Machucando el Primero Semana ::: Crushing the First Week

Day 1.

As we exit the airport I recognize a familiar smell. South America. My heart feels nostalgic for my family in Peru and Argentina, and longs for all of the things I want to take away from this experience. We exited the airport and loaded ourselves onto a large bus. I enjoyed watching Jason look out the window for for the entire 1.5-hour ride from Asuncion to Guarambare; his eyes constantly moving and head turning as items of interest zoomed by. We piled into the main room of the "Cuerpo de Paz" building and were greeted by Peace Corps staff singing local songs.

After a day of paperwork and chatting with new friends I met my Guarambare family. Jason and I have special circumstances because we are married. Whereas everyone else was escorted to their new host town to meet their families, Jason and I were driven one-mile down the road. When we pulled up to the house many members where already sitting on the front stoop enjoying the tranquilo lifestyle. Mi mama greeted us with the typical warmth of South America that I strive to emulate. After exchanging two kisses with her (one on each cheek) and giving mi papa a firm handshake (as I was trained to do) I found myself passing through the dark storefront and fairly long house. We passed an outdoor kitchen and fiound ourselves at the back of the property. We've arrived at our new dwellings. A simple white door opens to a small doorway that peeks into the bathroom. To the left a red room calls our name.

I could never have imagined that within one day I would gain a new mama and papa, ten siblings, and 15 nieces and nephews. It was a great start to this journey.

Day 5.

“The time is 5:00. It is time to wake up,” I hear mid-dream. My phone is talking to me and I'm not ready to listen. I snooze for about twenty-minutes more before I force myself to get out of bed. At this point I'm wearing my wool socks, two pant layers, a t-shirt, and a sweater. The unseasonably cold temperatures the night before seem to have gotten the best of me. But regardless of the amount of sleep, I must get up. I've promised mi mama that both Jason and I will drink mate with her this morning. We arrive for our desayuno (breakfast) but there is no mate. Her son has stolen her guampa, so instead we found ourselves drinking cafe con leche and eating pan con dulce and conchitos (little balls of hard-bread/crackerish deliciousness.)

“Suerte!” my mom shouts as we begin our morning journey. I walk away proud in the brisk air, grasping my bagged lunch in one hand and passing the neighborhood children on their way to school. Today, we are all students in Guarambare.

Fast-forward to 9:00am. They have bussed two groups from los companaros, including my own. This is our first full day at office and my stomach has began to turn. I can feel my rumin turning cud; something is wrong. I already want mi mama to make me mate with yuyus (Guarnini for medicinal herbs).

After the long day we walk the mile route back to our home, stopping at the ferreteria to exchange a piece Jason purchased the morning before. I can hear the mechanisms in my stomach and I imagine them to look like a cotton-candy machine, the contents of which are not as pleasant. “Que tal mama?! Mi estocimago no siente bien.” She transcends the boundaries of physics and reads my mind. “Si. Mate con anise, burrito, y mansanilla.” What an amazing women. She gives me mi thermo and mate and sends me to rest. An hour later I find myself back in her presence and it is time for dinner. Tonight I only eat yuca and eggs because of my stomach, while Jason eats yuca and eggs, pasta, and Jorapa. Jorapa, a soup of beans, rice, and vegetables, marks October 1^st, a time of food scarcity for the people of the country. This is an important day. My mom tells me to walk back and forth on our block to settle my stomach. I do as I am told. “Adio!” Jason and I shout as we walk by our family, while they watch us on the front stoop. We all laugh.

I've enjoyed my experience so far in Paraguay. I cannot say that I've met everyday with great alacrity; I have already found myself to ebb and flow between happiness and loneliness and apprehension and contentment, all in the same day, sometimes within an hour or two. Small breakfasts start my morning, awkward social situations fill my day, and cold showers close the night. Yes, we do not have hot water and it is not pleasant. Talking myself into showering, turning on the cold water, soaping up my loofah and then my body, splashing my self off, and washing my hair last has become my routine. Regardless of the unpleasantness, we have our own little coach house and we are fed delicious meals each day, so I have little to complain about. Jason and I have somehow acquired the identity of the married couple within our group of 47 Peace Corps trainees. Clearly, we are the only ones within G43 (our cohort name) to be married. Although it does not comprise our whole identity in PY, I sense that I am different. Day 5. It's hard to believe that I've been here for such a short period of time. I already feel so close to my Paraguyan host family and settled into our home. A miniscule amount of Guarani has already entered my vocabulary, which is a noteworthy feat considering native language classes have yet to begin. Still to remain: ag-tech training classes and making friends.

A view of the local procession in commemoration of the Triple-Alliance War and Santa Miguel. You can see young boys dressed in green uniforms, to represent all of the men that had died during the war. Our family also passed out water and food to symbol the thirst and starvation the soldiers endured. 

My amazing mama and one of my brothers. 

A cute photo of our three-year-old nephew.

Jason showing our little nephew how to make origami birds.

Jason and our Papa Nestor. 

Jason in our new bedroom. Although our bed is made only of foam, I've found it to be surprising comfortable.

 Here's a picture of our bathroom. Notice that the water tank is above the toilet and that there is no electric water heater on the shower (which means only cold showers). 

P.S. It's taken me 3+ hours just to **post** this blog. I suspect that I am not going to post very often.