Sorry all for the lull in interesting tidbits from down South, but the reality of the situation is that I kinda of just live here, so all the wonderous insights that you usually gather from traveling have kind of slowed, and pretty much come to a stop somewhere around the year and half mark.
This it pretty much, you realize during your first few months, "Wow! Paraguayan culture is soo different!" Then next 3-6 months you gain more perspective on WHY it's so different, then you spend the next 3-6 months realizing all the nuiances of the culture. Around that time, you pretty much get the things that are different, and you yourself have adapted the best you can to all the differences, and you find a rythem in your work (I personally teach 8 times a week) and in your life (running 3-5 a week, washing clothes every couple of days, cleaning house, cooking, yoga, my Mexican Soap Opera or telenovela ETC) And that's just the way things are.
I recently organized a Leadership workshop for the kids of my neighborhood, had about 25 participants so that was a good number I feel. We did activities relating to thinking about their futures, making important decisions, communication skills, and volunteer service. Next time I plan on doing a workshop about employment, how to make a resume, how to look for a job, etc.
I think I will start an study group of English again, seeing as how the kids are always bugging me to teach them English. (I did that already, started with 60 students and ended with 10 - they all "say" they want to learn English, but when they realize that they still have to study/do homework and practice that just because I know English doesn't mean that I can magically just put it in their brains, they tend to loose interest!) So, I hope to form a smaller more serious group of students.
I hope to pull from this group of students kids who might want to wrok with me at the small/free school where they are just putting in a library, and maybe do teenagers reading to little kids time, and the kids can accredit "community service" hours to put on their resume. Unfortunatley, community service in all it's officialness is kind of a new concept to Paraguay. People do community service, like helping someone out, but it's not official. So, this concept of going somewhere to give your time freely (when they live so poorly already) isn't really fleshed out just yet, and sadly not all employers will really give a damn whether you did any community service or not... so we'll see if they go for it.
That's all my short-term work plans for now... like I said, the rest of my life is pretty tame.... day in/day out. Have to run now though, treating myself to a movie, something we don't get to do very often, but Sex and the City isn't often playing either! So, much love to all!!
BESOS!!! (Go look that one up!)
Chau-chau,
Lauren
