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.