Month 6: March Mayhem

Hola! Welcome back.

To all of you on the other side of the equator, it should be just starting to warm up from that frigid winter y'all have had. However, it's just cooled down to the point where I'm no longer sweating through my shirt multiple times a day. It turns out that when you get used to 100+ degree days, 75 feels like 50. 

Thankfully, that means I can break out some of my longer-sleeved shirts and not have to wash half my closet once a week. Unfortunately, it also means that the laundry I hung out to dry on Monday is still not dry (today is Thursday). 

But I digress.

Apologies that this post is a few days late; this month may have been the fastest-passing one since I've been down here.

To begin, I finally started my environmental Charlas and English classes! I give four environmental Charlas and teach 11 English classes weekly to kids from grades jardin (preschool) to 9th. We've had talks about biodiversity and animals and are now starting to move into trash management and recycling. The kids always get so into the lessons and lectures I give - as soon as I show up in the doorway of my younger classes, I'm mobbed with a swarm of hugs from little kids. Although most of them are very shy, by the end of the lesson, they're all so engaged and excited to learn.

Biodiversity in Paraguay charla!

Teaching the preschoolers how to count in English

I also got to know some of the sites around my own. There's a waterfall in a town a bit North of my site, and a couple of volunteers and I spent the day grilling and swimming in the sun. 

Attempting to catch fish in waterfall - was unsuccessful.

The owner of the waterfall also had horses he let us ride - here's Deen taking her turn.

We also had our second large volunteer get-together, although this one was unplanned. For St. Patrick's Day weekend, a bunch of volunteers from various cohorts all found themselves in Asuncion to have fun and relax. This also happened to be the weekend of Holi - the Hindu Festival of Color. Naturally, this meant that Aakriti and Sophie (the only volunteers with Indian heritage) found ourselves at a Holi party at the Indian Embassy in Paraguay. It's also how I found myself looking like a Smurf after stuffing my face with delicious homemade Indian food.

Post-Holi celebrations

Down time with the girls

Post taco dinner

And finally, for the reunion you've been waiting for. After six long months, I had the opportunity to travel to Argentina to reunite with my family. We spent a wonderful week exploring the country, eating delicious food, and enjoying the gorgeous scenery. I honestly fell in love with Buenos Aires. I could move there. The Salinas Grandes and the mountains of Jujuy were spectacular, and although I did not unfortunately befriend any llamas, we got to pet and take pictures with them.

Very tearful reunion

Hiking in Jujuy!

Las Salinas Grandes (The Salt Flats)

Kuzco from the Emperor's New Groove

Fun fact - at this high of elevation, a 
traditional remedy to altitude sickness
is to chew Coca leaves. They taste like 
chewing Green Tea. Was not a fan. But
didn't get sick!

Gorgeous views

This one actually almost spit on me. He was not friendly.

As I settle into this new routine, it feels like time is passing faster and faster. In the next few weeks, I'm hopeful I will get more significant projects off the ground besides my lectures. Although the days where I teach nine back-to-back classes of English (like today) seem to inch by, it's almost inconceivable to me that I've already been here for 6 months. I feel so blessed, so grateful, and so happy every day to be able to continue my service in Paraguay.

Thanks for reading and check back next month for more!