My site is called Monte Alto. I am going to be a second volunteer at this site (well sorta, Karen was 1 km away).
My primary project will be working with a women´s group. They sell vegetables at the closest town, 6 km away, on saturdays ( today, which is why i have internet access today as i am with them). The town is called SAN JOSE DE LOS ARROYOS and has a wikipedia page!! look it up! I am happy with my site selection. I wanted to work with women and wanted access (a bus) out of site. I am only three hours from ascuncion in time....in space, i am as far as pluto.
Working with the Women´s group includes: continuing with Karen´s work on injertos, grafting of citrus trees and making, expanding gardens ( huertas) for them to sell vegetables.
Secondary project working on nuturition in the schools and with families. ( wow i am lucky, i keep saying how lucky my APCD put me in this community cause of these projects. the women have expressed these desires and they correlate to mine)
I have already, only my first night in, experienced culture shock. I really wasnt prepared to have any difficulties with the latin culture here, as i havent yet. But it is very different out in the campo. Privacy doesnt exist. I slept in a room with no door that went into another room with no door. I peed in a plastic bin last night. And as much as i felt i really could understand poverty, and adapt easily to poverty, i am finding things more difficult than my previous ego thought.
Religion. Well, I also slept next to a giant- Madre de Dios - drawing last night, surrounded by plastic flowers, and other religious photos, objects. Catholism is a huge part of the women´s lives here. i am going to be trying so hard not only to relate to these women but they will be my life for the next two years. In the homes I have been in, each has crosses, figures, etc. they prayed to Mary this morning ( that they would sell their veges) on the back of the pickup truck on the way into town. I have been so separated from religion that even this was strange to me, but i saw the union it formed from a very divided country ( thanks to mr. stossenger out lawing any groups bigger than 4 to get together).
So honestly i am starting to understand what makes the Peace Corps Experience so challenging. The stress that we are constantly put on to be a representive, to be happy and open to the people you meet and try to not notice those aspects that are so foreign to you and in all this you are communicating in a different lanuage in which you can never fully express yourself, and can end up offending, not being able to explain or be in stituations you dont want to be in. I find myself constantly surprized at the next event, oh.. we are going where? we are back when? and stabbed with questions that i dont want to answer. oh! and of course my stomach has never been so upset with the food i put in it. Another night of fried dough makes it scream in agony.
and if you think i am over exaggerating, it can be worse. last night the corn mush with queso, smelt so badly and tasted so horribly that when the news came on and showed a new founded mass grave from the strossenger years, all i could think of, was that i was eating those decomposed bodies. interestingly there was an air freshner commerical after that. if only i had one of those....
My primary project will be working with a women´s group. They sell vegetables at the closest town, 6 km away, on saturdays ( today, which is why i have internet access today as i am with them). The town is called SAN JOSE DE LOS ARROYOS and has a wikipedia page!! look it up! I am happy with my site selection. I wanted to work with women and wanted access (a bus) out of site. I am only three hours from ascuncion in time....in space, i am as far as pluto.
Working with the Women´s group includes: continuing with Karen´s work on injertos, grafting of citrus trees and making, expanding gardens ( huertas) for them to sell vegetables.
Secondary project working on nuturition in the schools and with families. ( wow i am lucky, i keep saying how lucky my APCD put me in this community cause of these projects. the women have expressed these desires and they correlate to mine)
I have already, only my first night in, experienced culture shock. I really wasnt prepared to have any difficulties with the latin culture here, as i havent yet. But it is very different out in the campo. Privacy doesnt exist. I slept in a room with no door that went into another room with no door. I peed in a plastic bin last night. And as much as i felt i really could understand poverty, and adapt easily to poverty, i am finding things more difficult than my previous ego thought.
Religion. Well, I also slept next to a giant- Madre de Dios - drawing last night, surrounded by plastic flowers, and other religious photos, objects. Catholism is a huge part of the women´s lives here. i am going to be trying so hard not only to relate to these women but they will be my life for the next two years. In the homes I have been in, each has crosses, figures, etc. they prayed to Mary this morning ( that they would sell their veges) on the back of the pickup truck on the way into town. I have been so separated from religion that even this was strange to me, but i saw the union it formed from a very divided country ( thanks to mr. stossenger out lawing any groups bigger than 4 to get together).
So honestly i am starting to understand what makes the Peace Corps Experience so challenging. The stress that we are constantly put on to be a representive, to be happy and open to the people you meet and try to not notice those aspects that are so foreign to you and in all this you are communicating in a different lanuage in which you can never fully express yourself, and can end up offending, not being able to explain or be in stituations you dont want to be in. I find myself constantly surprized at the next event, oh.. we are going where? we are back when? and stabbed with questions that i dont want to answer. oh! and of course my stomach has never been so upset with the food i put in it. Another night of fried dough makes it scream in agony.
and if you think i am over exaggerating, it can be worse. last night the corn mush with queso, smelt so badly and tasted so horribly that when the news came on and showed a new founded mass grave from the strossenger years, all i could think of, was that i was eating those decomposed bodies. interestingly there was an air freshner commerical after that. if only i had one of those....
Hi Marianna-
ReplyDeleteMy name is Jeff Follett. I work for an organization called Trees for the Future. We work around the world to start agroforestry projects. I have spoken with Gloria Aquino and Jason Cochran and know that PC Paraguay has a pretty well developed agfo program. If you need any assistance though we provide seeds and technical materials for agroforestry projects. Please check us out at www.plant-trees.org. You can see my profile on the staff page so you know this isn't just some spam deal. I cannot post my email here or I will get a bunch of spam. Feel free to contact me through the main email address that you can find on the contact us page on our website. Best of luck on your service.