Apresentase Che Familia

Today's Post: "I want to Present my Family"

Even eight months into Peace Corps service, I am still asked "What is your mission?" Always eager to explain that I am not a missionary, spy, or tourist (and puzzled as to which insinuation is the most pejorative), I try to rapidly run through my Guaraní description of the Peace Corps's three central objectives:

1. Helping the people of interested countries in meeting their need for trained men and women.
2. Helping promote a better understanding of Americans on the part of the peoples served.
3. Helping promote a better understanding of other peoples on the part of Americans.

Goal One frequently takes center stage, but frankly, I only do a vai-vai (ugly-ugly or, less literally, mas o menos) job of fulfilling it. Frequently my technical training doesn't stand up to the barrage of challenges to successful "development work." Grafts fail, seeds rot in the ground, and the only thing that my students remember from last week is that we sang "De Colores." So perhaps I have a personal interest in focusing on Goals Two and Three.

And that is why I wasn't just indulging myself and my family by bringing my mom and stepfather Harold to Paraguay. I was tripling the exposure of Prettyview citizens to Americans! And immersing two new Americans in Paraguayan culture!! Well, I was also seeing my first family members after an absence of eight months, but let us focus no more on these paltry personal gratifications.

Mom and Harold flew in to Asunción and we spent our time there visiting my original host family in Guarambaré and eating a tasty dinner with my remaining five agroforester colleagues. The next day, we were off to Prettyview for a marathon of non-stop visits with neighbors that left us all feeling emotional but drained. I'm glad my mom speaks Spanish. Harold let me translate for him, and was a good sport about being unable to communicate directly. Both tried new foods for the first time: tereré, mate, cocido, sopa, and chipa. Taking an oxcart ride out to my contact's mandioca field was terrifying but ultimately enjoyable for them.

After three days in Prettyview, we took off for a two-week trip to Brazil. I am back in Paraguay and will write more about the trip once I have access to the thousands of photos that mother took while we were all together.

But in the meanwhile, I would like to introduce Jake in Paraguay's third guest columnist, Mom H. My mother is the first of our guest hosts to visit JiP's editorial offices in Prettyview. It was my hope in interviewing her to get an unvarnished perspective on this Paraguayan life. To this end, on a windy morning in Minas Gerais, "the woman who bore me"* answered 10 questions about her time in Paraguay. Our electronic interview follows.

Jake: Hi, Mom. Thanks for agreeing to this interview for Jake in Paraguay.

Mom H.: Jake – I’m honored to be a guest columnist for your blog and happy to have some first hand impressions to share.

J: Though you flew into Asunción, your first real taste of Paraguay was a trip to Guarambaré, the suburb where I lived for three months during training. What were your first impressions during our visit?

M: It seemed somewhat surreal to be thrust into such a rustic and poor country. As you predicted, Jake, I noticed and was disturbed by all the garbage (on an immediate level and on a broader global level). I was fascinated by the rural lifestyle – including, as you know , the farm animals (which I gawked at and photographed incessantly). The supermercado we patronized was quite a contrast to the supermarkets at home: very limited selection of produce, grains in sacks on the floor, etc. From the beginning of our visit, I was struck by the friendliness of the people and their willingness to help us (i.e. on our bus trip there). I also noticed the different pace of life (much more laid back). And a constant theme throughout our travels was the contrast between the poverty and rustic conditions and the manifestations of modernity: cell phones, motos, satellite reception devices and all the plastic packaging.

It was very moving to me to visit your first host parents. They were warm and gracious and I felt it meant as much to them that we came as it did to me to be there. Your host father told us he took the day off (something he never does) in honor of our visit. He said he hadn’t believed we were really going to come. He showed us his vivero (nursery) with great pride. As we sat in a circle in their yard, they offered tereré. Up until that moment, I hadn’t known whether I would partake (with anyone) – but I did and found it to be a really nice and intimate ritual.

J: To get to and from Prettyview, we took buses, the primary form of cross-country transport for most Paraguayans. How was that?

M: The bus journeys were quite an experience – especially the one from Asunción to Prettyview! You did a great job of shepherding us through it Jake. The things that struck me most were: the many spontaneous stops along the way to let people off and to pick people up; the vendors who came on board with their wares (mostly food – i.e. chipa), made their way up and down the crowded aisles and then got off at the next stop; the vendors at the terminals with their wares (soda, candy and gum, socks, chipa, sandwiches, belts, etc) and most prominently, the crowds in the aisles. For a while, the aisle was packed with people (bumper to bumper). They were bracing themselves against the seats and hanging over people sitting on the aisle (much to Harold’s dismay and discomfort). I had never seen anything like the crowded conditions on that bus. The ride from Prettyview to Ciudad del Este (via Coronel Oviedo) was much more comfortable. On that trip, vendors came on the bus with bootlegged copies of DVDs (including some with scantily clad women on the covers) and religious objects. What a combo!! There were also chipa vendors and a vendor selling the delicious chipa so´o.

J: What did you think of Prettyview?

M: In general terms, Prettyview was what I had expected – given what you had told me and what I had read. I had never really experienced a village like Prettyview in the intimate way we did while staying with you there. I am very grateful for the experience – both because it helps me to understand your life and work there and because it was a fascinating and broadening experience in and of itself.

I was very moved by the warmth and openness of the people we met and encountered. Those who know you well clearly love you and think highly of you – and of course, that warmed my heart. I felt the people we met were honored and touched by our visit and that meant a lot to me.

Being there made me think about how much we take for granted in our lives and how much harder life is without the conveniences we have. However, that being said, I also came away appreciating the quality of human interaction and the tranquilo pace that are possible without all of our distractions and agendas. There is a certain graciousness and connectedness that I miss in our society.

I also observed that there are some things that are pretty universal in terms of human nature and feelings: i.e. petty gossip; motherly pride and love.

One of the things that impressed me most was your fluency with guarani and with the culture in Prettyview. Your comfort and rapport made me feel comfortable right away. And I felt instantly comfortable in your house – because it is yours and feels like you. One of my best memories is of our first morning there when you started cooking our breakfast before we got up. It smelled good and the warmth was comforting.

J: Paraguayans consume yerba mate in three principal forms: tereré, mate, and cocido. You tried all three. What are your thoughts?

M: In terms of taste, I found the tereré refreshing on a warm day and the maté warming and comforting when it was cold. They both tasted similar to a mix of green and black tea to me. The cocido was a bit too sweet for my taste. In terms of the ritual of communal consumption of maté and tereré, I found it interesting and inviting. It’s a very immediate way of bonding and seems to provide a framework for social interaction. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get over my germ fears and only participated in the ritual a couple of times.

J: How would you describe typical Paraguayan food, especially relative to the way we eat at home and the cuisine in other Latin American countries you´ve visited?

M: Pretty bland and basic. I liked the wholesomeness of some of the foods we ate, but overall, missed spices and condiments we are used to. The staples seem to be starchy (mandioca, potatoes, rice, pasta, sopa, chipa) and there is a lot of sugar (i.e. in juice). I did love Gloria’s sopa and enjoyed Miguela’s potato/rice salads. I also enjoyed the fresh fruits we consumed right off the trees (bananas, oranges, tangerines). I missed vegetables. The way the chickens were cut up was interesting too – definitely different than the way we do it. I was never quite sure what part I was eating. I was sure to steer away from the head, feet and liver when Miguela served us pollo casero!

J: What were some other notable ´´surprises´´ or ´´firsts´´ in Paraguay?

M: I was a little surprised by the reticence in terms of physical demonstrativeness (i.e. no hugging) – given the intimacy and lack of barriers in other dimensions. I was surprised by the prevalence of motos and cell phones and TVs. I had never used a latrine for several days straight or slept under a mosquito net or lived in a house without running water inside. I had never experienced farm animals in such a direct way. I had certainly never ridden on an oxcart or harvested mandioca!

J: What did you think about Paraguayan Castellano? About Guaraní?

M: Paraguayan Castellano was pretty easy for me to understand and I felt comfortable communicating in Spanish there. The main difference was the vos form. I found Guarani quite expressive. When I had heard you speaking it on the phone (obviously to others) – I thought it sounded very choppy and nasal. In person, it seemed more melodic. I also noticed that when you spoke it to people, they seemed to light up and to communicate in a more spontaneous and down to earth fashion. That was interesting.

J: How did your experiences in Paraguay compare to the expectations you had developed through talking with me and, of course, reading previous entries of Jake in Paraguay?

M: There is no substitute for direct experience! Our talks and your blog had prepared me pretty well and nothing shocked me. When we traveled to Prettyview from Asuncion, I was struck by how far away you are and how random/arbitrary it seems that you are where you are (in a remote little village 5 km down a dirt road from an unmarked crossing on a highway running across the country). It was a life changing experience for me to be there with you – even for a few days.

J: And of course, revy´apiko ra´e Paraguaype (Were you happy in Paraguay?).

M: Avy´a!!!! I cherished and savored my time with you in your village and amongst your friends.

Mom H. is a barrister living in the American "Deep South." In her spare time, she enjoys playing with her dog-children, photographing dogs and children, and meeting new dogs, and children. Her most recent publication, Don't Sell Me Short: Meditations on Intensity (Plenary Publishing, 2010), will be available at premium coffee shops nationwide in July.

*A rather roundabout way of saying "my mother" utilized by a Finnish tour guide who, in my opinion, had discovered the phrase while attempting to improve her English vocabulary.