Week 1!

So I can’t think straight and my blag today is just going to be a list of random things I’ve noticed this week:

–          Fruit: it’s everywhere and wonderful. I’m a huge fan of mangoes and we have a mango tree in our front yard that drops down a couple mangoes every days and scares the heck out of me when I’m sitting under the tree drinking terere. I picked avacadoes with my host mom and sister the other day. I told them when they ripen, I will be making them some good ol’ guacamole. I also helped peel lima (i think?) beans the other day with my host mom.

–          Family: they are pretty chill and great. My host dad gets really excited when I’m thinking about how to say something right and then get it right. It’s pretty endearing. My host mom takes care of me so well and is very “mothering.” She’s introduced me as her new daughter to all the neighbors and friends I’ve met. My host sister is 15 and pretty quiet, but I guess I was pretty quiet at that age too.

–          Bedbugs. Some people in other communities have gotten these. Earhghhh. Doesn’t seem pleasant. I don’t need them – I already am scratching my moquito bites. Apparently, your skin gets tougher my host family said. I’m skeptical but hope they are right.

–          Ironing: Apparently now, I have to iron. Not because I am a professional, but because botflies lay their eggs on your clothes while they are drying in the sun and ironing will kill the eggs. Basically, if they hatch on you, you have some alien lifeform moving around under your skin and I would rather not have that happen. No thanks.

–           Dreams: I’ve been having dreams about spanish and guarani. I consider this a good sign.

–          Nice people: I was offered a ride to the main road today from the dirt road (muddy now, because it’s rained a lot) I live off of to the main road which is about a 20 minute walk. Now I know what you’re thinking: “Nicole, you’re nuts, getting into a car with some person you don’t know in a country you just moved to?” Perhaps [but this is Paraguay and for the most part I’ve found so far that people just want to help you. I’ve been given directions nicely each time I’ve needed them here]. But I’m still alive, the driver (who was driving through the neighborhood selling filtered water out of his truck) was very nice and talkative and just super excited that I was so far away from home to volunteer in his country. And I’m still alive! I promise I use common sense.

–          Brain. It’s so dead from all the language. My notes are a mess of English, Spanish and Guarani and I really just think it’s nuts that they think I know Spanish well enough to learn another language through it (our prof doesn’t speak English). But then, when I get out of class, I feel like I couldn’t even put together a coherant sentence in English if I needed to. My brain is mush with a ton of new vocabulary just kind of floating around in there.

–          Schedule: We have almost 4 hours of language class a day (7:45 to 11:30 AM) then we eat lunch with the host families and spend 1:30 – 5:00 at the training center. At least this week. Things may change I think?

p.s. I’m sorry if this made no sense. See the “brain” section and that should explain it.