Saturday, October 2, 2010

Slacker

I´ve been a total slacker with this blog lately, not to mention my life. Continuing, actually, because this entry is basically going to be just pictures. But if a picture is worth a thousand words, then I guess it might be the most well-thought-out and eloquent entry yet. So this, in picture form, is what I´ve been up to.

G27 left. Their last hoorah was the Ahendu concert.
Julie, me and Shola
Liam and me
Paulette and me
Liz, Meli, Paulette, and Stu
Me and Mateo

We went to Jesse and Lisa´s site to see a Torin, Paraguayan Bullfight, which are really funny because these "bulls" are really just cows that spend every day around people and are domesticated and lazy. They´d chase the cloth for a while, and then just lay down and decide whatever these weird-ass people were doing wasn´t worth the effort. There was also a lot of alcohol involved, so it was lots of fun.


Me and Jenna
Lisa, Meli and Me

Vac meeting that we made into a fondue party/game night/sleepover.




I have been doing a little work. Here are some cute kids from Kavichu´i.





We had our 2nd Fair for Toys Made from Recycled Materials, which went well (it´s weird to be here long enough to do things 2 years in a row)







And then there was Courtney´s Birthday.
Courtney, Joan and me
Courtney, Joan, me and Lindsay
Nikki, Lindsay, Brett, and Stu

If I didn´t already know it was gonna be awesome, from having gone last year, I might have held the extremely offensive advertising against Reggaefest this year.
Blackface? Are you f-ing kidding me?

But we went anyway and it was awesome.





And here are just some random pics.
I thought this was a more positive message than the shirt I saw on an 8yr old the other day that said, "Love is not dead until now."
This is the best salad I´ve ever had because it´s made from lettuce from my very own huerta
Did you know this is how you say hummus in Spanish?
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LINGO DICTIONARY

Chuchi - this is probably my new most popular word. It means snobby or fancy, but is used in the Peace Corps as anything nicer than dirt roads and shacks, or for a person, anyone who showers with hot water. Living in the city, I am super chuchi for here.

Fuerte - literally means strong, but because the culture is based on talking around everything, it´s when a person says anything they want in a direct way - it means asshole

Puede ser and otro dia - literally means "could be" or "another day", but because noone will directly blow someone off, both of them mean "never" and are the answer to a question of when something will happen

Deseas, en tus sueños, Que Arriba Perra/o and Es lo qué es - these are the terrible translations of American sayings that are not used here and don´t really translate, but we say them anyway. Literally they mean "you wish", "in your dreams", "What´s up bitch/dog?" and "it is what it is"

Qué guapa - this means "what a hard worker" and is used by Paraguayans every time I do ANYTHING manual, including carrying a dish to the sink or sweeping out my room. I don´t think they have high expectations for Americans and work.

Saludos - sending saludos by way of a mutual friend is how people tell each other they have a crush on them. The most serious kinds are given with a pinch on the arm and they mean business.

Thumbs up - this is done everywhere here and is a simple answer to pretty much any question. I will probably have carpal tunel in my thumbs when I leave here because I do this so much.

No se como comer esta - this is how one refuses food in Paraguay. Literally, it´s "I don´t know how to eat this" which creates an internal struggle for me each time it´s said because I want to be a smartass and explain that, just like any other food, you put in in your mouth and chew, but I don´t think that´s acceptable here.

No Más and Un poco - this is said after almost every phrase for no real reason other than to make everything sound like it´s not a big deal, even when it really is. Literally, it´s "No More" and "A Little", so the translations are something like "Sit down no more", "Come here a little", and "Do you want dinner no more?"

Cocido - this is a hot drink mixed by carmellizing sugar with a little yerba, adding just enough water to wet it, and then adding more sugar. It´s served by the thermos-full just before bed.

Mosto - this is to sugar what crack is to cocaine. It´s a "tradional" drink capable of putting even the sweetest tooth into a diabetic coma, and is served continuously at fun gatherings like funerals.

Ch-ch-ch-ch - this is the sound Paraguayans make to get each others´attention - like "Psst" . It´s especially used for catcalling, and they have nothing to follow it with - they just want you to look.