Ch-ch-ch-changes

Blancita's family planting their new tree

 After 8 months in site, I thought it was a good time to reflect on some of the changes we've experienced since we first arrived. Here are a few that come to mind....

* When we do our laundry, our neighbors no longer stare when they see Mark doing, “women’s work.” Also, I don’t get scabs on my knuckles from scrubbing anymore! 

From the wash buckets to the barbed wire fence to dry

* I am no longer afraid of getting shocked by our shower head. Our hot water is heated at the source, and electrical wires run right into the shower head. Mark has said that he touched it and didn’t get shocked. I’m content to keep my hands far away from the place where water and electricity mix!  

Would YOU touch this thing???

* Though far from being fluent, my language skills are improving, gone are the days of memorizing a phrase at a time, and trying to create a dialogue in my head before approaching someone. I even find myself “getting” the jokes and telling a few of my own. Though, I do have to admit, in the English class that I’m teaching I had my students roaring with laughter. Instead of saying that in the Fall, the leaves, (hojas), fell from the trees, I said eyes, (ojos), fell from the trees. Oops! 

 * I no longer reach for the flusher, only to find it’s not there. I instead grab the string and pull. And, not to get too graphic, but the toilet paper now always makes it’s way into the wastebasket instead of mistakenly dropped in the toilet.

 * We built a “lombricera” for our worms, so they have moved from a fruit crate in our kitchen to a more spacious brick house, outside. Many Paraguayans are terrified of the worms, but are really curious about our great veggies yields. Worm castings make amazing fertilizer!

My first masonry project- lombricera made of bricks and mud

* I never thought I’d see the day, but I can now officially say I like mondongo, (cow stomach), and batibarillo, (random chopped internal organs in a rich brown gravy). I prefer my cow stomach coated and fried in pig grease, (milanesa).

* We no longer dread trying to maneuver the public transit system in Asuncion. When we first used the buses in Asuncion, we once ended up at the dump, another time at the end of the bus line, in the middle of nowhere!  We now know the collectivo numbers that can get us to most parts of the city.

Mark's prized cauliflower

* We now spend more time eating and sharing vegetables from our garden, than we do working in our garden. Our neighbor always seems to return the favor by turning the fresh veggies into something fried called a tortilla, (a mixture of flour, egg, salt, cheese, and vegetables, dropped by the spoonful into hot oil to fry until crispy). I think it is our way of meeting in the middle- they’ll eat the veggies if we prepare them their way. I reciprocate by eating the tortillas, which, I have to admit, are delicious!  

Fresh veggies from our garden that escaped the tortilla!

* Many of the people who I used to say hello to in the streets and then walk quickly by, have become friends. I find myself going out to run an errand, only to stop and drink terrere with someone and catch up on the latest, or discuss the possibility of a garden, planting trees, or the best time to plant mandioca, (during the new moon of course!).  

Ramona's whole family pose with their newly planted tree

  * We're in the planning stages, working with the school Principals and   Comisiones de Padres to open school libraries, and get books in the hands of kids! Right now we're working on getting funding to buy book displays, developing a plan for how the books will be used in the school, training for staff and students... one step at a time.

One of our planning charts

  *  I used to consider this experience as an avenue to give and share of myself. I have discovered the many gifts, I instead, have received from Paraguayans- unhurried time and patience as I try to find the correct words to convey what I am trying to say; food from their kokues, though there may not be much to share; continued informal lessons in Guarani, they just won’t give up on me!; a third generation artesania sharing her art of crochet, we all laughed together as my fingers fumbled through the process, but in the end I was able to produce a hat!; the warm and welcoming feeling we have received by this wonderful community which may look poor, but is so rich in the gifts the people so freely share.

My Handmade Crocheted Hat- Thanks Lidia!

Dia de Arbol- Yes, It’s Another Celebration!

Dia de Arbol!

My most recent blog posts have been about parties, festivals and celebrations. So, what about the work you may be wondering, you know, the actual volunteerism part of the adventure?

Well first of all, our main task as Peace Corps Volunteers is about development. It would be so much easier to build a structure, dig a well, or buy something needed and give it to the people. Development work takes time- it takes developing language skills, building relationships, learning about the culture, listening to Paraguayans and talking to them about what they want for their community. Then, development work is about finding members in the community who are interested in developing a plan, and helping them to lead the charge, or at least be active participants.

One event that I feel encompassed many of the elements listed above was our recent "Dia de Arbol", (Day of the Tree), celebration, which took place at two different schools, involving about 190 people. From a development perspective:

1. We conducted a Community Survey, (in Guarani), and  discovered that planting more trees in the community was a high priority item for the people in Arazape.
2. I surveyed the teachers in the school, (Pre escolar- sixth grade). Nearly all of them  indicated they were interested in a "Dia de Arbol" celebration.
3. Together with teachers, community members, and other volunteers, we created a program that would involve every class in the school.
   

   

   Third Graders "Ham it Up" for a Picture

4. Together, the teachers and I, worked to practice with each class four times prior to the event. During this time I modeled alternate instructional methods, and was able to see teachers try some of these techniques as well!
   

   

   Second Graders Perform Their Chant

5. Next, after all the arrangements, preparations, and practice, the event was cancelled! When it rains or even looks like it will rain, school is cancelled. This is where I developed more patience….
6. A date was rescheduled for the celebration. I talked with 5 students from the colegio, (high school), about volunteering to help with the event.
7. Finally the big day arrived! The most exciting part about this project was that kids were teaching other kids about trees: Pre-escolar and first grades teamed up to sing the parts of the tree in Guarani, complete with hand/body motions; Second grade performed a chant about caring for trees, including visuals; Third grade taught their peers about valuing trees and the many gifts they provide; Fourth grade shared information about resources provided by trees and created a tree using props; Fifth grade demonstrated the process for correctly planting a tree; and Sixth graders each illustrated a page from Shel Silverstein’s book, The Giving Tree, (El Arbol Generoso, in Spanish), and read the story to the audience.
   

   

   Kids teaching Kids!

8. Next, every class, using their newly acquired skills, planted a tree at the school. These were trees grown from seeds collected in the community and started by kids in our neighborhood six months in advance!
   

   

   Mark Helps Pre-schoolers Plant Their Tree

9. Finally, volunteers led tree related activities in the school patio, for the kids to enjoy: leaf prints in homemade play dough; leaf sorting and categorizing; drawing and coloring your favorite tree; and pin, (well, tape), the leaf on the tree while blindfolded, (and really dizzy).
   

   

   Volunteers Lead "Pin the Leaf on the Tree"

The result? From the perspective of new learning, proud kids and parents, lots of fun, and most importantly, development on many levels- SUCCESS! So, as you can see, I have found a way to celebrate while I work- now that sounds Paraguayan!