What’s
today’s date? What day is it? What’s going on outside of the red dirt calle of
Maracana that I reside in? Well I couldn’t really tell you. Today it dawned on
me that just the three or four (not sure?) days in site has completely molded
my sense of time, so that it is based on when its hot, hotter, hotter than
hell, when it wants to rain, its going to rain, raining and whether or not I
should be mate-ing, terere-ing, or rubbing my stomach as it digest the 12th
meal in site that is a stew-ie substance of meat and carbs..
I
have spent my mornings sweating in places I didn’t know I could, to sitting
under the porch as we have front row seats to thunder storms and rain storms
that out beat anything that we have in states, in all of these circumstances I am
sitting with groups of people understanding nothing, speaking little and
wrapping my head around the fact that this town is my home for the next two
years.Now as much as this may
seem like I’m rambling on about how I’m handling the weather and not understanding
people, I have a sense of relief since I am finally starting the process of
which is Peace Corps. On
Monday, December 9th, I swore in as a Peace Corps volunteer, almost
a decade after my desire to join the Peace Corps, I am finally here living out
my dream. This fact is what I know I can use to keep me going when days are
rough or when I feel like I want to give up. I also use this fact as a reminder
of how amazing it to accomplish such a long-term goal of mine. And even when
the people look at me oddly when I say “I’m here to help the community and
share your culture”, I try to remind myself that hopefully just by being
present in their lives will make some sort of an impact. When
I started this blog post, it was before I knew I would be so off the grid even
though I’m only 4 km off the routa (major highway), my site feels like the
campo. My floors are dirt, all the hombres are working around the heat in the
kokue (fields), the mujeres are working in the kitchen and cleaning the houses,
the kids are using insanely large insects as toys to pass the time away, and
I’m out walking from house to house using the Guarani I know to try to explain
who this weird looking girl is that randomly showed up in our town. Reviewing
this for a third time, I am now adding what has happened in the first ten days
mas o menos in my site,I have
eaten insane amounts of meat and carbs, walked in the dead heat of day for
several hours, laid in my hammock for several hours, partake in the rezo (week
long prayer ceremony for a dead family member), had my hair braided in many
fashionable styles, danced at a graduation until 3 am, swam in an arroyo with
waterfalls, fallen in mud,almost
cried during dinner,eaten passion
fruit fresh off the vine,stumbled
on speaking the language,met up
with the volunteer closest to me for a Churrasco style Navidad dinner, and have
gone through a whirl wind of emotions.
I can’t really bring myself to say Merry Christmas and Happy New Years, as I
know I’ll be sweating my booty off sitting in the hot hot heat.But I’m bringing some Christmas cookies
to Paraguay, by making Crackle cookies with my host sister.Much love.
Here is my mailing address; it’s a long one. This is the first time I’ll be
using this to see if it works, so send stuff sparingly for now and maybe put
some jesus stickers on it if you can find any. Thanks J I miss coffee, that is all :) lol well not really
but still. Ha Kelsey Eaton, Cuerpo de Paz volunatrio 0985566016 Calle 15 de Agosto No. 145 En el local del Correo Dr. Juan Eulogio Estigarribia ex, Campo 9 Compania Maracana, departamento de Caaguazú 3660, Paraguay (South
America)
***** I don't have internet yet, that's going to take some time like a few weeks. When I go to town I will try to get to online****