Monday, May 31, 2010

Great Limitations

The word that I dread most when thinking about my time here: patience. I knew when I arrived in Paraguay it would be a battle to deal with the different pace of life and bureaucracy that goes along with trying to get things done. Right now I have a lot of work going on. I am working with two youth groups, planning community projects and meeting to go over topics like leadership and self-esteem. I work at the comedor doing school reinforcement and games with younger children. I am working in two schools teaching life and job skills. I am putting together my English and computer classes that I will teach through the community cooperative. I am also working at a women’s center that is being built in the community with the aim of providing technology to adolescent girls and women who wouldn’t have access otherwise. I’ll be teaching computers along with themes on gender, sex-ed and other topics with Paraguayan counterparts.

What I am really learning to deal with is how everything is a process. To get a project approved or funded by the right source is a process. To get a list of students put together for class is a process. To be on the same page with teachers and principals as well. When it rains, no one wants to leave their home to do anything. Operating under the lens of US efficiency helps us do a lot here but at the same time, it allows for easy frustration if you don’t take a deep breath and realize “it is what it is.” All in all I am pleased with my progress thus far. I have done a few charlas in the schools on geography and self esteem and will be co-teaching with Paraguayan teachers in the upcoming weeks. It has been great getting to know people in my community. Everywhere I go kids call me out to say hello. People are finally starting to believe that I am indeed American and not Brazilian haha. It is an interesting experience to live in a place continuously and always stand out. Everywhere I walk no one looks like me and no matter how much I have grown used to it traveling and living in different places overseas, it never gets old. In Paraguay it provides a new twist as I am living in a specific barrio where most people at least know of each other and poverty runs rampant. I have really been trying to integrate into the community. We drink mate exchange life stories and find commonalities. It’s amazing how different a life you can live from someone else and still come to appreciate and admire similar things.

The politics of who is aligned with who can be trying at times when I am trying to get unanimous support for a project but I guess it’s good practice at diplomacy. Ita Paso has a painful past where people displaced from river flooding had to relocate and start from scratch. They had to overcome lack of electricity and water along with violence that plagued the community upon its inception. To this day some people still live in shacks that are essentially like living outside. It’s hard to take in but all you can do is keep working to help any way you can.

I’ve found the challenge of adapting to life here to be somewhat difficult but overall not too bad. A good dose of optimism and mate keeps me going most days. Fighting the good fight keeps me in good spirits for the most part. When I need to escape, I can head to the centro of Encarnación to a nice restaurant or café. Last Sunday when the gf was in town we went to this cool Uruguayan café and had some cappuccinos croissant sandwiches and juice while I read Sunday NY Times. Life couldn’t get any better haha. We also hit up a cool French restaurant and NY pizza place. I have also met a few Dominicans who own a gyro shop and I have gotten to shoot the breeze with them a few times. One of them actually lived in the same neighborhood as my grandparents in NYC before moving to Paraguay because of marriage. One day I was walking down the street and as he is brown skinned, he saw me walking and shouted out “Dominicano?!” I immediately shouted back sí! We struck an instant bond and in Paraguay of all places I got a chance to cling to that part of my heritage, which has often eluded me. Hes invited me over to have rice and beans whenever I want and I’ll be sure to take him up on that offer. One of his friends is also trying to hook me up to get on a club basketball team in my free time. Sometimes standing out the way I do has its benefits haha. Another great stress killer has been the cell phone plan we have with other volunteers. I can call my fellow volunteers from training for free pretty much anytime and we all get to vent, whine, joke, motivate, and inspire each other within the same conversation. Although I may be alone physically most of the time, I never feel too far away from people that I can truly rap to. Internet is also a crucial component. Espn, facebook, NYT, Gmail, tv shows, gotta love it. I truly give props to Peace Corps volunteers living with a lot less access to technology than I have. It’s a trip at times to be able to talk to my fam in the states from my computer and look out the window and see grass being cut with machetes and cows and roosters making noise at all hours. Juxtaposition for 500 Alex? I’m headed to the capital this week for a few meetings. I’m pumped in 2 weeks for my bday as a bunch of us will be getting together to celebrate in my training community as I enter my Jordan year (Jmac reference!). Much love to all my fam and friends out there. I’m out like Arizona’s respectability. (Sorry Jhall & Nick)

Shout out to my sister Sam who is in Buenos Aires for the summer doing big things. (See you in month or two!)
And my sister Primavera for closing out Senior year and headed to Syracuse U next fall!