Hello once again!
I hope everyone is doing good! So the past two weeks have been unexplainable! I haven’t had internet for the last week or so because the place I’ve been staying didn’t have internet. So Thursday the 8th at midnight we caught a bus from Asuncion to Encarncion which is about 5 hours away right on the border of Paraguay and Argentina.
You can see Posadas, Argentina across the river and it just like a city in the United States.
So we arrive to Encarncion at about 5am in the morning and I have all my luggage and I have to drag it up a hill for about a mile at 5am in the morning. It was just like those story I hear people tell me about their year of service. (Majority of the roads here are either dirt roads or cobble stone).
So that was my introduction to my new home!
That afternoon we went into town to go grocery shopping. We got lost, of course, and after an hour walking around in the hot sun we got to the supermarket. Then we had to carry about 25 bags through 2 buses and walk up the now infamous hill.
The next two days we made invitations for the 2 children’s classes we will be doing. I was nervous about doing the classes because I did not know how they would be. Would they harasses me about my Spanish?
But when we went to hand out the invitations and I saw the kids I would be working with I didn’t care what language I would have to speak I fell in love immediately. Tuesday we were suppose to start the first class but it was raining and thundering all day and the kids wouldn’t come if it rained.
That night everyone that was over 18 (you have to be 18 to cross the border) went to Posadas, Argentina. I was excited to travel a bit more and see what it was like. I was expecting the city to be a lot like Encarncion but it was like stepping into a whole new world. I have never seen such a dramatic change in environment, atmosphere, people in my life. The people are different, they are of all colors and race. You can tell that the people here have more money and a higher standard of living. It was really sad and eye opening for me.
Quick story about the trip, we went to an ice cream shop and we were getting ice cream and there was a little boy in there and he was telling people he would work for an ice cream cone. It broke my heart cause everyone was ignoring him and just walking by him. The kid might have been a professional and knew how to work people for ice cream cause I gave in within two minutes and brought him one! He was so happy!
On the way back we took the last bus from Posadas to Encarncion and didn’t know it and ended up waiting for about an hour at the border until we realize that we would have to walk home which is about 13 miles or more. Once again more walking. But it was ok because we caught a taxi about half way there and got home not too late.
That night at dinner we talked about the mysterious things that have been occurring at the house.
The two night before two of the girls slept in the living room and at 3am in the morning they woke up to find the front and back door wide open.
So the next night it was raining so we brought all the clothes that were drying inside and made sure both doors were properly locked.
The next morning we wake up and find all of the clothes outside in the yard and both doors open.
We were all freaked out and did not want to sleep in the house another day. So we all decided to sleep in the living room together and barricade the doors with the table and the couch. It was pretty funny cause we were all sacred. But nothing happen so the case is still unsolved.
The next three days children’s classes and I love these kids! They are so much fun and they don’t care or know about my Spanish so they talk to me like anyone else. I cant even describe the kids. If I don’t come back they are the reason.
The next two days consisted of getting on the wrong bus and going to the middle of no where again, drama that ended in us moving houses to where I will be staying at for now until we get our own place.
I end this entry with a few points about my service so far:
- People here speak two or three languages
- My English is getting worst because I tend to talk English like I talk Spanish.
- Here we take showers to get dirty
- Mosquitoes love me!
- Bread everyday for breakfast
- They eat too much for me here
- I don’t know how to wash clothes by hand because all my clothes smell dingy.
- The answer to every question is “This is Latin America my friend.
That’s all for now! Miss you all and love you!
