I´m being lazy and trying to make the bus home (with no definite bus schedule), so in an effort to keep everyone updated, I´m quickly copying some emails that I sent home.
Day 2 Paraguay:
I am alive and well in Guarambare. Just left school for the day. A nice guy agreed to wait with me at the nearest internet cafe and ride the bus with me back to our satellite communities. I live with a GREAT family. I am their seven PC person. I have my own room with a bed and fan, a cupboard with a key and a door with a lock. They also have electricity, a shower, toilet, fridge, etc. My host dad is Gregorio and he works at a chemical plant. My host dad is Graciela and my host siblings are Noelia, 21 year old university student (she lives in the dorm, but came to meet me last night) 12 year old Javier and 4 year old Dina. Last night we had homemade pizza (we later learned at school most of the moms made that for their American kids) ham and cheese and they made an entire plate of tomato and cucumber salad, which I later figured out was just for me. They also have a dog named Wendy. We have mangos, guavas, tangerines, limes and star fruit trees in our yard. Gregorio´s aunts and uncles live next door and a girl named Nicole actually lives with them so we can walk to school together. Also Josh, lives down the street with Gregorio´s brother.
The training center people are all very nice and friendly. I had a language interview today and I think I will be put straight in Guarani. M´baechapa? Ipora nde? (Hey, how are you? I´m good and you?) Che chevera Stephanie. (My name is Stephanie.) I try not to think about the usefulness of the language after PC and just have fun learning it for the moment. The rest of the staff, both American and Paraguayan, are very warm and friendly.
That´s all I can really think of right now and I don´t want to keep him waiting. Oh! This internet cafe has skype and there are four cafes here total in town, so log on Skype from time to time and I can bring my headphones or use some here. I dont get a phone until I´m sworn in, but I´ll buy a phone card the next time we go to Asuncion. (They ushered us straight to Guarambare from the airport and I don´t believe we can get one here and I´m in a tiny town with dirt roads, so I´ll get one soon.) Anyways, throughout my three months of training the days we come into Guarambare for All PC trainings (most of our training occurs in one of the four satellite towns, depending on our assignment, mine being rural health) Internet is only 5 Mil for an hora, so like 9 cents. Avy´a Paraguaipe (I´m happy to be in Paraguay) so no worries about me! If someone could send me one of those little boxes that you put on a toothbrush head, as I already knocked one of my toothbrushes on the bathroom floor while washing my face, that would be wonderful.
More indepth explanations and travel plan details when I´m not rushed by training, irregular bus schedules, and kind people waiting on me to travel home in the buddy system.
Miss everyone!
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Week One Report
I have now officially been in Paraguay for a week and I´m enjoying it a lot. I like my family, the staff and fellow aspirantes de PC and what we´re studying. We spent most of our classes in our little town. The school is nothing more than a small house with some empty rooms, kitchen, and bathroom. I got put in the straight to Guarani classes, as I´m so awesome in Spanish :) Cows can be seen from our windows and the occasional wooden ox pulled cart passes the school on the red dirt road. We eat food depending on the season and wash clothes depending on the rain. Chickens and roosters roam the town freely. People sell different wares from their houses, either hand sewn clothes, food, and basic supplies like you could pick up in a convenience store. When I have to catch the bus into Guarambare, we as a town (the 12 of us) wake up at 5:30 to leave by 6:15 and make the 30 minute walk to the main road together (about 45 minutes in total from my house.) When we have class in town, I get to sleep in an hour later and the 5 of us who live off my road walk together, which is about 15 minutes. We come home (or our sent with it to Guarambare, from now on GB) at 11:30 for lunch and our back to school by 1. We only have morning language classes on Saturdays. Our first weekend, we watched and spectated some different sports, with the occasional ice cream man bicycling by. I played a little volleyball, but only watched soccer as they have a tournament against 4 or more teams, like pickups games, taking it pretty seriously, with the losing teams buying the winners´beer. Sunday morning we helped clean up the school grounds, raking dried leaves and garbage, a little bit as the local kids start school at the end of the month.
Monday we had some techincal hands on training and I got to slice bamboo with a machete to make a fence for a garbage pit (hardcore!) and learn some other construction skills, like building the reinforcement for pouring a cement floor in a latrine, which I wasn´t expecting to but really liked the building and using tools overall. I signed myself up for the demonstration on integrating into the schools though, to gear myself more toward teaching (which I think they´d do based on my language skills and experience with kids anyways) and to force myself into some more leardership roles. Oh! the 3rd year PCVolunteer who is staying on in the health office in Asuncion is a Gator.
Still really like my family. Our main form of entertainment is talking, so we spend a lot of time practicing languages and just asking each other questions, for instance I taught them about Manaties and how we categorize hurricanes in Florida. Also, everyone is related to everyone it seems, so we spend time at each other´s houses and at town birthday parties like last night. My great aunt´next door is measuring me when I get home today to make me a skirt. I think I actually like being in the campo better as the crime rate is way lower and once you intergrate into a community they kind of take you on as their own and protect you.
Anyways, that´s about it. My days consist of Guarani classes, which I really like because I like looking at the word structure as puzzles, tech and common areas classes in the afternoon, studying, writing in my notebook, and visiting with my family.
Jajotopata.
Monday we had some techincal hands on training and I got to slice bamboo with a machete to make a fence for a garbage pit (hardcore!) and learn some other construction skills, like building the reinforcement for pouring a cement floor in a latrine, which I wasn´t expecting to but really liked the building and using tools overall. I signed myself up for the demonstration on integrating into the schools though, to gear myself more toward teaching (which I think they´d do based on my language skills and experience with kids anyways) and to force myself into some more leardership roles. Oh! the 3rd year PCVolunteer who is staying on in the health office in Asuncion is a Gator.
Still really like my family. Our main form of entertainment is talking, so we spend a lot of time practicing languages and just asking each other questions, for instance I taught them about Manaties and how we categorize hurricanes in Florida. Also, everyone is related to everyone it seems, so we spend time at each other´s houses and at town birthday parties like last night. My great aunt´next door is measuring me when I get home today to make me a skirt. I think I actually like being in the campo better as the crime rate is way lower and once you intergrate into a community they kind of take you on as their own and protect you.
Anyways, that´s about it. My days consist of Guarani classes, which I really like because I like looking at the word structure as puzzles, tech and common areas classes in the afternoon, studying, writing in my notebook, and visiting with my family.
Jajotopata.
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Final Preparations and Farewell Tour: 2 Days Until Departure
Eight AM on Tuesday morning is rapidly approaching. What have I done to prepare? Somewhere in between a whole lot and not too much. I have already been lacking in diligence to updating this blog and I haven't even left yet. In an effort to get comfortable with being alone with my thoughts for the next two years (what some say is the most challenging part of Peace Corps and definitely what I'm looking forward to and dreading simultaneously) I'm going to quickly lump together the past month or so since accepting my invitation as an exercise in organizing my thoughts for "publication" again / act of good faith to my readers that I won't leave you hanging after hitting the tarmac. Besides, if I try to go to sleep now, I'll just think of how I need to clean my car out or update my iPod or something seemingly monumental to me right now ("you're leaving for two years and you haven't cleaned your car out?!?!") which is really only tedious and silly at this point.
I stayed in Nashville for about two weeks after accepting my invitation. More necessary paperwork to be completed in getting a visa, government passport, as well as writing some essays and updating my resume to send to the director in Paraguay since that was the first information they would be receiving to learn about who would be arriving in February. Also I recently sent out some information about a press release (at Peace Corps' urging. I'm really not narcissistic enough to think, "Hmmm, the press should be alerted to this!)so if you read The Palm Beach Post, The Alligator, The Tennessean, or the UF Alumni Magazine, be on the lookout for an article about yours truly and save one to send to my parents if you can.
During this time I started ordering some camping supplies off my packing list. I'm so ready to attempt another stretch on Appalachian Trail again with all my awesome gear. Also I read some books on Paraguay from the Vanderbilt library, but everything was so outdated, I ended up relying on just Peace Corps provided material and the Internet. I found this video made by Peace Corps people about how their life is in Paraguay that you might find interesting.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZA78xUzwTA
Also I met with a return Peace Corps volunteer, also from Nashville, who had come back from Paraguay fairly recently. He brought a package of photos to share with me and was kind enough to answer any question I could come up with for two hours at Flying Saucer. Meeting with him and seeing that he survived unscathed and had a blast really comforted me and made me excited to get over there and get started. And to start my life where I have toucans in my backyard. Don't know if they're worth living without plumbing, but in an attempt to see every dark cloud has a tropical bird lining...
One of my last nights in Nashville, my parents ended up throwing me a last minute pizza party for all my extended family to come by my brother's house and bid me adieu. My family gave me a journey blessing ring that says "life is a journey, not a destination," as well as another charm with Romans 8:28 inscribed on it: "All things work together for good for those who love the Lord." To that I added my most favorite charm, a miniature globe, that my granny gave me sometime back for Christmas. Along with my sports watch, my accessories are now set until 2012.
Two goodbyes for me were particularly hard, the first being my nephews and brother. I woke up with them on that Thursday morning early to see them off for school. A rather unassuming day really. Fixed them some toast with honey. Noah threw a fit about not wanting to put his shoes on yet. When they headed for the door I tried super hard to keep my composure not wanting to scare them with a bawling aunt on their way to school, but ultimately failing. I have a paper clipped bundle of all the artwork they made for me the past couple months to decorate my (insert type of structure here) walls.
Another goodbye that was hard was with my granny. She's 82, living with Alzheimer's and dementia. As I tucked her in after bringing her home from my party, I wondered if this would be the last time that I would see her alive. Realistically, everyone should be wondering this every time people part ways,(attempting a full life while being prepared for the sky to fall?) but with her age and failing health, I couldn't help but morosely wonder. If so, it will be a good memory. She patted my hand and said "I love you. Always have, always will."
After rolling out of Middle Tennessee, I started on my self-proclaimed "Farewell Fun Machine" tour, while my tour bus (dodge neon) made stops in Atlanta, Gainesville, Orlando and West Palm, with a jaunt down to Pompano to see Olgie with A. Glenn yesterday to wrap everything up. If my tour got canceled in your area, my apologies. :) (I decide to give myself a tour, so inevitably it went to my head.) Many thanks to the friends who housed, fed, danced, and laughed with my along the way. If I didn't see you, the Christmas reunion tour is just around the corner. Really though, goodbyes are overrated and for someone who'd much prefer to leave in the middle of the night and then update it to Facebook later, saying goodbye over and over and over really isn't my cup of tea. Just know you're missed.
A quick note, I got to suspend my phone number for the two years and will be able to use it while I'm home for Christmas and such, so don't delete me out of your contacts yet! It will be the same number when I come back.
That's about all I can think of for now. If you want to be added to a mass mailing list make sure that I have your email and home address for any postcards.
To end on a funny note, Olgie and I figured out last night that if an average season of Survivor goes through 39 days, my time in the Peace Corps is equivalent to being on about 19 consecutive seasons of Survivor. You hear that CBS? In 2012, I'm coming for your money.
I stayed in Nashville for about two weeks after accepting my invitation. More necessary paperwork to be completed in getting a visa, government passport, as well as writing some essays and updating my resume to send to the director in Paraguay since that was the first information they would be receiving to learn about who would be arriving in February. Also I recently sent out some information about a press release (at Peace Corps' urging. I'm really not narcissistic enough to think, "Hmmm, the press should be alerted to this!)so if you read The Palm Beach Post, The Alligator, The Tennessean, or the UF Alumni Magazine, be on the lookout for an article about yours truly and save one to send to my parents if you can.
During this time I started ordering some camping supplies off my packing list. I'm so ready to attempt another stretch on Appalachian Trail again with all my awesome gear. Also I read some books on Paraguay from the Vanderbilt library, but everything was so outdated, I ended up relying on just Peace Corps provided material and the Internet. I found this video made by Peace Corps people about how their life is in Paraguay that you might find interesting.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZA78xUzwTA
Also I met with a return Peace Corps volunteer, also from Nashville, who had come back from Paraguay fairly recently. He brought a package of photos to share with me and was kind enough to answer any question I could come up with for two hours at Flying Saucer. Meeting with him and seeing that he survived unscathed and had a blast really comforted me and made me excited to get over there and get started. And to start my life where I have toucans in my backyard. Don't know if they're worth living without plumbing, but in an attempt to see every dark cloud has a tropical bird lining...
One of my last nights in Nashville, my parents ended up throwing me a last minute pizza party for all my extended family to come by my brother's house and bid me adieu. My family gave me a journey blessing ring that says "life is a journey, not a destination," as well as another charm with Romans 8:28 inscribed on it: "All things work together for good for those who love the Lord." To that I added my most favorite charm, a miniature globe, that my granny gave me sometime back for Christmas. Along with my sports watch, my accessories are now set until 2012.
Two goodbyes for me were particularly hard, the first being my nephews and brother. I woke up with them on that Thursday morning early to see them off for school. A rather unassuming day really. Fixed them some toast with honey. Noah threw a fit about not wanting to put his shoes on yet. When they headed for the door I tried super hard to keep my composure not wanting to scare them with a bawling aunt on their way to school, but ultimately failing. I have a paper clipped bundle of all the artwork they made for me the past couple months to decorate my (insert type of structure here) walls.
Another goodbye that was hard was with my granny. She's 82, living with Alzheimer's and dementia. As I tucked her in after bringing her home from my party, I wondered if this would be the last time that I would see her alive. Realistically, everyone should be wondering this every time people part ways,(attempting a full life while being prepared for the sky to fall?) but with her age and failing health, I couldn't help but morosely wonder. If so, it will be a good memory. She patted my hand and said "I love you. Always have, always will."
After rolling out of Middle Tennessee, I started on my self-proclaimed "Farewell Fun Machine" tour, while my tour bus (dodge neon) made stops in Atlanta, Gainesville, Orlando and West Palm, with a jaunt down to Pompano to see Olgie with A. Glenn yesterday to wrap everything up. If my tour got canceled in your area, my apologies. :) (I decide to give myself a tour, so inevitably it went to my head.) Many thanks to the friends who housed, fed, danced, and laughed with my along the way. If I didn't see you, the Christmas reunion tour is just around the corner. Really though, goodbyes are overrated and for someone who'd much prefer to leave in the middle of the night and then update it to Facebook later, saying goodbye over and over and over really isn't my cup of tea. Just know you're missed.
A quick note, I got to suspend my phone number for the two years and will be able to use it while I'm home for Christmas and such, so don't delete me out of your contacts yet! It will be the same number when I come back.
That's about all I can think of for now. If you want to be added to a mass mailing list make sure that I have your email and home address for any postcards.
To end on a funny note, Olgie and I figured out last night that if an average season of Survivor goes through 39 days, my time in the Peace Corps is equivalent to being on about 19 consecutive seasons of Survivor. You hear that CBS? In 2012, I'm coming for your money.
Copy of my Facebook Message: "Everyone always kids that they're joining the Peace Corps, but no one ever does it!"
In case you weren't able to see my Facebook note:
Yes it's true. Despite my coworkers above reaction when I told her my upcoming plans to relocate for twenty seven months to a remote part of an obscure South American country, I remain unwavering in my desire to follow through with this upcoming adventure. Call it one of those opportunities where if I don't try to see it through I'm afraid I'll be plagued by the 'what ifs?'.
After a uncertain six months of moving from applicant, to nominee, to invitee, to now trainee, the whole invitation and acceptance to the trainee program has been so sudden that I'm afraid a lot of friends and family aren't even aware that I'm leaving the country for two years in about three weeks. I only found out late in December that I was invited and then accepted about a week ago. I will be attending orientation February 2nd-4th in Miami, also departing on the 4th. From there I will be attending training in a city called Guarambaré, about an hour by bus from the capital city of Asunción. I will be there through April 23rd, living with a host family and attending intensive daily classes in language, both in Spanish and the indigenous language of Guaraní, technical training, Peace Corps fundamentals, how to function and manage in a rural setting, and of course Paraguayan history and culture.Depending on my ability to pass exams in all five areas and be sworn in as a volunteer, I'll then relocate to my community where according to the information in the packet I'll most likely have electricity, but not running water. I'm not sure how far away access to the internet will be, but a friend has volunteered to update a blog on a monthly basis via the letters I'll mail him. I've already set up the blog, which you can find here:
http://steffeinparaguay.blogspot.com/
Be sure to book mark that as it will serve as my main form of communication with friends back in the States. Also you can mail me letters or care packages at the following address, but be advised the information states that only about 80% of mail arrives to volunteers and that expensive items can be subject to being stolen (American junk food, necessities, and magazines are what will matter to me most anyways to keep in touch with what's going on back home.) If you are interested in sending me a package, I'll post a list of what would be most useful on my blog once I get there and see what I need and miss the most from home. Here is my mailing address:
Stephanie Stinson PCT ( which stands for Peace Corps trainee, then following April 23rd it switches to PCV for volunteer)
Cuerpo de Paz
162 Chaco Boreal c/Mcal. López
Asunción 1580, Paraguay
South America
If you send anything, it says to keep in mind airmail can take up to 2-3 weeks, surface mail several months. And thank you in advance, being alone and out of touch, a letter will guaranteed be a bright spot in my day.
With regard to confusion about what exactly I'll be doing, I thought it best to just include the description they provided me of my assignment:
"The purpose of the RHS project in Paraguay is designed to augment national efforts to improve health, sanitation, and nutrition practices throughout rural Paraguay by heightening awareness of the relationship between environment and health through educational activities and the promotion of improved environmental sanitation practices. The areas on which the project focuses are: dental health education, parasite prevention, nutrition, improved cooking practices, STI's and HIV/AIDS awareness prevention education, improving waste disposal methods, and cleaning/protecting water sources. ... We would like to emphasize 70% of your time should be devoted to education and 30% to construction. This is because we believe that construction should be the result of the people understanding the education and wanting to make changes in their environment." The description goes on to talk about possibilities for taking on a secondary project that in the past have ranged from focuses such as creating public libraries, teaching English, organizing sports clinics, teaching computer skills, etc.
Also if you are a teacher interested in receiving correspondence for your classroom via the World Wise Schools programs, contact me and we can discuss options further, though I think only one teacher can be chosen, so act fast for this awesome offer, haha. If more than one teacher is interested I could probably send you correspondence myself.
That's about all the information I can think of to share right now. If you have a specific question, please feel free to respond with it and I'll address it here. Also please forward me your number and address if you are interested in hearing from me when I go into town and have use of a calling card or if you want a postcard. (I know I also said this in Spain and then was very lax with mailing things, but that was because I ended up having access to internet on a daily basis from my dorm, while here mail will serve as my main, if only form of communication. I'll do a better job this time, cross my heart.) If you don't want to post your contact information publicly, please go ahead and forward me a facebook message.
TTFN, ta ta for now.
Yes it's true. Despite my coworkers above reaction when I told her my upcoming plans to relocate for twenty seven months to a remote part of an obscure South American country, I remain unwavering in my desire to follow through with this upcoming adventure. Call it one of those opportunities where if I don't try to see it through I'm afraid I'll be plagued by the 'what ifs?'.
After a uncertain six months of moving from applicant, to nominee, to invitee, to now trainee, the whole invitation and acceptance to the trainee program has been so sudden that I'm afraid a lot of friends and family aren't even aware that I'm leaving the country for two years in about three weeks. I only found out late in December that I was invited and then accepted about a week ago. I will be attending orientation February 2nd-4th in Miami, also departing on the 4th. From there I will be attending training in a city called Guarambaré, about an hour by bus from the capital city of Asunción. I will be there through April 23rd, living with a host family and attending intensive daily classes in language, both in Spanish and the indigenous language of Guaraní, technical training, Peace Corps fundamentals, how to function and manage in a rural setting, and of course Paraguayan history and culture.Depending on my ability to pass exams in all five areas and be sworn in as a volunteer, I'll then relocate to my community where according to the information in the packet I'll most likely have electricity, but not running water. I'm not sure how far away access to the internet will be, but a friend has volunteered to update a blog on a monthly basis via the letters I'll mail him. I've already set up the blog, which you can find here:
http://steffeinparaguay.blogspot.com/
Be sure to book mark that as it will serve as my main form of communication with friends back in the States. Also you can mail me letters or care packages at the following address, but be advised the information states that only about 80% of mail arrives to volunteers and that expensive items can be subject to being stolen (American junk food, necessities, and magazines are what will matter to me most anyways to keep in touch with what's going on back home.) If you are interested in sending me a package, I'll post a list of what would be most useful on my blog once I get there and see what I need and miss the most from home. Here is my mailing address:
Stephanie Stinson PCT ( which stands for Peace Corps trainee, then following April 23rd it switches to PCV for volunteer)
Cuerpo de Paz
162 Chaco Boreal c/Mcal. López
Asunción 1580, Paraguay
South America
If you send anything, it says to keep in mind airmail can take up to 2-3 weeks, surface mail several months. And thank you in advance, being alone and out of touch, a letter will guaranteed be a bright spot in my day.
With regard to confusion about what exactly I'll be doing, I thought it best to just include the description they provided me of my assignment:
"The purpose of the RHS project in Paraguay is designed to augment national efforts to improve health, sanitation, and nutrition practices throughout rural Paraguay by heightening awareness of the relationship between environment and health through educational activities and the promotion of improved environmental sanitation practices. The areas on which the project focuses are: dental health education, parasite prevention, nutrition, improved cooking practices, STI's and HIV/AIDS awareness prevention education, improving waste disposal methods, and cleaning/protecting water sources. ... We would like to emphasize 70% of your time should be devoted to education and 30% to construction. This is because we believe that construction should be the result of the people understanding the education and wanting to make changes in their environment." The description goes on to talk about possibilities for taking on a secondary project that in the past have ranged from focuses such as creating public libraries, teaching English, organizing sports clinics, teaching computer skills, etc.
Also if you are a teacher interested in receiving correspondence for your classroom via the World Wise Schools programs, contact me and we can discuss options further, though I think only one teacher can be chosen, so act fast for this awesome offer, haha. If more than one teacher is interested I could probably send you correspondence myself.
That's about all the information I can think of to share right now. If you have a specific question, please feel free to respond with it and I'll address it here. Also please forward me your number and address if you are interested in hearing from me when I go into town and have use of a calling card or if you want a postcard. (I know I also said this in Spain and then was very lax with mailing things, but that was because I ended up having access to internet on a daily basis from my dorm, while here mail will serve as my main, if only form of communication. I'll do a better job this time, cross my heart.) If you don't want to post your contact information publicly, please go ahead and forward me a facebook message.
TTFN, ta ta for now.
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