things i pondered last nite

i just thought of this last nite and wanted to share

THINGS I REALLY LIKE ABOUT PARAGUAY:

people embrace you openly and invite you into their homes before they even know your name

paraguayans are increidibly hospitable--i get to be spoiled by host families in terms of what i eat and practically do no housework (hmmm it reminds me of being at home in l.a....jaja)

people compliment me on my dancing eventhough everybody back home knows that i cant dance for shit....all you do is shake your hips and ass and you are considered good...jaja

generally i feel safe if i am in a rural community-- since everybody knows eacthother crime is minimal

people think that i am paraguayan because of my looks and are interested to know more about my background

THINGS THAT FRUSTRATE ME ABOUT PARAGUAY

machismo--being treated like a sexual object.... also, i would really like to see womens rights improve within the 2 yrs that i am here eventhough it might be minute/minimal---something is better than nothing....

i am having a really hard time learning guarani and truthfully since paraguayans speak it at home and it is their language of choice---in order to fully get to know a paraguayan, i have to learn it!!!

a lot of chisme--most of it gets invented and distorted along the way that once you hear it, you know that it is absolutely not true!!

i really wish there was more value in getting an education and therefore a better education system

access to credit really sucks and i know that this will be a big obstacle in my next 2 yrs since it is important for growth

you cant throw toilet paper down the toilet!!! arghhhh!!!! jajaja

damn roosters wake me up so early in the morning!!!!

THINGS THAT I MISS ABOUT THE U.S.

family and friends of course!!! seriously i do think about you guys often and seriously do pray that you find yourselves well, in good health, and happy :)

i do miss watching movies for fun and listening to english music :(

foods that i miss include:
flaming hot cheetos with kellogs frosted flakes--with no milk of course
red vines
pepperoni, mushroom, canadian bacon pizza...yummy!!!
chocolate--its not the same over here!!!


SOooooooooooooooo
truthfully i am still really intimidated by all the work i will be doing----but after getting to know my town a bit more and seeing its beauty in simple ways and appreciating its tranquilo environment, i hope that i can learn to be happy in this really tiny rural town of fulgencio yegros....

ok well i just wrote this stuff to share, but really do hope that you find yourselves well

a huge kiss and hug just for reading this

claudia a.k.a vanesa ;)