Updates!

Nov 6, 2011 

Imagine every little move you make or don't is talked about. Imagine how little or how hard you work people  talk about it. Imagine no matter how much you actually integrate you will always be the stranger. welcome to my life! 

It's great when people are calling me guapa. But when they aren't saying anything to me they are saying things to my neighbors. If any of my family or close friends are reading this in the USA, you know I like to fly under the radar. I like to be friends with EVERYONE and I like to work hard. Problem I am currently facing is that because I have two communities when I am in one the other is jealous and vice versa. My community that I live in has recently called me lazy for not sweeping my dirt. Here in Paraguay it is normal to sweep the leaves and dirt so it's neat. But if I was to do that I'd not only go crazy with my OCD but I'd be in my house ALL day! I understand the senoras but my job here is not to be in my house ALL day but visit people, school and do work outside of my house. 

Imagine everything breaking. From my beloved iPod to fridge. My iPod is a lost cause since I've had in for 4yrs and it's had a great run with me. So RIP LIL pinky. Haha Anyways.... When something breaks out here it is very interesting how to go about fixing it. Never in my life have I had a pair of shoes break. After thinking about this it's probably because I own 10+ pairs and never wear the same pair twice in a row. Therefore they never have the chance to wear down. Unlike here were I only brought one pair of casual shoes that I wear EVERYDAY!.... So today I went into my ghost town of a pueblo. I asked two people where the Shoe fixing store was. They both said "two blocks behind the school, on the corner, the house with the "nice" garden". By now living in this country I know that those directions are amazing! When I first got to this country and someone would give me directions like that I would stare at them like I needed an actual address a number or something. Now those are the types of directions I give. When someone asks where I live or how to get to my house from the ruta my directions go something like this.. " after the futbol field when the hill on your left slopes all the way down... There will be a casita on your right then on your left. Get off and walk until the dirt road ends then on your left will be my house it's white" (so are the others) HAHA! So the total to fix my original $70 pair of pumas is a womping $1.15 dollars. tomorrow the guy who is going to fix my fridge is coming by. I will take my bike to the moto store for a new tire. Whatever happened to going to "Helen's bike store??" or calling sears to fix my fridge! I thought it was crazy to have a local plumber come out in Flagstaff, like a family owned business. Now what's a plumber? I use a latrine and I pay my electrician in banana bread that his children love! So lessons learned... When something breaks either I must fix it or pay someone almost nothing to fix it but after i find their lindo garden and direct them to  my not so lindo garden. 

I'm completely use to my life here now. Yes I miss my life in the UsA which includes my family and friends.I promise If you were to live a day out here and see how amazing the people and life is you would agree with me that it's manageable. I am never clean though... so thank goodness none of you have to witness me here! 

Until next time...


Nov 13, 2011

Happy Birthday Dad! Since I can't be in the USA celebrating my dads big 60th, I thought the 2nd best was to celebrate with a clone of my dad. Just happens that I've found my dads clone in Paraguay. His name happens to be Jorge as well. It's my Host Dad from the first three months I lived here in PY. He kind of looks like my dad in the USA, loves joking around, drinking and his fav food is fish. Not to mention both Jorges are hard working and family men. I Can't wait till the two of them will will meet. A Sunday with both Jorges' is no doubt going to be a great time. 

So as it pours rain here in my training community. It's my dads 60th and I'm celebrating drinking wine and had a great lunch of Fish, rice and mandioca. 

I love my family in the USA! Mexico and England! But to be lucky enough to have host families in Paraguay that remind me of my family back at home is the BEST! Sundays here in Guazu Cora are amazing weather its raining or sunny the Garcia family makes it enjoyable. To be away from my real family is always hard but has been made easier by having my host family.