Radio Show, House Visits, SVAC and Sopa Paraguaya

A lot has been happening this week and I am tired. So I am taking this morning to enjoy a hand brewed cup of coffee my sweet sister sent me and its a black cup of coffee kind of morning. Also I am enjoying what's left of the crisp air down here as we welcome spring this Saturday...hello primavera. Also it is a very special birthday on Saturday my lovely mothers 35th Birthday! More on that later! So here's what I've been up to in Paraguay-

Monday I had my first radio show...and it was a success. I struggled with a few words because who isn't a little nervous speaking a whole new language while it is broadcasted to hundreds of people? I was lucky to have a nurse with me that enjoyed my effort and we were able to laugh and joke about my mishaps. Also you know you have accomplished something when you can joke in your second language or third! We discussed how to have a safe and healthy pregnancy and what mothers can do for their babies during those 9 months. There is little education here for future mothers and this is a topic I plan do teach a lot on in the next 2 years. The show was about an hour long and we played music between takes. It was no Teen Talk, haha it was a bit more mature. But I do have to say there is less pressure with the radio, you can almost pretend its not real...but then when you get home and your neighbors comment on your program and your voice you jump back into the reality of it all!

Tuesday I went on house visits with the same nurses. I have a very active Health Post and because of that there is always something to do. We serve a very large community and there are constantly things to be done. On Tuesday we set out to take a census of a new part of the community and give a few vaccines. We walked all around -house to house. We took a census of the people living in each house, their health conditions, living conditions, martial status and job status. Then we gave vaccines to babies, well I didn't actually give the vaccine just helped. It was special. I enjoy the house visits, I meet new families and get to meet them where they are at. They don't feel threatened and I am not as intimidated. I am going to try and continue these house visits and helping out with my Health post as much as I can. Bright things for the future here!

Wednesday I made a famous Paraguayan food known as Sopa Paraguaya it's basically a corn bread but with cheese and onions and surprisingly delicious. Every house wife here claims there sopa is the best and whenever they make it they invite me to indulge. It is easy to eat half a pan of this and not feel bad about it. So I decided it was time to master a Paraguayan dish because I plan on making it when I am home for Christmas, gotta start some where! It was a success and I gotta say it was delicious. I shared it with my neighbors and they agreed we called it the Sopa Paraguaya de la Americana. This dish is a signature for Paraguay and is found at every big event and made almost every Sunday. To make this dish you will need-
Milk
Eggs
Corn flower
Paraguayan Cheese
Onions
Salt
Oil
I didn't put measurements because honestly I don't use them anymore, yes that sounds crazy! But I have learned to just guess and it always works out! If you would like to try this I will be making lots of it when I am home in December!

Finally, I have joined the Serving Volunteer Advisor Committee or SVAC. This is a committee made up of Peace Corps Volunteers from around the world. I am currently the Senior Advisor for Mentoring and will be helping with mentoring projects between different post. Here is a brief description of SVAC found on their website-

"The purpose of the NPCA Serving Volunteer Advisory Council (SVAC) is to create a regular two-way channel of communication between serving Peace Corps Volunteers and the NPCA, the nonprofit organization that connects the Peace Corps community at home and abroad.  SVAC’s job is to informally advise the President of the National Peace Corps Association on issues related to serving Peace Corps Volunteers who are currently in the field"

If you would like to learn more about what I will be doing you can check out the mentoring page here. I am very excited about this opportunity and will keep you updated on the projects I will be doing.  

Thats all for now, thanks for keeping up with me and reading about my endeavors. It means a lot to have people supporting me! This weekend I am going to a garden workshop and taking some time away from my site, it will be nice to change things up a bit and see some different parts of Paraguay! Ya'll take care and be well, thinking of you always.