It’s been a decent amount of time since my last blog post,
and a lot of things have transpired since then.
First, I’m officially a Peace Corps Volunteer. Long time for
that to finally happen! I’m at site now and will be here for the next 24
months. Three down, 24 to go. Hopefully
I can keep pace to have 27 blog posts by the time everything is said and done.
It’ll be interesting to look back at how my life changes over this period of
time. My advisor at Texas A&M, Gary Wingenbach, advised me that I take a
photo of myself every month at the same time and place to see how I change over
the years. It sounds like a crazy idea, and well, he is a bit crazy himself but
he does have a valid point. I shared the idea with my other training mates and
they seem pretty keen to it.
I’m at site now. My community is called Capitán
Leguizámon
in the district of San Pedro del Paraná, department Itapuá.
You won’t be able to find my site on Google Maps, but the closest you’ll find
is San Pedro del Paraná and that’ll give you a good idea of where I live. I’m about
10km from San Pedro, and I live way out in the sticks. It’s actually pretty
nice and relaxing, except for the persistent blazing heat everyday. The hottest
I’ve seen so far is 112, just a few days ago. It’s crazy how you perceive heat;
when it gets down in the 80’s at night it feels a bit “cool” out. No paved
roads here, no cell service, no running water. In fact, it’s not even dirt
roads here, just sand. The “soil” quality is incredibly poor here and that is
going to be one of my main missions for my Peace Corps work. Imagine trying to
plant a field of corn or beans on a beach; that’s pretty much what it’s like
here. My work is to teach farmers the benefits of using “abonos verdes,” green
manures and cover crops to help recuperate the soil. Green manures are planted
amongst other crops to provide nitrogen to the soil and to help break the
hardpan that may exist further down the soil profile. Cover crops perform
exactly how they sound; they provide cover to prevent soil erosion and organic
matter to decompose when the field is not in production. I also have an
agricultural high school at site, which is a rarity among the agriculture
volunteers in Paraguay. They have a bunch of different projects going on so it
will be interesting to see how that work pans out over two years. I’m so new
and fresh here that it is really hard to speculate how my work will transpire.
Flexibility is one of the main values of all Peace Corps Volunteers around the
world; I gotta keep that in perspective.
We haven’t had rain in about a month. It’s getting dry and
I’m looking forward for the rains to come. I planted a few crops right away
when I got to site but hadn’t expected for such dry conditions. Only half of it
came up and it’s looking pretty dismal. I have a ton of different seeds but
don’t want to take any more chances on planting until I know there will be
adequate water for the plants to grow. The weather is pretty wild here.
Everyday in the afternoons the clouds get really dark and you can hear thunder
but it always passes over. But it does provide for some amazing sunsets at
night. I’m looking forward to receiving my camera from long-term storage so
that I can capture some of these amazing moments. My iPhone just can’t do it
justice, and I’m not even sure if a DSLR camera can do the trick either.
A list of happenings so far.
Best food: So’o
apu’a (meat/corn balls in a creamy sauce)
Not-so best food:
Kidney soup
Funny moment: Joking
with my host mom that she might have worms because she was going for fourths on
her favorite meal.
Strange moment: “This
is my granddaughter, and this one is my daughter” (said X woman introducing me
to two little girls of the same age. Not a lie.)
Sad moment:
Attending the ninth and final day of mourning for the loss of a community
member
Humbling moment: Shaking
the hand of a 103-year old grandfather of a community contact. Imagine the
things he has seen in his lifetime…
Kinda scary moment:
A dog trying to attack me while riding my bike.
A German shepherd-mix with some big teeth. I carry rocks in my backpack
now.
Not-so scary moment: Waking
up and seeing a softball-sized spider/tarantula in my room and not freaking
out.
Sweaty moment:
Everyday. Story of my life.
Surprising moment:
Watching a hedgehog climb up our gate and onto the roof. I didn’t know they
exist in Paraguay!?
Uncertainties: I
feel like I don’t know what I’m doing. Am I “working” enough? Am I gaining the
respect of my community? Am I advancing my language skills?
Accomplishment(s): I
started a compost pile with my family. I got a bike. I went to town in the
blazing sun and purchased my family a Christmas gift. And they appreciated it.
And I cooked a “heterei” pasta dish for family. They loved it.
Learn some Guaraní:
Heterei – very delicious
Haku – hot (temperature)(said every five minutes in this
country, no joke)
Ndaipori oky/y – there’s no rain/water
So’o – meat
Ryguasu – chicken
My address has changed (not that I’ve received anything
except cards and packages from my parents! *Insert sarcasm here*)
Orry Pratt
Correo
Central Encarnación 6000
Tel:
0984656118
Paraguay
South America
