Originally
written 26 April 2012
Training is over. Last Friday (4/20) I officially
swore-in as a Peace Corps Volunteer and on Tuesday (4/24) I moved to the
Paraguayan community where I will be living and working for the next two years.
“So, Chris,” you might wonder, “surely you
must have learned a ton over the past ten weeks of training. Please, enlighten us. Tell us all about these new and wonderful
things you know.”
Well, then, where should I begin?
I have learned that if you are informed something is happening “en seguida,”
it can mean any time between “right this very moment” and “never.” I have also learned that this ambiguous
phrase is incredibly frustrating when told to you,but incredibly convenient
when you’re telling it to somebody else.
I have learned how to say “there are little
black kittens” in Guaraní. However, I cannot successfully construct any
other complete sentence that is neither a personal statement nor a direct
question.
I have learned that even if the bathroom
door is unlocked, the lights are off, and nobody is responding to your knocks,
there is still a solid chance that it’s occupied.
I have learned to value broccoli over beef.
I have learned to stop translating every
transaction into “how many dollars does this cost?” and to start thinking in
terms of “how many bus fares does this equal?”
I have learned that the concept of “adult
learning techniques” entails a shocking amount of drawing and coloring. I have yet to learn why.
I have learned that the single most
reliable way to successfully break prolonged awkward silence in Paraguay is the
following equation: “Rico es” +“X”
(Where X stands for any possible food you can think of regardless of how
delicious it actually is). Not only will
everyone around you speak up to agree, but they’re bound to begin mentioning a
lot of other rico foods that you can
consequently agree with as well.
I have learned that, in the 21st
century, it is actually possible to survive two and a half months without a
cell phone and I hope I never, ever have to try to again.
I have learned how to drink boiling tea
through a scalding metal straw.
I have learned that for as naturally pretty
as the mandioca plant is, its edible
root is doing it absolutely no justice.
I have learned that for as naturally pretty
as the mango tree is, its edible fruit is doing a serviceable job.
I have learned that I absolutely cannot
distinguish the pronunciations of the letters y and ŷ in
Guaraní, no matter how many
hours a native speaker spends trying to teach me.
I have learned that the
strangely addictive result of baking corn flour, cheese and lard is called chipa and that it alone can sustain you
during the five days leading up to Easter.
I’m under the impression that Jesus would be proud of me for this, but I
never learned exactly why.
I have learned that while being guapo/hard-working is one of the
personal characteristics most highly valued by Paraguayans and Americans alike,
the two have very distinct and different ways of defining it. However, I think I’ve learned that taking
initiative is at the core of both culture’s definitions.
Despite ten weeks of
densely packed training, I have learned that I still have no real idea what
anything over the next two years will actually be like, with two obvious
exceptions:
1) I have
learned that there is an awesome collection of Americans scattered throughout
Paraguay that I get to refer to as mis compañeros.
2) I have
learned that there is at least one incredibly generous, super linda Paraguayan family that has my back
no matter what.
if chipa is anything like 7 11 nachos (siete nueve?) I'm in......
ReplyDeleteNothing like it. Depending on the recipe, though, chipa can taste a bit like Cheeze-Its...
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