it was going to be a good day. So I had to share this image with you... this is basically my front yard and this morning it was better then ever! 

I made some tea, went on a walk then horse cart ride with some kids in the neighborhood. Then these 2 ninas ( little girls) game back to my house and we colored and laid in my hammock! I am thankful this view got me out of bed this morning. I hope you all had a wonderful day as well. 

Here's to America!

I love pictures, did you know that? This past weekend was a long one, but it was so fun! I celebrated the Land of the Free better known as 4th of July with lots of volunteers. The weekend started on Wednesday when I had a bunch of my friends over to my house to begin the festivities  I figured since I love pictures so much and who doesn't enjoy passing the time looking a photos I would do a photo post... so here is a little photo outline of my weekend. Enjoy!

For dinner Wednesday we tried to get as american as we could, blackbean burgers, sweet potato fries and all the best helpings! I also got fancy and made homemade honey mustard, probably the easiest condiment to make.. just mix honey and mustard! 

All the ladies in front of my house Thursday morning. It was so nice having them over, we all agreed we felt the most normal we have in paraguay or at like most like americans doing american things... it was like college waking up in  your apartment with all you girlfriends! I hope we can do this again! There is just something about sharing a cup of coffee friends that I will always enjoy! 

Carlo, Andrea, Alex and Alba enjoying the delicious food! Its a very unique site when you get volunteers  together for a good meal, its like we've been starving for months and have eaten nothing but bread and mandoica. Its a special occasion! 

Then I made these beautiful and delicious cinnamon buns for 4th of July, completely from scratch complete with cream cheese frosting.... my life is forever changed!  

This is the U.S Embassy and it is beautiful! The ambassador hosting a 4th of July party complete with hamburgers, hotdogs, tug a war contest, egg toss, homemade deserts and that great American Pride! A lot of volunteers went and we all had a great time... it wasn't America but it sure was close! 

Megan, Alex and myself with the lovely free leis we were given at the party! 

A bunch of the other volunteers from the other Health sector  ( my sister group) at one of the bars downtown. Every 3 months Peace Corps puts on a concert called Ahendu (which means I hear in Guarani) this was a photo taken at Ahendu this past weekend! 

My whole group! This was the first time since training we are all together again, and we had a great time! I really do love all my new friends! 

Over all it was an awesome week/ mini vacation! Now I am back in site meeting families, working on my garden, perfecting my bread recipe, studying spanish and guarani and enjoying my 5th month in Paraguay! 

Sexual Health Workshop and Donations!

I have become good friends with another health volunteer here in Paraguay and her name is Spencer. During training I spent a week at here site and since swearing in as a volunteer I talk to her often and hang out when we get a chance. She is working on a project proposal that I would like to share with my readers! 

Spencer has recently designed a proposal for a sexual health workshop for the youth of paraguay. She is trying to raise funds for a 3 day, 2 night workshop where youth can come and learn about sexual education and receive training to be future leaders. There is little to no sex education for the youth here and we see many problems as a result. If you are interested in reading more about this workshop and would like to donate please click here. There are many projects going on with the volunteers here in Paraguay and it is a neat opportunity to be able to partner with people from back a home while doing so. 

These workshops are happening all around and it is possible that one day I might be doing one in my community to which- I will use Spencer’s as a resource. It would be really awesome to see this happen for Spencer and her youth, I hope you will consider donating! She has already raised half of her funds but still has more to go. With your help I know we can get her to her goal. 

Spencer also has a blog that I followed before coming to Paraguay and still follow now called Peace.Paz.Paix. Feel free to check that out as well! Happy Donating!  

This was a picture taken when I went and visited Spencer at her site for a week, she is in the middle with the black skirt. 

San Juan

Its officially winter here and the last 2 weeks were full of grey skies, dirty laundry and many days spent confined in my little casa. It wasn’t so bad, I did a lot of thinking. Something I heard from other volunteers is a favorite past time and I now agree. I am getting really good at sitting and thinking about life, my past, my present and my future. They are right when they say Peace Corps isn’t for everyone. I don’t know to many people that could find enjoyment out of sitting, reading and thinking for a days length. To be quiet honest I was never a sitter, I was always a doing, I enjoy being around people and having non stop activities.... that lifestyle has changed since arriving. Don’t worry I am still up for a night out and time with friends ( actually I am having 4 over tonight) but I now enjoy the stillness of my front porch as I ponder my presence here, the actions of my past and the dreams of my future! If you need to check out form you busy lives up North, please come on down we can have days filled with....nothing!! pure bliss : ) 

The sun did finally come out and I got to leave my house for some festivals! June is the month of celebration for the patron saint San Juan. Every school, community and city has their own San Juan festival, I was invited to 3 in my town. It is a time where all the kids prepare dances, there is usually a band, games are played while kids where fun homemade mask, money and candy are put in trees and people have to climb the trees to get the goodies and food, oh the food. Paraguayans love their comida tipica ( typical food) and thats really what San Juan is about. I got to help with the preparing of the food at my school last week. I arrived at the school at 8am and didn’t leave till 8pm, longest day ever. 

It first started with the cooking of the meat, peppers, onions and mandioca in these huge pots like the one from Hokus Pokus... right over the fire. Its pretty amazing how much cooking is done over the fire here. Once the meat was ready we put it through a hand grinder to my ground meat for the empanadas, along with the veggies. Then we did the same thing with the mandioca to make the empanada dough. I then spent the next 4 hours making empanadas, well learning. It took me about an hour to perfect the empanada. I was with a bunch of the mothers and teachers and they had a fun time teaching the americana how to make mandioca empanadas. For the record mandioca is the most common “veggie” here. It is exactly like a potato but with less flavor. They eat it at every meal with every type of food. I like it best fried, naturally. We made over 600 empanadas and fried every single one over the fire. Then we make mbeju, my favorite paraguay food, it is like our pancake but with cheese and a bit more crumbly. We made about 400 of those with 3 skillets over the same fire. Then we cooked sausage and sold that with mandioca and we had soda. I helped sell the food and we sold every last bit, it was amazing! I felt like a little grease ball once the day was over, in much need of a shower!  

It was a neat experience and I got to meet a lot of new people and try different things. I plan on making mbeju for the family when I am home for Christmas! GET PUMPED, but i promise it will never replace the monkey bread, which is on special request :) 

Everything else is going good, getting ready to begin the celebrations for the 4th of July.. yes we are celebrating! In fact the U.S Embassy is having a cookout on Saturday. So a bunch of volunteers are going in this weekend to celebrate. I have friends coming in early and staying with me tonight and tomorrow, I am very excited! I have been doing lots of little projects around the house and will blog about those soon. I wish all of you a safe, happy and VERY American 4th  of July!! 

Lots of smiles from Paraguay, 

Roniann, Roni, Rona, Romy, Rani, Ron-ya and any other name that starts with an “R” that the Paraguay's think is my name, bless their hearts! 

Just a few of the 600 empanadas that we made! 

Mbeju

Some of the crowd a the school during the festival

Mandioca 

Some kids on the horse cart over the weekend... i successfully did not get bite by the horse! 

A birthday party I went to last week... hanging out the the Paraguayans! 

This precious puppy we found but gave away because no one could keep it. I found a new amount of self control, because dammit I wanted that puppy!