Running Water? Who Needs It!

Post 3 of 3.

At the end of March, certain circumstances led me to quickly move into a new house around the corner from my old house/second host family's house.  Though the move was sudden, I had the help and welcome of a veritable army of women and children who were to be my new neighbors.

They surprised me with a sign welcoming me into my new home :)

The majority of my things, moved into the main room of my new house--being watched over by Leti, the cheerful younger daughter of my new landlord.

Some of my new neighbors! Brayan, Sebastiana, Olga, and Romina taking a break after helping with the move.



Impromptu outdoor game of ping pong.  Why not?





The view of my new house from just outside the gate/barbed wire fence. Espectacular.





My house doesn't have running water, but this is the drop toilet out back, and the path through some citrus trees that leads to my landlord's house.  I go there just about every morning to drink mate with Olga and her daughters.




Out back!  Soon to be my garden, but you can see here an old tatakuaa that my pets like to use as a fort, and the palm-type tree straight ahead is a jata'i --as in Jataity




One side of our little road has about 7 houses on it, and across the way there are large marshy fields that are constantly full of grazing cows.  I've got to remember to keep my gate shut, or they like to wander into my yard!  Fulana is tied to the mango tree for the moment, so she'll stay out of trouble for a little while...




My pozo (well)!  The water is too dirty to drink, but I can use it to wash dishes, clothes, etc.  Soon I'll have someone empty out the water and clean it a bit inside so I no longer have to lug drinking/cooking water from a neighbor's house evey day.




Another shot of the fields across the way, and a glimpse of Sebastiana, Romina, and Brayan's house next door.






Che fulanokuera! Look how big they've gotten!!




Fulano, not happy at being disturbed from his slumber.



Fulana, probably hoping she'll get some more food.  I swear this dog will soon be eating my entire monthly allowance...and still only 4 months old!

So I'm not sure exactly what order you'll be reading these posts in but...

And so I have begun my first months in site.  The adjustment hasn't always been easy, but I've had a great support network back home, as well as in country.  My sector's staff, the other volunteers in my G and VAC, and the Paraguayans I've met in my community have all been amazing.  Although there are still some bits of Paraguayan culture that irk me (you're going to blast polka music in the middle of the night, really?), mostly I love it (yesss, I'm freezing--I would love some maté!).

I've also finally started to get into a routine, including both visiting friends and working.  I've got some regular mate and terere visits, I see quite a few people when I'm walking my dog and running, and I've begun working "regularly" in the school, with some garden committees, with some families, and even in a weekly radio program broadcasted to the entire Pilar district of Neembucu (eep!)...and so I'm starting to feel a lot more comfortable here at "home."  

I hope you enjoy these three posts!  I do apologize for not posting sooner, however, as I have heard other volunteers put it--the days pass slowly, but the weeks pass quickly.  For the longest time, my main "job" in site was just meeting people: visiting random houses, drinking terere, name-dropping the environment whenever I could.  It never felt like there was much to write about.  And now here I am, suddenly, almost 5 months in site, and I look back and I actually Have done things! Not only that, but I actually enjoy visiting my neighbors and chatting...it's no longer "work" in my day, but the break from work.  I can't say that Guarani isn't still a struggle (both actually speaking it...and forcing myself To speak it...everything’s so much easier in Spanish!), but things are a-changin'.  I like visiting with volunteer friends in Asuncion (we just had a week-long mini training, called Reconnect, which was great...) but I was glad to get back to site afterwards; to hang out with my pets and my neighbors, and start implementing the new things I'd learned (grafting!!).  This past weekend, a new group of trainees also swore in as Rural Health volunteers, meaning I am no longer of the newest newbie group of volunteers!  Haha, but boy, do I still feel like a newbie…

Over the next few months, more of my projects should be picking up, so I'll have more to write about.  I’ve added some new links on the right-hand side of this page, as well, for those of you who’d like to do a little extra credit.  Also, for those of you who don't know yet, I will be visiting the Chicago area for two days in early June, and I'll be in Florida for about a week after that.  I'm not sure exactly what my plans will be yet, so contact me if you're interested in hanging out.  And I've loved all the letters and packages I've received so far--thank you so much!! (My address is on the second tab of this blog, for those who didn't know.)  Hope to hear from you all in comments, facebook, gchat, and snailmail!  Thanks for all your support, and for kicking my butt (or “poking” me, as the case may be ;) ) until I got these posts up :)

(Oh and PS, I really appreciate all your interest in what I’m doing…but I want to know what’s going on with YOU too!  I’m starved for news from the outside world.  It may feel like same-old-same-old to you—but I want to hear about it! I miss you. Yes, you. That is all.)

Dale. Daledale. Dale dale. Daledaledale...daledale. Dale, Chau!