Friday, February 26, 2010

Believe

2/23/10

I hope everyone is well out there. Life has been pretty wild as usual. There was Carnaval on Sat night where there was a parade in the heart of Villeta. Everyone came from all over to see it and it was pretty cool. People had foam spray cans to squirt each other with and it was a much needed descansa (rest) for us volunteers. I don’t have many hours to myself, pretty much only right before I am about to go to sleep. Today I made a presentation to my fellow volunteers and one of the program directors about Paraguay’s education system. I had to do some research, talk to community members and educators. I had a principal and fellow volunteer’s host mom (who is a teacher) come in to talk about their perspective. We also did 2 truths and a lie about random educational facts and realities in Paraguay. The volunteer after me made a sick presentation on self-esteem building with youth. There are many parallels between the struggles of the Paraguayan educational system and poor performing schools in the states, only imagine Paraguayan schools being a lot worse most of the time. The way of teaching here is pretty different. Students can be seen in class just copying what the teacher writes and not doing anything engaging or dynamic. Kids here only go to school for four hours a day as well and some of that time and wasted as well (although the ministry of education is trying to reform the system to 8hr days…).

This past Saturday I also went to a shelter for abandoned children and got to do a bunch of mini sports game with kids. We did dodgeball and some other juegos which were really fun. It was crazy hearing about how kids get found in the streets all alone. One kid got dropped off in a cardboard box as a baby. Something that was really wild to hear was how a bunch of families wanted to adopt this one girl but decided not to because she had a brother who was darker skinned. Race has been something that has come out frequently here. I feel like I am under the microscope at times because every move I make represents how people view a black male from the US. (Let’s not forget about my Dominican half as well!) For better or for worse my being here has had and will have an affect on what people think about darker skinned peoples and it is something I am constantly keeping in mind as I go about things. I have had some conversations with Paraguayans about how ridiculous it is to attribute characteristics to someone based on their race. One volunteer told me her grandmother said that she was so happy to have a nice pretty white girl staying with her and not a black one. These things are pretty disheartening to hear at times, but my optimism in people’s ability to change keeps me going. Everyday I am meeting people and having good conversations and EXPOSURE is the key for a lot of them. In the states, people keep a lot of their racial opinions within family or to themselves. It’s cool to be able to engage people on some level about their beliefs. I try to be careful about how I talk about myself here as well. I talk about Harvard and certain achievements but do not want to be tokenized. Race, class, gender, sexual orientation… name the topic it has us all tripping. I figure if so many of those before could put their anger to the backburner and keeping working towards progress, so can I.

On another note, it seems that a recurring theme in this blog will be how thankful I am for what I had/have. My host sister Alba is a superstar. She works 16 hour days when university is out and when it’s in session she gets up at 5, works till like 3, comes home, takes a shower, and then goes to university in the capital 45 min away and gets back home around 10 11ish. She is the first one in her family to go to college and she is so passionate about school. Everything here has made me think of how relative things can be. Relative happiness, contentment, economic stuggle, etc. It’s just crazy to think about how everyone has so many daunting problems and issues in their lives. It is truly a blessing to be equipped to deal with them and come out better. Tomorrow I get to make a presentation about my life to the volunteers for ten minutes. It will be hard for me to talk about myself for that long… Not! Haha. All my RYI peeps know we had plenty of that this summer. BTW it’s amazing how much working in Roxbury doing SUP was a great platform for doing this. What will be hard is trying to help people get a grasp of who I am and how I’ve come to believe what I do. It’s pretty wild trying to reflect on how to explain to people the essentials of my life so far. Getting to know fellow volunteers has been so amazing. From families to funny stories, and overall life experience, everyone is so unique. Hearing about the different adversity in everyone’s lives and what inspired them to do Peace Corps helps sustain us all from time to time. It is a wonderful feeling to wake up everyday and feel connected to this cause, as if I was meant to be here at this point in my life (hope that didn’t sound too fatalist!). Thursday I am headed to Asunción, (the capital) to do a mission with a friend from my group. We have to find several landmarks, which include a government department that works with youth, a FIFA soccer museum, and a supermarket. It should be fun trying to navigate the city and ask for directions (although google maps makes everything mad easy). Guaraní is kicking my butt as usual. My host sister helped me make flashcards. It’s crazy learning Guaraní through Spanish when the languages are nothing alike except for mixed words which are spoken when people combine Guaraní and Spanish in what is called jopara. This Saturday I leave to another city to stay with a volunteer in the field for four days. It should be exciting to see a volunteer’s day to day to process and see what real life will possibly look like for me. So far we have had current volunteers in the field come in to do activities with us and share their experiences. I’m a little nervous but I know that’s a good thing. I’m off to work on my life presentation w/some good ol Norah Jones. Shout out to my brother Paul who turned 11 today. He’s NFL bound!

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

The Gift of Friendship

2/16 Pardon the misspelling and lack of paragraphs... so much to do so little time...

Figured it was about time for another update. Learning Guaraní is has been a rollercoaster. It truly is a unique situation to be learning a language from scratch while currently living in the place where it is spoken. All of the people in our town are excited to see us learning it but expect sooo much of us so fast. At times it’s tough to not just say STOP! I need you to pump the brakes so I can learn the basics first. My mind is seriously constantly being stretched. Between English, Spanish, some Portuguese and Guaraní, it is truly una locura. On a lighter note, my fame has grown a bit as a result of my constant desire to do some sort of sports in the afternoon to evening after class. It’s gotten to the point where I go to other people’s houses to pick up their kids to come with me to play basketball, soccer or volei (similar to volleyball). Me and a few of the other volunteers are regulars on the court or field. The other day I squared off against a Paraguayan who came out rocking a LeBron James jersey. I was actually about to leave the court but couldn’t resist the temptation to show him it was America’s time! Needless to say Team USA got the job done. I got to go out this past Saturday with some of the volunteers and their siblings for a much needed night on the town. It was cool to relax. Saturday night is the only night we really have to ourselves. Another quick story… So one of the volunteers invited me to her crib at the request of her family because a few of her sisters seem to like me. It was a pretty hilarious time and I guess as my boy Lou says “it feels good to be liked” haha. Today I actually encountered my first sort of racial remark as I was walking with one of the volunteers and some of their siblings to the center of town. A young dude drove bye with some peeps in a truck and as they rode by, he yelled something negative about my skin color which I didn’t catch. One of the teens I play sports told me he said something negative about me being black and it was a little disheartening but I got over it pretty quickly. I know a lot of what people believe is based on what they were brought up in. Our arbitrary upbringings have strong implications for what we’ll become and how we will think. (Not to mention poor education) For now I just try to kill em with kindness. I think just by being a constant presence here people’s views will naturally shift. It’s not often that a black male from the US is seen. I know that all the families I have gotten to know have really taken a liking to me and I’d like to think my witty one liners have something to do with it (haha a little self-indulging I know). All in all the experience has been greatness so far. I have to make a presentation next week on the structure of the Paraguayan school system, teaching methodologies, etc. I am pumped for that as I have to do a bunch of research and invite people from my community to come and watch. I will also have several young people I hang out with helping me co-facilitate the charla. I have been thoroughly impressed by the resources Peace Corps has at its disposal. Today we had three current urban youth volunteers come and talk about their experiences thus far. They have been all working for a year so far. It was sooo tight hearing about their ups and downs, norms, hard times, inspiring times etc. I’m so glad to be blessed with the opportunity to be here and be doing something I love. I couldn’t imagine life any other way. I’m just thankful my parents instilled in me to follow my passions and I hope to do the same with youth here. I will say that it hasn’t been too bad for me adjusting here. It’s all come so natural. I just spent two hours talking with my host sister about life in Paraguay, joking, laughing, and just appreciating how amazing it is that we have had such different lives that have now converged to provide another unique and special experience. Ok too much romanticism I know. I’ll leave you with what Paraguay has been so far… Todo Tranquilo. There is a calm I have never known. A peace in the simple things. Ambition has always been a strong and important part of my life but perhaps it has led me astray from some of the other essentials. The city of Villeta in Barrio San Martin is giving me some much needed reminders of all that is right in the world. For that I am truly grateful.

Welcome to the Neighborhood

From 2/12, Sorry internet is few and far between.

Woooow. Wooooooooow. Wooooooooooooooow. I think that pretty much sums up the breathtaking experiences that have occurred so far. It’s really starting to hit home that I am actually here and going to be here for some time. Just got out of training for the day and so glad it’s Friday. Tomorrow we only have language training in the morning. I placed out of Spanish training for the most part based on an interview we had although we all will continue to practice Spanish and get better via technical training and daily living in our community. The focus has become Guaraní. A language unlike anything I’ve ever seen. Sometimes I feel like I’m in kindergarten trying to understand and repeat phrases. Mbaiechapa. Meaning how are you. Ipora. Meaning I am well. Also the pronunciation is often not how it’s spelled! So much information and customs and ideas are being thrown my way and I’m just trying my best to be as much of a sponge as possible. I will say it has truly been great being around the other volunteers. No more wow you are doing the Peace Corps or why? Just people who have similar passions as you, each bringing their unique life experiences, crossing paths and working to do something meaningful. My chances to use the internet are few and far between, although I will be trying to go to other volunteers houses who have internet. I am getting quite accustomed to cold showers. In this heat they can be my saving grace. In the morning when it is a lot more cool I simply keep whispering to myself “don’t be soft” hahaha. I’d say we take about 3 showers a day simply because of the heat and sweating. Paraguayans have an acute sense of smell, cleanliness is truly next to Godliness. I’ve gotten to know a bunch of the kids in my neighborhood. A bunch of the volunteers live in homestays with younger kids. I am headed I about a half hour to play soccer with an eleven and thirteen year old I know, we may even play basketball! Yesterday the host sister of one the volunteers took us to centro, the main part of town along with her friend who studies at the university. They were really sweet and funny. I think they were pretty entertained by my one liners in Spanish like “peligroso es mi nombre medio.” Or asking them about all the boys they were waving to and if they were amigos con beneficios. They even promised to take me and some of the other volunteers out dancing this weekend for a night on the town. The Paraguayan ladies are very attractive. I will also say they are much more mature for their age. 16 year olds come across like college kids in the states and my host sister who is 22 has a vibe like shes in her 30s. I think one of the most touching parts so far has just been the general conversation I have with my host family. Each day we sit down several times a day and drink terere which is this Paraguayan type of cold tea that is beyond ritual and pretty much a lifestyle. You pour cold water into a special cup called a guampa mixed with yerba mate and other types of leaves (yuyos) that you smash up. You then pass it around in a circle drinking it for an hour or so at a time. Some people drink it continuously all day. As volunteers we have already picked up the habit in language classes. It is stimulating w/not too much caffeine and helps you with energy and what not. One of my favorite parts of the day is after dinner when we bring chairs out onto the patio and just chill outside talking about life, telling jokes and exchanging stories. We talk with the neighbors who are outdoors as well and us volunteers go from patio to patio joking and conversing w/everyone. Community is alive and well here. Everyone knows each other and looks out for one another. Everyone comes to my spot to check out the newborn baby. It’s crazy to have a baby around all the time. A nice reminder of the beauty of life and the short time we have here. I will say in my short time here, that the lifestyle is very seductive, especially for all the romantic idealists like myself. It is a shame we don’t know this kind of peace a lot of times in the states. Currently sipping on some mango juice, bread with a guayava spread, pondering how to provide sustainable change. What could be better….Well that’s all for now gotta eat this snack and go show em my skills on the soccer field/bball court! O and btw, in case you didn’t know, I love it here.

Monday, February 8, 2010

Genesis

Currently chilling in JFK airport with mad time to kill so I figured to put a start to the much anticipated tale that's about to unfold. It's crazy to think this is actually happening and yet somehow I'm not too phased right now. I can't really fathom being gone so long but I'm sure it'll sink in pretty soon. I'm heading to Miami in a few hours and will be there until Tuesday night when we fly from Miami to Paraguay with a lay over in São Paulo, Brazil. Perhaps I'll dip from the airport for a bit in Brazil and hit up a futsal court and joga bonito. I'm pumped to meet all the fellow volunteers I will be doing training with for the first 3 months. During that time we will all be living in a town about an hour from the capital called Guarambaré. We stay with host families and our days are dedicated to language and technical training. After those three months we are officially sworn in as Peace Corps volunteers and move to our permanent site for the remaining two years. The permanent site we get placed in has to do with what slots are open at the time and based on the Peace Corps Staff's evaluation of our abilities. As many of the peeps I've talked to know, I will not only be speaking Spanish but also an indigenous language called Guaraní. Most Paraguayans speak Guaraní as well and it will definitely be a cool challenge to try and learn it upon my arrival. I don't know how much more my brain can take. Spanish to Portuguese now to Guarani and Spanish... I wish I had the Belgian language skills! Anywayz good to get this thing started up and shout out to all my family and friends wherever you may be. Much Love and keep fighting the good fight. I'm out like all the Who dat fans on Bourbon street.