EN VIVO DESDE GUARAMBARE!

What do you mean??? I´m actually here in Paraguay.

so i´m here in an internet cafe down the street from our training center in the town of guarambare. we arrived yesterday, met all of the training staff, and had our first day of orientation. everyone is really nice, combination of american expatriates and paraguayans that will train us in various areas of comptency such as language, community development, cultural adaptation, and a rack of other things i can´t remember offhand.

so let´s get on to the things that you really want to know, first thing first - YOUR GIRL IS LIVING IN THE LAP OF LUXURY IN DIS JONT! no i´m kidding, but i do have running water, indoor plumbing, and i even took a hot shower last night! so yes nirv, the joke is kind of on all of us...lol. my family is amazing, they love me to death and were relieved (to say the least) that i spoke spanish. the toilet is modern, but you put the tissues is a wastebasket on the side so you don´t clog the plumbing. all of that to say that i can wake up every morning and make sure that it´s going to be a GREAT day...lol. the food is pretty good, though we had milanesa (fried steak) last night that was a little bland (but yall know i punished it anyway!), and they also don´t drink liduids with dinner but after. luckily i was not asphxiated by the milanesa so it was okay. my family lives on a decent-sized farm about 20 minutes from the town, it´s really peaceful so i didn´t really have to adjust at all; basically like the suburbs. they have a huge house, 3 daughters, and the parents are retired teachers. the father is a carpenter. they have cows, chickens, a rooster, four dogs (one named toni) and a cat named misuri (yes, as in missouri...lmao). i was like damn, yall aren´t too different from my family! they have a huge outdoor waraparound patio and gardens; just last night my mama made me a tea from guayaba leaves to help my sore throat. they also have television and a land line. oh and also, my mama instructed me to put my clothes in the hamper, since someone was coming to wash all the clothes and they´ll be dry when i get home today! i was like, damn my own mother doesn´t wash my clothes! lmao.

in terms of the weather, let me say that it is COLD DOWN HERE, as in we woke up this morning and it was 36 degrees!!! there is no heat in the houses or the training center so we pretty much freeze...lol (but yet, not). supposedly it won´t last for too long though...

everyone in the group is really cool, no weirdo hippies either! i am also happy to say that i am not the only one that keeps it treal at all times :-)

so i probably will not get a cellphone until i finish training so i can properly adjust. and to be honest it´s pretty nice not to have one, so i can´t be reached 24/7. i suggest that all of yall get skype so we can chop it up over the internet when i come to the cafe at times like this.

anyway, i need to catch the bus back to the homestead with my other friends so that´s all for now. i love yall and take care!

until next time....

sashi

Last Hours in DC

I'm down to my last few hours in DC. Lots of tears, lots of smiles, too many good-byes. Certain things I should have probably left a little differently, but there's nothing that can be done now. I just hope that I have packed everything I need - Kara didn't to think I needed Dove Bodywash (wdym???) - but either way I will have to make numerous adjustments when I get to Paraguay.

Many people have asked if I am excited; the truth is that right now I am not. This is not to say that there is only the anguish of leaving everything I know and love behind, but one of the many emotions I will encounter on my journey. This is whole thing is so huge, and I really don't think I'll grasp the idea that I'm really doing this until I begin the pre-departure orietation or set foot in Asuncion. In the end, I know it will be an amazing experience.

I still have several things to do, and it would be great if I could get some sleep tonight, so that's all for now...