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October 29th, 2010 - 1:07 pm § in Culture, Day in the Life, Paraguay

Hello, Goodbye, Adios

Adios does not simply mean goodbye in Paraguay.  Instead, it is a powerful word exchanged between two neighbors temporarily crossing paths.   An assurance that you recognize the other person, acknowledge and respect their presence, and reassurance that you will see them again soon. I went to visi[...]

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October 21st, 2010 - 8:00 pm § in Culture, Day in the Life, Paraguay

Knock Knock

I was sound asleep at 8 a.m. when I felt a shake on my shoulder and heard, “Megam, Megaaam!” As groggy as I was, I knew whoever was shaking me couldn’t be Andrew, who knows me well enough to be terrified of me in the morning and certainly would not wake me up this way. [...][...]

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October 5th, 2010 - 3:57 pm § in Around Town, Culture, Day in the Life, Paraguay

Señora vs. Señorita

Jorge tallies up my bill. “Oatmeal, coke, tomatoes. Anything else, Señora?” he asks politely. Señora? I’m only 26! Does he think I look old? “I’m married, but I’m still a Señorita,” I try to explain, suddenly feeling matronly in my drab, below the knee brown skirt. Jorge looks [...]

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September 28th, 2010 - 12:31 pm § in Country, Culture, Day in the Life, Paraguay, Tips & Resources

Piké!

I felt a familiar tingle between my toes followed by a sense of dread washing over my whole body. I had been careful to not walk barefoot and keep my feet clean, but piké are tricky parasites. The size of a pinhead, piké are sand fleas that thrive in dry weather, waiting for [...][...]

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September 21st, 2010 - 10:56 am § in Culture, Day in the Life, Paraguay, Social Entrepreneurship

Back

“We never, never, never thought you would come back!” Blanca cried. Blanca is a 53-year-old Paraguayan grandmother, store owner and farmer.  She loves my husband Andrew like a son, and me like a daughter-in-law.  Blanca has held me when I cried, washed my underwear, and inspired me to be a bet[...]

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September 15th, 2010 - 11:51 am § in Culture, Paraguay, Tips & Resources, Volunteer

An Open Invitation to Paraguay

When I mention Paraguay to fellow travelers, I usually get this response: “Oh, Paraguay, I wanted to go there when I was in Iguaçu Falls/Argentina/Bolivia/Brazil/South America, but I just didn’t have the time or the visa.” To which I reply, “You didn’t have the time for the planet’s fri[...]

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September 7th, 2010 - 8:43 am § in In the Field, Paraguay, Social Entrepreneurship, Volunteer

Home Sweet Tree Fort

The future is a funny thing. I joined the Peace Corps in 2008 and was assigned to work in Paraguay.  I knew the country was located in South America and that it would be my home until 2010.  I did not know that I would drink ground herbs in my water everyday, or that I would [...][...]

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