Class photo.

Just a litte homesick

It's only been a little over a week in Pargaguay (two weeks since I left home, though...) and here are some of my reflections. Basically I am the luckiest person in the world. Like, I love my family, Mom, Pop and Eleanor, and I love Andrew I miss them a lot. And I love my friends, Carrie, Melanie, Simon, even though he probably doesn't even read my blog, Helen and Jill and Maya...

I miss Fred Meyers and hot showers and my car and Interlochen and flushing toilet paper...

I love Alaska. 

This is the most thankful and lucky I've felt in probably ever.

School & Fiesta

My classmates are crazy... but in a good way! It's very true, at least in my experience, that Paraguayans are very upfront and in your face and actually quite personal... within the first 15 minutes I had been asked multiple questions that I, if I were in the US, would consider quite rude. But since I'm in Paraguay... It was just a little (a lot) overwhelming.

As for the actual learning that goes on... it's again, very different. We had a "religion" class this morning and basically the teacher just banged on his desk and everyone just socialized with each over for about an hour. Then we left, went to our chemistry class and socialized for another 20 minutes. After that was recreo, another 20 minutes... when we came back the professor just read out of a book and we had to copy word-for-word. I was shocked. And the noise- all these Paraguayans are so, so loud! One person will start talking and then another will try to talk over them and then another and pretty soon every one is just screaming and the class rooms are really echoey... I think I'm going to need to invest in some ear plugs to hang out with these people. It was the same way tonight, at the Friendship Day fiesta I went to. It was really fun- everyone brought Secret Santa gifs, kinda, except when it was FINALLY time to open them (the party started at 4.00pm... most people didn't show up until 5.00pm, 5.30pm... ) the person giving the gift would stand up and say a little something about the recipient without using their name and we'd all try to guess who their gift was for. Mine was kind of funny: before everyone showed up, I was trying to remember some people's names. I'd been introduced to this girl, Rosalina, probably two or three times, but I still couldn't remember (there are 27 people in my class, not including myself) her name. She was like, "Flora you've met me three times, what is my name??!" And then I just blurted out "Josefina??!" and everyone started laughing. But coincidentally enough, my gift recipient was Rosalina/Josefina, and so when I had to stand up and make my little speech, I said, "This girl's other name is Josefina..." and man, that was a hit. I AM FUNNY IN SPANISH TOO!!! But here is an example of Paraguayan forwardness: Apparently Rosalina used to be fat. Except now she's not. But I got her a green polk-a-dotted cow on a keychain and another girl Yayi, didn't hesitate one second to point out that it was a "coincidence" that I got her a cow because she used to be fat. And Rosalina was right there!! Another example: there is a girl called Pato. Why? Because she has a duck face. But Pato doesn't seem to mind being called Pato. They are just joking around with each other. 

All in all, however, I am very happy with my new class. They're all very nice and inviting, and they took like a zillion pictures with me tonight and I felt like I was being stalked by the papperazzi but that's way better than being completely ignored. My class is planning on taking a trip to Brazil in October or November (we'll see if it actually happens, haha!) and they already have told me and invited me along! So despite all their noise and questions they are all very nice people. They told me that they are fun people, but the good kind of fun people, not the bad kind... so I really hope so.

Lastly... I don't want to get a tattoo here. Everyone keeps on asking me if I want one. They tell me that they can do it, or one of their friends can. NOOOO thank you!!


And some other things I'd like to share: 1. It's freezing here (50F), 2. so I've taken to sleeping with my violin because I don't want him to get cold. In the case, of course. I have been told that I have to use my space heater thing sparingly because it is expensive. 3. I also have been told that I have to use the other bathroom because the warmer, nicer one is full. Which would be fine if it were 90F out but currently it's freezing, and the water only gets mediocre warm as it is... I never thought I'd say this but, currently, I hate bathing. Period.

CIAO!

Campo

This past Friday my host mom, sister (Paz) and I went to the campo to visit the grandparents. The campo was probably no more than 25 miles out of Pilar but it took us like, an hour because the roads were so bumpy. I took some pictures:

Some cows... again.

Baby cow. 

More cows in the campo.

Piggy.

The campo. 

Some chickens.

 Making lunch. From left, host mum, grandmother, Paz and her cousin.

Something... 

 Learning how to make enookies.

 This is my host sister Paz.

 After...

So many...

What is with:

The time. Nele and I are going to play in the orchestra here (except from what I've heard it's like 7 violins and no cellos or bases... so I'm not quite sure what we're getting ourselves into) and we were going to practice this Saturday at 7.00am in the morning. Except then it turned to 8.00am. And now I've been up since 7.00am, and so far it has change from 8.00am to 9.00am to 10.00am. Just an example of Paraguay time.

The rooster here. There is a neighboring rooster and even though it crows at 7.00am like a normal rooster it keeps on crowing... through out the morning... not even on the hour....

Paraguay II

Updates:

1. I finally am with my official host family! They were in Asuncion with my host uncle because he was getting surgery, and until Wednesday night I was staying with Nele, and AFS student from Belgium and her host family.  Even though they were really, really nice, I am glad I am finally settled in.

2. My new host family has a tiny dog named Dulce. She is the size of a bread box and white and fluffy and superhyper all the time. 

3. Paraguay time is so true. Nothing happens when it is supposed to. For example, at orientation they had a schedule posted on everyone´s door: health concerns at 10.00am, lunch at 12.00 etc. Except nothing happened at the right time!! We were sitting under a tree during one of the breaks and then all of a sudden the orientation people started giving us a lecture on saftey tips, which was supposedly, according to the schedule, much later in the afternoon. Also, when people do manage to meet up (I was supposed to hang out with my friends, Vane, Nele and Julie at 3.00 and we didn´t end up getting together until 4.00) it takes forever to get anything done. Nele has been wanting to buy a guitar and we go to like every shop that sells guitars and compare prices and talk to the owner, etc. I know I have a slight tendency to be a tiny bit late but here it´s an hour or so as opposed to 10 minutes. 

4. Other interesting things about Paraguay...

• People will just throw their trash on the ground. Some parts are worse than others. But it´s still very strange to see someone toss their empty juice bottle over their shoulder. Pilar is supposedly one of the cleanest cities- I don´t even want to imagine what Asuncion is like!

• There is no toilet paper in public bathrooms. You have to bring your own.

• They have scented toilet paper here. Because you can´t flush the toilet paper in the toilet, you have to put it in a trash bin. 

• The toilet water goes backwards!!!!! When AFS USA landed in Sao Paolo, Brazil, we took a field trip to the restrooms to watch the toilets flush.

• The food here is SO rich. It´s good, different, for the most part but sometimes my stomach gets a little overwhelmed. They don´t really do anything except boil the milk here so it´s like whole milk on steroids. 

• Even though there are rules here regarding driving cars and motorcycles, no one follows them. I have seen a family of five cramed on one motorcycle. Also no one wears helmets!

• There are a lot of dogs in the street just chilling. 

And that´s it for now! I start school Monday! 

Photos of Pilar!

We made lemonade with lemons from the lemon tree outside Vane's house! 

Hicimos limonada con limones del arbol afuera de la casa de Vane.

We had to use a broom and a chair to pick the lemons...

Tuvimos que usar una escoba y una silla para arrancar los limones.

The store across the street. 

La tienda afuera de la casa. 

Every one rides motor cycles here... without helmets!

Cada persona conduce una motocicleta sin casco! 

A street.

Una calle.

We went walking and we saw some chickens.

Vimos gallinas por el camino.

We saw a hose...

Vimos un caballo.

 We found a cow! 

Encontramos una vaca.

I pet it. 

Yo le acaricie.

Playing a guessing game with Vane's friends, Arturo, Camila and Natalia before dinner.

Jugamos un juego de adivinanzas antes de la cena.

Dinner! Paraguayan hamburgers.

Cena, hamburgesa paraguaya!

My first host mother, Abundia, and the housekeeper, Mirian.

Mi primera mama de Pilar y su empleada.

Paraguay!

HOLA!!
I am in Paraguay. I go to my host family at five, at least according to the schedule... More on that later, there is a giant line for the computers...

T-minus TODAY

This morning I got up and there was a BUG in my bed!! And when I squished it it squirted out blood... so I took the bug down to the front desk (on a little piece of paper) and they were like, "Oh... we will send engineering up to check." Engineering?

On the plus side I don't have to sleep in that bed again because tonight I am leaving for Paraguay!!!

I'm in Miami

Leaving Fairbanks was rough, but since last night I have:

1. Befriended a very friendly and quite charming Korean lady named Sunny who bought me a smoothie in LAX and asked for my Skype- "I give you free Korean lesson!" after I told her the only Korean phrase I knew (Na nen kaboogie ka choa = I like turtles), as well as a 17-year-old girl from Brazil that I met on my flight to Miami...

2. Watched like, six episodes of Project Runway because I still haven't been able to fall asleep. We landed at 10.00pm and now it's almost 7.00am so it's been kind of a long night... when I first got to my room the door was kind of propped open with the little extra latch thing and I was like, "What if murderers are in there!!???" But seeing as that was almost eight hours ago and I'm still alive after checking the closet, bathroom and behind the curtains twice, I think it's safe to say that we are murderer-free for the time being.

3. Most important of all, though, is that I have finally found out that I am going to PILAR, PARAGUAY. Currently I have a host mother who is a teacher and two host siblings, and that is all the news on that but it is still very exciting and comforting to me because now I know for sure I will not be wandering the streets. I read a bit about Pilar on Wikipedia. Here are some general facts:

• Pilar is the capital city of the Paraguayan department of Ñeembucú.

• It is located along the Paraguay River which makes it a prime location for boating and fishing.

• There are walking paths, pavilions, and parks located on the shores of the river.

• It is 222 miles away from Asuncion (the capital of Paraguay.)

• It is an important center of government and commerce.

• Pop. = 30,000

• It is considered one of the safest and cleanest cities in all of Paraguay!! YAY!

• Also according to this map curtsey of Google, it looks like Pilar is about .00001miles away from Argentina. So I think I'll be swimming there shortly.

Now it is getting to be breakfast time so I will be going now. BYE!

Practice post!!

HI.

There are now four more days until I leave for (insert city here), PARAGUAY !!!! I still don't have any information regarding my host family or host city... my Pre-Departure Participant Host Country Info Packet explained to me "Hora Paraguay" which basically translates to, kindareallysuperduperslow. I think this is my first encounter with Hora Paraguay, which is great and culturally eye opening except really it's just making me nervous. Also I keep on reading the SAFETY HANDBOOK and WHAT IF... SCENARIOS. It does not help that I have very recently watched the movie Taken and now harbor deep fears of being snatched. Not really but sort of. I might have a titchy bit of pre-departure anxiety.

Paraguay has been in the news recently due to a little switcharoo in their government. President Fernando Lugo is now EX President Fernando Lugo. I find the whole situation confusing and a little third worldishly scary, but according to what I've read and heard Asuncion has calmed down a lot since a few weeks ago... so no need to worry. Plus there are summer exchange students there right now and none of them are getting emergency evacuated back to their countries of origin. So it's pretty much hunky dori. 

That's it. Kbye.