#winteriscoming

I don’t know if any of you follow me on twitter; you probably don’t since I’m not that entertaining.  If you do, you might have noticed that I have been using #winteriscoming a lot more frequently.  This is a reference from Game of Thrones and it work very well for life in rural Paraguay.  Here’ why…

I hate being cold. I really do.  If I can’t feel my feet, then I guarantee I am in a bad mood.  Now, I understand people that enjoy cold weather because snow is beautiful and they love sitting by a fire and drinking hot chocolate.  They are right.  That is my idea of a good night, especially if you add chili into the mix.  When you are inside an insulated house, with the temperature monitored with central air, and a fire in the den.  That is not the situation I am currently in.  I live in a small brick house with a concrete ‘stucco-esque’ finish. Take the temperature outside and maybe add 2 degrees and that’s the temperature in my house. 

 

 Winter also means shorter days.  I am not sure that I ever was really aware of what this meant in the states.  Sure it got dark earlier but there are street lights and car have headlight; it never really affected my life.  Here it does.  I am a firm believer that nothing good can come of me wandering around my community when it’s dark out. Peace Corps supports me on this decision, they even encourage it.  I live in rural Paraguay.  There is no such thing as night life within 5 miles of my house, unless I want to get drunk with farmer (don’t worry Dad, I don’t). This is not an issue in the summer when the sun is setting at almost 8pm.  In the winter the sun rises around 6am and sets around 5:30.  That means I have about 11 ½ hour to get human contact in.  It also means that I am confined to my house for around 12 ½ hours a day.   If you know me at all then you know I am a fantastic sleeper but sleeping for half of a day is something that even I don’t want to do.  

This is why I am constantly complaining about the ominous winter that is on its way. I have been told that my first winter in Paraguay was mild; it got below freezing maybe 4 times.  This terrifies me.  Luckily I have already harassed my poor mother into sending me a supply of coffee and winter essentials.  I think she enjoyed realizing that this may be the last package she sends me since I come home in December (yes I am aware that I come back to the state during winter).  

Aside from my fear of winter things are going well in Paraguay.  My women’s group is working on finishing our request for funding for chicken coops.  Unfortunately, we hit a bump in the road when I found out that there is currently no money in the organization from which we were initially requesting funds. This means we need to use a different organization, Peace Corps Partnership.  I was originally against using this source since it places our request on a government website where people can donate.  I did not want to end up soliciting fund from family and friends; however, the project is something I believe in.  This being said prepare to get hit up for money to help fund the project!

I also checked in on my bees and they are doing well! Storing up honey to make it through the winter.  My contact wants to make another bee box and I am hoping that I can hold a lecture on the advantages of more formal beekeeping.  Paraguayans generally go into the woods with some newspaper on fire and hack into a wild beehive with a machete; they get honey, but also a few stings.

My world map is a slow and steady process. I really hate the Pacific Islands, Caribbean Islands, and Canada’ northern border. I am hoping to be able to finish it up this month.  After I finish I’d like to do a geography class.  Most Paraguayans have made fun of me for making this map. Telling me it’s a waste of time.  These same Paraguayans have also told me Paraguay is bigger than the US (false), Spain is in Africa (false), and when asked to locate Paraguay on the map pointed to Zambia (false).  Now, before you all get cocky please remember that about half of the people I talked to prior to leaving for Paraguay thought it was in Africa as well.  

That’s all I’ve got for you this time. Stay warm and enjoy Spring! Also if you did want to follow me on twitter, I'm @flinning

Na Julia

 

 

Today’s blog post is going to be dedicated to one of my absolute favorite women in Valois Rivarola, Na Julia (Na is dona shortened which essentially just means Mrs.).  Na Julia is my 70 year old host mom and she is fantastic.  She is one of the main reasons that I am happy here in Paraguay; Na Julia, like so many members of my own family, is a huge perv.  I mean this in the most endearing way possible.  She has flashed me more times than I can count, this feat made easier by the fact that Paraguayan women never wear bras after the age of 55.  She has also tried to see my ‘tete moroti’ (white boobs in guarani/slang) numerous times.  Perhaps during my last week in site I will finally let her but for now why spoil the game?

One of the reasons that I love Na Julia so much is that she loves me back.  She treats me as if I were one of her 14 children (not a type-o, she has 14 children).  She introduces me to visiting Paraguayans as her daughter.  This is always amusing since I don’t bother elaborating and neither does she.  The guests generally just look back and forth between us until asking how that is possible.  She worries about me if I am not up by 7 am and prays for me every time that I leave the community.  Paraguay is a long way from Powder Springs and it is a really nice feeling knowing that you have someone in your corner. 

Na Julia made me this chipa when she thought I was having a bad day, really I just felt like sleeping.

 

One of my favorite experiences involving Na Julia happened a few weeks ago.  I was walking with Lourdes (my host sister) and Lorena (my host brother’s girlfriend) to gather fire wood.  Na Julia was going to meet us in the corral because she had to move her cows. Lourdes and Lorena started walking into the cow pasture and told me to wait behind.  As I stood there waiting, watching as they got farther and farther away I began to wonder why they were leaving me.  Had I misheard? I eventually got bored and decided to follow them – this was my big mistake.  They were herding the group of cows and bulls to try and separate the calves from their moms.  This would normally be an easy process except my dog, Na Copper, decided it was a good time to misbehave.  Copper began chasing a group of cows, having the time of her life.  One pregnant cow did not seem to be enjoying herself as much as Copper and she began chasing Copper.  This cow had a very dangerous looking set of horns and looked to be out for revenge.  Copper, deciding that her game was over looked up and was very pleased to see her mom (me), standing half way between the corral (where I was told to wait) and Lourdes and Lorena.  Copper made a mad dash for me, bringing the angry cow charging in her wake.  I looked up to Lourdes, terrified, and she looked back at me and screamed “HAKE MAGGIE, CORRE!” This means, careful Maggie, run! I turned and began to run through the mud with Copper right beside me and the angry cow still chasing me.  After about 200 yards, please keep in mind I am panicking, I come across a huge stick and pick it up.  I turn around and began swinging the stick and yelling nonsense at the cow.  Fortunately it worked and the cow left me alone.  So there I stood, covered in mud, holding a stick, and panting.  I turned to my right and saw Lourdes and Lorena doubled over in laughter.  I got made fun of for not staying put, getting dirty, and almost getting killed by an angry cow. 

Field where I was running.
 

 

Now I said this was one of my favorite Na Julia stories, and up until now she has been M.I.A., don’t worry while the 3 of us walked back up we ran into Na Julia.  She was doubled over as well, only she was also laughing so hard that she was crying.   In between her tears she also managed to explain to us that she had seen the whole thing and thought it was so funny that she had wet her pants.  She then walked two feet pulled down her pants and finished peeing in front of us.  She spent the rest of the day laughing to herself and yelling at me because her ‘chululu’ was wet; I yelled back that it wasn’t my fault she peed.  Although, I think we should cut her some slack, she did have 14 kids after all.  

The one, the only, Na Julia. She's holding an eel she caught. Eel is one of her favorite foods, she eats the eyes.

 

Dog that almost got me killed.