Che avy´a Paraguaìpe.

aAfter much conniving, I´m happy to say that I´ve escaped the clutches of the PC to internet binge for a precious hour-and-a-half this morning. It´s Saturday and I am about to embark on my first real solo adventure: a trip to the department of Guairà to spend a few days with a current agroforestry PC volunteer (PCV). However, my bus doesn´t leave until noon, so I´m here in Guarambaré for some computer time.

Life as a PC trainee in Paraguay is something of a Paradox. We´re surrounded by Americans, but are trying our hardest to integrate into our host communities. We´re adapting to the Paraguayan attitude of ´´tranquilopa,´´ but have an intense all-day, every-day training schedule in language, technical skills, and more. There´s amazing beauty, but a lot of over-stimulation. Some things are incredibly different (fruiting papaya trees, tossing trash wherever, speaking Guaraní) and some things are incredibly similar (laughing with my family, hit American music on the radio, making new friendships).

There´s so much to say and I do eventually want to get to Guairà, so I´ve tried to pick a few topics to write about to give you all a taste of life here.

Guaraní. Paraguay has two official languages. Spanish is good to get you around the cities, for official correspondence, and to speak with people if you don´t know Guaraní and want them to feel awkward. However, as one former volunteer told us, to Paraguayans, it sounds sweet when we speak Guaraní. The problem? Start with pronouncing ´´y,´´ a task which I have tried to accomplish by pulling the corners of my mouth down, bringing my tongue to the roof of my mouth, and making a sound reminiscent of the offspring of the ´´ea´´ from early and the ´´i´´ from kid. But, at least when Paraguayans speak it, Guaranì is a beautiful language with a lot to offer. My favorite aspect so far is that there are two forms of ´´we´´: one that includes everyone present and one that includes only the speaker and at least one other person. Think about it: wouldn´t it be great if English had that?

Ka´a. That´s the Guaranì name for the plant we know as maté. It´s ground up and consumed in myriad ways here. Every morning, my breakfast is kocido. To make it, you cook maté leaves in hot water, then strain the mixture, add milk, tons of sugar, and maybe a spoon of ground peanuts. My family then eats it with a spoon after crumbling many hard little breads (galletas) into it. If kocido is for breakfast, then ka´a´y (maté in Spanish) is for when it´s cold. This is a tea of maté leaves and hot water consumed comunally using a cup and metal straw, like in Argentina. The pourer fills the cup with hot water and each person takes turns emptying it using the metal straw´s strainer to exclude the matè leaves. Finally, there is tererè, the national drink of Paraguay. It´s consumed when the weather is warm. First, one crushes up to three pora ñana (medicinal herbs) in a mortar and pestle and then adds them to a pitcher of ice water. The water is then used to make tea as with ka´a´y. One person pours and everyone else takes turns draining the glass.

These drinks, especially tererè, are central to social life here. People spend hours sitting around in a circle drinking tererè and talking. It´s basically what you do to get to know people, cement social bonds, and build trust. And everyone uses the same cup!

Viveros. From my first day in Paraguay, I´ve been living at a vivero, or nursery. I couldn´t have been placed with a better host family, in part because my dad, who is a big joker and a self-trained horticulturalist, runs his own nursery out of our yard. He even lets me ´´help´´ him out sometimes. He grows many plants familiar in the states: bougainvilla, lantana, spider plants, ficus, etc. and some that are unfamiliar to me. We´re also learning how to build and maintain viveros as volunteers. Frequently agroforestry volunteers help members of their communities to set up viveros for trees (ybyra, in Guaraní). The eight of us in the agroforestry group created one adjacent to my house and we´ve planted over a dozen tree species there. Some have already germinated. I´m already excited about starting a vivero, a huerta, an abonera, or other such projects at my future site...if my community wants them!

Tranquilo´pa. This is a state of mind, a response to ´´how are you?,´´ and just a general commentary on the situation. Life in Paraguay is supposed to be tranquilo, and I try to keep that in mind when the transition from my northwestern ivory tower to this lush, messy, real world seems daunting. But all in all, I´m incredibly happy here and feel like there is nothing better I could be doing with myself. It feels like an honor to be serving the people of Paraguay (well, once I actually become a volunteer) and representing the people of the United States in this way. (Incidentally, how long ago did our beloved President win the Nobel Peace Prize!?!? I flipped out when it came on the news last night, much to the bemusement of my family here.) At any rate, thank you to everyone who has been keeping up with and thinking of me. You are all in my hearts!

Well, off to Guirá! I´ll try to sneak away again soon. Until then, jajatopata (see you!).