Pregunta...

Oh does anyone know why I can't upload pics from my iphoto?! Its really annoying...
Oh and post comments people!
K thanks bye

Raining and Cold...No me gusta!

Ugh...so it's been raining, cold, and overcast this whole week! I DO NOT LIKE IT and I am so over it...plus I may need to buy warmer clothes and better shoes for the rain...flip flops do not cut it...this sucks I hate weather like this and it makes me want to do nothing and stay inside the whole day. I had planned on going to the botanical gardens but I don't think I will enjoy it much in this weather...
Also, side note the teachers on on strike and because the government wants to change the whole public school system and have it run by local officials....yea sucks. This one guy emailed me back about teaching at an english teaching like institution and I emailed him back but haven't heard anything since. Blah...
So, my plan as of now is to go east to see the Itapau dam, Iguazu falls, Ciudad de Este and my hometown Hernandarias and there attempt to look for my birth mom. Then I think I'll go home, because I might as well be unemployed there...I trying but our bad economy and our bad pubic school system is like 10 fold bad here...
Oh I forgot to write about my other days in Argentina,,,let me try and remember...I ended up going to a Mennonite church which was interesting...there were like 30-40 people and one guy kind of led stuff but he was not the minister, no one is. They have elders who volunteer to lead. Then other people can talk about the bible and their experiences/problems and stuff. I would call that more of a large bible study group then a service but whatever they did sing songs too. I guess that is how the first churches started. Then we had a nice big lunch, and this 80 year old little man was like in love with me, it was funny. He was sweet not like a creepy old man, and he looked good for his age more like 60 haha. He asked me lots of questions and said I was beautiful :) Which was nice to hear. There was actually this woman from Indiana who was studying there, but she was a little weird and tried to hide the fact that she's American...lady it was still obvious! Anyway, Rosie from the student center came too. And Dan the Mexican minister who cooked us asado the other night. And Luchie's sister came too. I had a nice time and the food was bangin. Then I went over to Laura Sol's new apartment. It was really cute and they have a little balcony with a nice view. Some of the walls are lil fucked up and one room is a total mess but I know she'll make it nice. We had mate and chipa she made, and caught up. She got the apt with her boyfriend Lukas, who is Swiss. He is coming back next month to continue his studies. She showed me lots of pictures of them they look really cute together. And now she is learning German which she gets a lil confused with English now, it was funny. Then I went to this meeting with her that was pretty boring and Daniela was supposed to to meet us there but she didnt show up, she was cleaning up from the lunch. So, I took a cab home cause it was cold by then and I wasn't dressed in enough...like right now. Ugh I hate crappy weather...

Day 2 in Buenos Aires

I'm breaking these up...so they are not insanely long to read...lol

The next day I was on a visiting Museums mission because they have a lot here. My Footprints on South America tour book has been really helpful so far, the maps were great in Asuncion. But here not as much. I guess because they change things here more than Asuncion. But the first Museum I tried to visit was not there anymore! The modern museum of art,,, Which was really annoying. So, I walked around for awhile and then stopped for some food. The waiter was very nice to me and my Spanish was good, I don't know if people are just being nice when they say that to me or if it actually is sometimes. It really depends on what people tell me. Anyway, then I went off to 2 other museums that didn't look that far on the map. The first one was closed, the second one was open but it was small and and a random assortment of old photos, costumes, and set designs. It was called the Museo de Teatro Nacional Cervantes. Basically, its an old theater. I was done quickly with it. So, then I went on a mission to find an adapter to charge the camera battery which had died. And it didn't fit into any of the outlets in the store. Luckily, I found one on the way to another Museum. On the way there I passed by Plaza de la Republica again and the Plaza de libertad. The nieghborhood the Museum was in was very nice and richy rich. Nice buildings with door men, air conditioning, and nice little shops, and resturants. Even a few embassy's. I passed by the Isreal embassy. I also passed by this really cool gallery. It had really beautiful comtemporay art. This one artist I loved her sculptures. Silvana Kelm. I made sure to write down her name so I could google her later...lol You should too! Her sculpture had dancers in movement and acrobats, and in the gallery they were hung in mid air which looked extra cool, it was like they were flying. Here is a website I found... http://www.silvanakelm.com.ar/
After, that I finally made it to a real museum! The Museo de Arte Hispanoamericano. It was beautiful. The actual building used to be a mansion of this rich architect named Martin Noel. It was called the Palacio Noel. It was white and big, with beautiful archways and high ceilings. There was also a garden inside and surrounding it. At little piece of quite heaven in the big city. A small church was also next to it that had beautiful tiling. The garden also had pretty benches that had pretty mosaic decorations. I was sad my camera had no battery. I might go back just to take pics. Inside the museum they had metal work in silver from Spain and Portugal, as well as beautiful leather and wood carvings in chairs and furniture. It also had a good amount of indiginous crafts of various tribes. There were also christian sculptures and paintings of the madonna and baby. It covered the history of pre Europeans to the early 19th century. There were 3 floors I had a fun time exploring. Downstairs I watched a movie loop of colonial dress, and one of the museum guys sat down and talked to me for awhile. He didn't speak much English though, so once the conversation a little confusing he brought in this women who helped translate a bit lol... She told me about the history of the house. Then it was getting late so I decided it was time to head back. There were also a bunch of other galleries but the road where my bus was, was far away Rivadavia, and I was on Arroyo...like 15 block and like 6 avenues... I grabbed an ice pop on the way it wasn't that great though, and this little poor kid asked for it on the street so I gave it to him. Poor people live on the Plaza on the benches and random dirty mattresses they picked up its sad. I got off the bus prematuraly though I had to walk an extra lie 20 blocks. I was exhausted and my feet were trobbing!!!! I finally made it back and Daniela was worried. She had called the students center a few times lol. I called her back took a quick cat nap and headed to her house for Asado,,,grilled meat! Yum Luchie's sister was there, and the man Daniel from Mexico I had a great time, drank wine and took a much needed load off! I slept like a baby on a sedative lol. This morning I was sore and my legs felt like jelly so I took it easy today. Oh I forgot I met up with Laura Sol this morning too for breakfast and another walk around town...lol. It was nice to see her after so long. We had a yummy breakfast of pastries.I'm probably going to see her tomorrow too. Now I have to go to Daniela's we're going to her brother in laws birthday... ciao!!!!

Buenos Aires...

So, I've been here a couple days and I am really enjoying myself! :) It is a lot bigger of a city then Asuncion and much more developed. Also, it had a lot more people which I like. Daniela lives in an area called Floresta, which is a little ways from downtown, but there are a lot of buses here, which are also more modern than Asuncion, but don't have much seating. The first bus I took I tried to give the bus driver the pesos and he looked at me funny, but thats what you do in Asuncion!lol I was just getting used to guaranies and now I have to think in pesos...Anyway, what else? Oh I'm actually not staying at Daniela's but a student center a few blocks away. Daniela and her husband just moved, and they literally still have a room filled with boxes. The student center is not a hostel though, but similiar it houses students for cheap or free who are studying here full time. So, unlike a hostel they stay for long periods of time. There are mostly girls, but not that many. This one girl Rosie is from Honduras, another from Columbia, but she just went home. Another girl is Argentina but from another area. And there is one guy from Columbia Bernando. He showed me where to take the bus to Plaza de Mayo. And Mira showed me where the grocery store was :) They are all very nice and helpful. I have my own little room upstairs and free WIFI! Which is awesome :) I have a great connection here.
So, the first night I went to Daniela's place and had dinner with her and her husband Luchie. Luchie is learning English and he is a counselor from drug addicts. They moved to an apartment attached to a small Mennoite church. I didn't know this but Daniela's father was a mennoite preacher, and her great grandfather was too and came from Ohio. Ironically, Daniela is an atheist...lol. She even attends atheist group meeting. She also works in a christian organization doing administrative type work.Which I found to be funny. Luchie is also involved in the church. She said she likes the people in the church but so much the rest. Well to to each their own, I guess. They are going to be in NYC in a few weeks actually. She has family in Pennsylvania and other areas but they've never been to the city. So, I told her which sites to see. After dinner they took to the student center, and gave me my key there which has a Paraguayan key chain lol.
The next I went to the grocery store with Mira and Bernando took me to the bank, to get money and change for the bus. Then I took the bus to Plaza de Mayo which was really pretty and packed with tourist. One man offered to take my pic infront of the casa rosado, which is the presidents place. Then I walked around for a while and found this street called Peru with cool vendors and crafts people. I was super thirsty though so I had to stop and drink and eat. Then I walked over to the Plaza de la Republica and the Obelisk. The Obelisk looks exactly like that tall white thing in DC which I forget the name of hehe. Then I took the bus back, and suprisenly I got off the bus just at the right place purely on intuition haha. Then I took a lil nap and showered. Daniela picked Rosie and I up to go to Daniela's for dinner. Rosie's boyfriend Luciano joined us later. He is Argentine and works for a honey company the is called Organic World but he can't say world... Luchie is worse in prouncing it though lol. I guess it is a hard word for Spanish people.

update...

I don't know where to start...the day before i left for buenos aires i visited the horizonte school in lambare the american woman started...I took right bus this time! lol That day I got lost Wilma told me bus 44,28, and 30 go to from downtown to the house...44 does not! Or if it does it takes an awefully long time to get there! I didn't risk finding out this time. Anyway the school was very nice and bigger than I thought it would be. Sue was very nice and ohio. She is middle aged, blond, with blue eyes. She said she ended up coming to Paraguay because she had a couple friends who were missonaries down there. They had invited her to come. She intended just to visit, but she ended up helping start this school and eventually became the director. Lambare is a fairly poor suburb of Asuncion. Like Asuncion it has nice areas too, but also a lot of poor areas. A lot of the students come from these poor little nieghborhoods that the government buys and sells them small plots of land to live on. The plots are very small and close together though. There is no room for them to grow fruits or vegetables on. It was sad to see. The school has been trying to bring the community together though, and get the parents involved in the students school. The school started in 2001 I think...and they want to develope more and add more classes and students. I was very impressed with the work they are doing there. As I mentioned before students usually only attend school half the day, which I found odd and so did Sue, so at the school they have extended hours. The school gets help from churchs and non for profit organizations in the US and in Paraguay. Its a well oiled machine. If they don't mind Presbyterian help, I will ask my church about helping the school when I get home. Sue was a little preachy about God but it is a Methodist school so...She invited me over for lunch at her house though which was very nice. We ate with her house keeper...ummm I forget her name, but she was very sweet. After that I went back and observed a class. The students practiced their English on me, it was funny. After the class I spoke with the teacher and we had a pretty functional conversation Spanish! She was from a town in the interior which she missed, but she said she liked teaching there. And I told her my whole little story, which she thought was cool. And she wished me good luck on my journey. Then I went back to downtown and attempted to check my email but the computers weren't working because of the weather which was rainy, overcast, and cool that day. So, I went back to the house and attempted to read my gmail there...which was not working on the house computer because it is SO tempermental and annoying! But I managed to read Daniela's email about her address in Buenos Aires.

en buenos aires...

hola amigos,
its been a few... i am now in argentina and having a great time :) I went and explored plaza de mayo, the presidents office which they call the casa rosado, the pink house lol like the white house... and walked along this street called peru with vendors and crafts on the street. I had to stop there for awhile though because i was really tired and i think dehydrated. i usually drink a lot of water and i hadnt had any by that point and it was in the middle of the afternoon. i guzzled down a bottle of water with a quickness. then i followed it up with a yummy empanada. i feel like i'm forgetting to write a lot ...i had dinner with daniela, her husband luchie, and this girl and guy and i forget their names,,,,i'm really tired now...so ima pass out...more lata...

dia de las mamas y independia dia...

today is mothers day and independence day in paraguay... yesterday was also kind of independence day there was a small parade but the weather was crappy so not a lot of people went. apparently jaunjo marched it, i happen to come across part of it on my way to the post office.so there is another 3/4 weekend...once again i´m suprise at how much less people seem to work and go to school, its so freakin laid back. I guess its so shocking because NYC is so go,go,go and people work at least 8 hours a day i know other people who work 10hr or even 12/14hrs work days...I´ve worked 10-12hrs days! Which is a little crazy, but sometimes is necessary to get the job done, my friends like Lil work crazy overtime.And that just does not seem to be the mentalilty here at all which is refreshing and totally perplexing lol.NY is also so a 24hr city up and going never stopping and instead people here drink terere with family/friends and take a siesta from the heat. Even in humid hot august at my old job at hmf...my lunch break was still only half an hour with no siesta time...i had 2 15 min breaks, i could take or put together but that was it!After the quick lunch it was back to work pronto because orders had to processed, deadlines had to be met, supplies needed to be ordered, emails needed immediate respones, phone calls needed to be made.I´m still obviously trying to get used to this more relaxed way of being. Maybe thats why its been a little hard to get a job here...lol...speaking of job maybe i should have joined the peace corps, but they can´t guarentee the country of you choice...and for obvious reasons I wanted to come specifically here. Its more about putting you where you needed of course and you may get your region of choice like latin america...but that could be anywhere from mexico to chile! And the program is 2 years of service and I dont know if I could do that...2 years of my life...Honestly, some days I don´t even know if I can stay here a year...

Today I met Wilma other sister who lives in Incarnation...its south of asuncion a few hrs so she doesn´t come often her name is Gladys too. We had another asado with the rest of her family, her mom, her other sister who i forget her name. Her brother is in Italy and she has another sister in madrid! Big family and carlos is one of 7! Julia went to visit her sister and niece. I played with johanna the niece again she is so cute! Unfotunently, my stomach hasn´t been feeling great the past couple days so i couldn´t enjoy all the food as i would have liked. I think its from the salad i had the other day, i don´t think i´m supposed to eat that but i did... :( i think my stomach is calming down now though. Its also but cold today! At first I was regretting bringing sweaters because its usually so hot, but today I am happy I did! Anyway not much else much to report

Things I find odd/strange/weird and other observations here...

-They eat burgers and hotdogs with no buns or ketchup
-Instead they put this soy sauce tasting sauce on the bugers, and eat salsa with the hotdogs
-The ketchup is dark and sweeter here too
-In this house there are key in the locks of almost all the doors,cabinets, and dressers,and closets...why???Whats the point of keeping the keys in the locks...anyone can unlock them
-The country has a navy with no oceans,coast,gulf, or even reall a huge lake.There are 2 big rivers but it takes awile to get to the ocean on them...
-There is no hot water, lukewarm at best.Which is usually not a problem becuase its so damn hot, who wants to take a hot shower. But I worry about how sanitary things are especially the dishes...
-They put mayo on random things like salads, rice etc... but not on sandwiches
-People ride motorcycles without helmets and shoeless with babies and small children in toe...
-There is no law requiring helmets or seatbelts I think because Wilma rarely wears hers
-Wilma´s car has japanese writing in it, because they get there cars from japan via chile...its cheaper apparently
-They keep their dog Peco tied up in the back almost all day. He probably would be so hyper everytime he gets let free, if he was actually free most of the time...but I guess he´s luckier than the stray dogs walking around in a hungry daze
-People wake up freakishly early even on weekends
-They also don´t seem to be at work and school for very long, there day starts early and ends in the middle of the day
-There are 3 tv´s in the house in ppls bedrooms but non in the living room
-The outlet for the microwave is not like any other in the house, they use an adapter
-The phone in the kitchen can receive international calls, but can´t make them.There is no answer machine and its not chordless.It also has an odd low ring
-It appears people rarely wear contact lenses, because everyone asked me what they were when they saw them in my room
-JuanJo never goes out by himself or to meet up with friends that I know of. I´m sure he´s tired from being at military academy all week, but I find that odd
-I´ve realized since being here that I wear a lot of black, but maybe thats just the new yorker in me...lol people don´t wear a lot of black here.
And here´s a pic of me in my room bored...lol

It´s cold and rainy today...

So, its a cold and rainy day today. The first cold day since I´ve been here...I´d say 50 degrees...And it was thunder and lighting a good part of the night, so I didn´t sleep well. Wilma is in to hospital today, I don´t think I mentioned that she had to get surgery for a hemoroid I think it is. Her, Carlos, and Jasmine left early this moring and I heard them rushing out too. I was going to go to the post office today, but screw that its cold, and rainy, and I´m tired. I think I will take a nap in Juanjo´s comfy bed...its one of those days. I heard from Mom,B,and Imnet that its been raining in ny... I guess it spread over here. This is the most rain I´ve seen too. It´s rained once since I´ve been here and it rained then for 5 minutes, then it was sunny and hot again.Anywhoo...I feel like I´m forgetting to mention something, but maybe not, I´m tired... lol Here are a couple more pics, enjoy.
besos,
glady

Woohooo!!!

I´m booked and going to Buenos Aires in 2 weeks! 20th-25th :) I´m super excited to see the city and Daniela and Laura Sol who I haven´t seen for...3 years! Yea summer 06 is when I went to Italy for that month and met them at Agape, yay I love reunions :)I hope to some day go back to Agape too it is a little piece of Italian heavan on earth I swear.Oh and I decided to fly, the flight was pretty cheap, and if I decide to go again maybe I´ll take the bus then...and check out the scenery. K um I don´t really have that much more to report, I´m just super excited :) Oh I re-arranged my room today, it looks awesome too.Oh and I got mom an awesome mothers day gift...she´s read this...so it will be a suprise to everyone :)I love the internet...seriously what did people do before the internet?!snail mail, which reminds me I need to buy stamps...
besos
glady

more fotos

uploading pictures on this legit takes forever!!!!!!!! its like using moms computer...oh vey...this will be it for now because i am losing patience...but I have so much more i was to share...oh later...i´m getting hungry! oh and on my last blog i meant it was a great end to a long day...its also harder to type on their keyboard a couple things are in different places...and i forgot how to right click on pc´s since i´m used to using my mac...i have to tell myself right click right click lol...come on!ugh its still not finished.I could download this thing that would make uploading faster, but its not my computer so I don´t know if i should...better not.and everything is in spanish on this computer too, i dont want to fuck anything up.
oh and random side note...ex president strossner´s number 1 henchman is back in the country after chillin in honduras for 20 years. a lot of people are pissed off because he has alziehermers now and they want him to pay for toturing all the people he did. but others are like he is really old and doesnt even reall know whats going on...so it is kinda un fair he never really had to pay. but i wonder if he so sick in the head how did he make it back to paraguay. there are even tv commercials about how he should pay for his crimes and that paraguay should never forget. also they found petrolium in the chaco...i´m not sure if that is good or bad news for the country hopefully good news...and the government will use the profits well to help everyone! and lot let outside sources like other countries influence how they use and distribute the petrol... the end the pics finally loaded!

fotos around asuncion...enjoy :)

Oh and last night was Karina birthday, which I totally forgot about but I had a great time :) A night ending to a LONG DAY! We stayed up late and I cuaght up on some much needed sleep :) Today I´m taking it easy...hence I have time to upload pics yay. xoxo
Glady

Downtown...

Hi,
I´m downtown again chillen in an internet spot...I´m in no rush to go home. Today was a really annoying day. I got my first taste of over protective fathers...I have never had a father so maybe this is way they are, but its annoying! lol Carlos was home this morning when I was trying to leave to go to Lambare.He made me empty my bag, and leave my wallet and took out the map to see where I was going.I already knew where i was going. He had me leave my wallet, which I thought was weird and put money in my pants pocket along with my passport. Which I also don´t think makes sense because thing tend to fall out of pockects especially when you´re sitting on a bus, but whatever he was worried about pick pockers. But my bag has like 10 zippers, its the cute one jess got me and I have had no problems so far. Then he had Leis write down the home address and number, which I told him I already had! I mean its really nice that they care, and stuff but it took me like 40 minutes to get out of there! It was a little ridiculous. And Leis was tellig me to take another bus number 3, but Sue told me to take 41.2 and carols made julia and leis even more nervous than they were yesterday. All the fuss they made I think jinxed me because then I got insanely lost all morning! I never even made to Lambare, I got tired and really really hungry so I finally got a bus back to downtown and went to the Lido Bar again and did some more exploring and hanging out in the plaza de heroes again. I also found this Espanola hotel where I was thinking of staying before Wilma invited me to stay her place. Her whole family has been so nice and generous to me, but sometimes like today I felt trapped and sufficated in suburban hell! I know they have reasons to worry because I´m a small girl with not great spanish skills, but still I clearly made out just fine yesterday!And its just so quite and boring there, in there big pretty house. I need to look into a cheap apartments near downtown...I called Sue, to let her know I got lost and I´m going to try and visit the school next week. I called julia too to let her know I was alive and going back later. Sue was very understanding, and I hope julia understood what i was saying lol...It´s 3pm now here..I think I´m going to go check out that musuem I missed yesterday and then head back to the house. It´s been a long day so far...lol frustrating so I just had to get that out. Otherwise things are the same cinco de mayo means nothing here fyi lol. ttyls
Besos,
Glady

traveling around asuncion...

Today I took a bus to downtown Asuncion...where all the action is :) Wilma told me which buses go where, and I found my way fine. It was cute tia Julia and Leis were all worried about me. I had to call them when I got there to make sure I wasn´t lost or kidnapped or something. And apparently, Carlos was nervous too and said watch the news tonight if she doesn´t show up lol. But like I said Paraguayan´s are nice and helpful.I also read my travel book the night before which had a little map to get an idea of where things are in relation to each other. I got off the bus at Plaza Uruguaya which was actually really sad to look at. There were displaced people living in make shiff tents made out of paper bags.The actual plaza was nice with trees and flowers and benches. But I didn´t want to take any pictures or stay there long. There was also a lot of police all lined up and armed with shields and stuff. And they had blocked off a couple streets.I continued on and passed my a musuem which I should have gone into, but another time. I was in a walking mood and I wanted to see as much as I could. Downtown is pretty developed and feels more like a city with taller buildings and lots of stores and resturants. And to my suprise I found the Chaco Hotel where me and my mom stayed 20 years ago! I took a couple pics of it. It´s nothing to amazing on the outside but inside its really nice. I was like wow, I´m retracing my footsteps 20 years ago... then I walked on and found an atm where I took out a little more money, which I didn´t really need. But I figured it was good to have. Then I saw Plaza de Heroes, which is basically this kind of park like Bryant Park, but its sectioned off into 4 parts and each part is dedicated to passed war hereos or leader. One section had an outdoor market with all kinds of crafts,clothes,and jewerly. I didn´t buy anything though I figure I´ll do that before I leave. All along the made roads people were selling watches and stuff on the street like on 34th street. And Native American were selling there crafts too. I got insanely thirsty and stopped in at the Lido Bar which I read about in my book...I got the biggest empanada I´ve seen in my life, it was really good though and limon pulp soda drink. It was kinda like an oldscool 50´s diner set up...most of the waitresses were fat and short and wore these funny orange uniforms. I walked around a little more and then ofcourse I had to use the bathroom so I went back to the lido bar. Then I decided it was time to call the house so tia julia and leis knew that I was alive lol. I had trouble using the phone at first but then I got through and she told me were to get the bus back.I also tried calling Mom and Maria on a whim but they both did not answer, and I tried calling that Isle lady about teaching,I didn´t get through to any of them.I did get through to that lady Sue who has the school in Lambare, and she invited me to visit tomorrow. She sounded very Ohio, I don´t really know how to explain it but they have a slightly different way of speaking...and once you get to Columbus they almost have southern/midwestern twange. It´s suttle but its there, and it was nice to talk to someone who knows exactly what I´m saying! LOL...Even Wilma doesn´t understand me sometimes hehe. Anyway, then I walked back in the direction I came and stopped in the Chaco Hotel to see the inside and they were nice I just looked in the lobby and sitting area. I told them I had stayed there 20 years ago. And the the mand at the desk asked if I was Paraguayan and he gave a knowing look, so I guess the adoption agency set up everyone there. Then he gave me directions to the bustop going back and I rode home, insanely hot a sweaty. The local buses look about 50 years old, and the rides are bumpy and fast with no a/c. The bus driver on the way back went so close to cars infront of him, I thought we were going to get in an accident. You can pretty much get off and anywhere along the route, you just have to hail them and let them know when you want to get off. The buses don´t always come to full stop either so people literally hopped on and off it was kinda funny. Men came on the bus too to sell, Paraguayan souvenirs and candy, and fruits, and chipa bread. These people are industrious...they would hop on and off in less than a minute. I took a few pictures of my little adventure today, but not too much because I didn´t want to look like a total tourist lol. I getting the hand of this guarani money thing too, the bus rides are 2.1mill guaranis which is something like 0.40 cents I think. My empanada and soda were 11mill guarani, which is like $2. Anyway, thats it for now...I´m kinda tired since I woke up early and I have to wake up early tomorrow...I´ll upload the pics tomorrow maybe, they take awhile on this computer...Oh and who is the last follower on this page? It has crazy letters that mean nothing...who are you mystery person?!
Besos,
Glady

I can´t believe its May already!

It´s lunes 04 de Mayo! I can´t believe it...time is seeming to speed up suddenly. Tomorrow is Cinco de Mayo, I wonder how the Mexicans will be celebrating with that swine flu floating around...Anyway, good new today :) I feel better, drank liquids and slept a lot.I also finally got batteries! For my damn clock/alarm... there is another little bodega a few blocks away that had them, and I was able to get some more shampoo and conditioner.My hair is just recovering from the day I fried part of it lol. I am slowly discovering this little barrio I´m in :) I said before there are random dogs that scared me at first but they are pretty tame and look tired and ragged. I still cross the street when they come my way, just to be safe lol.There are random chickens too in peoples yards and sometimes they make their way into the unpaved street. I don´t know if I will ever get used to the unpaved streets, well riding in a car esp...with my boobs and everything boucing around!lolI hooked up my laptop, so I have music :) And I have all the right connectors to power up the camera and ipod...oh small joys and truimphs lol. Wilma had me correct one of her students translation of this song. For some reason Wilma doesn´t hear the difference between street and straight, and she prounounces yummy as Jummy...lol. I make silly mistakes like that too though, like ser and estar, I still get those mixed up sometimes.We just have one simple to be! I think I´m going to take dances classes in traditonal paraguayan dance. Karina just came back from her class and when she goes next week I´m going to go check it out and the prices. I don´t think they are that much though. When I exchanged my money I only exchange $46 and I got 230 guarani´s. Which I think is a pretty good amount of money. I get a little thrown off when they say mills though everything is 1milliones, 9milliones, and I´m like 9million dolars?! I have to get out of the dolar thinking. It´s 9miliones guarani´s which is like almost $2 american...
I told Maria this online, ironically I think I am losing weight you would think the opposite, for how much I mention eating food lol. But I pretty much have one big meal a day and snack the rest of the day. Thats what they do here...dinner is not really a big deal, there is no set time and usually we eat lefters whenever, or if dinner is made its small.They also kind of have a tea time around 5-6 with marmalade and bread and warm yerba mate.Breakfast is usually light too, which I like. Plus all the food is local and freshly made which I think makes a difference. And to my suprise my clothes actually feel looser! Yay :) Not that I need to lose a lot of weight or anything but 5-10lbs wouldn´t be bad though hehe. Tonight they made hambugers, but with no buns, and this watery,milky,rice with bits of white cheese I think...I was not a fan of the rice... :/ But the burger was good and a made make shiff bun out of a roll. The ketup is darker and sweeter here, so I actually had to add salt.

Oh and I´m pretty sure I´m going to Argentina in 2 weeks :)to see my Argentine friends I met in Italy yay :)I know a couple people from my college are out there too, but I´m not very good friends with them, they are more friends of friends. But I might message them for a drink or something.I´ll see...there was a lady at my church too who said she has family down there. I have to look for her email...Or mom if you´re reading this...can you get her email again for me? It was that blonde, british lady that has lived in a lot of different places...I forget her name.Anyway I need to pee now, and Wilma wants me to help her with something...
besos
Glady

I never know what to title these...

Hola Amigos,
I fear I may be getting a cold, my throat is sratchy and I´ve been sneezing...cold´s are so annoying. Anyway...on the latest Friday was another holdiday dia de los trabajores/labor day a day in which no one works lol. We had a bbq and I met Wilma´s mother, one of her sisters, and her brother who is a priest. Because her brother is a priest we had an impronto mass before eating. It was a little awkward because we were right next to the grilling meat, the dog barking, and wilma´s niece Johanna who is 4 and has no attention span was running around and changing seats every 5 minutes,and asking questions... it was pretty funny. But we all tried to keep it together. Wilma thought I couldn´t take communion, because I didn´t do their studies of communion...but I apparently I could according to her brother. Ah whatever. After this we had a GRANDE lunch! I looked like Carlos was grilling the whole entire cow! We still have meat left over. But it was really good, and there was rice, and salad, and manioc, and chorizo, and sausage, and bread...i´m probably forgetting something it was a lot! And the whole time Wilma´s mother was giving me more food to eat...I swear they are trying to fatten me up here. One thing I tried was this dark colored sausage that tasted odd, I asked Wilma why it was that color and it was because its cows blood... :/ ewww. Ignorance is truely bliss. Then there was dessert which I had the smallest bite of. Wilma´s sister and mother are both blond, dyed but at some point it might have been real because they are both pretty fair. You could tell her mother was quite the beauty back in the day, she looks look for 70ish I´d say. She has pretty hazel green eyes, and sweet disposition. But I´m sure back in the day...all the men were after her.Johanna the niece was SO freakin cute with little curls, and she ran around the house like a chicken with its head caught off,but she was adorable. I had no idea what she was saying half the time but I had a fun time playing with her a sponge bob doll.hmmm now everything is blurring into one day...
Yesterday, I finally got to exchange my money! :) And I did a little shopping! In a mall :) Nothing crazy though, I mostly windowshopped...I bought some postcards, and maps, and a junior wopper and fries at buger king lol. Then Wilma picked me up and we went to some other relatives house and had beyou...and sweets.They had cute twins a boy and a girl also I think about 4. They boy was staying near by at Wilmas sisters in law...I can´t remember any of their names of course. She was showing them lingerie she sells on the side.The boy twin is a skinny little runt, and the girl twin is big and fat lol. I bet she beats him up, cause she was telling us that he was her son not brother lol. Today has been slow and boring...laundry, lunch, siesta...sunday. They all wake up freakishly early even on weekends they are up before 8 or 9.10am is considered really late to wake up. Church is at 8:30! I don´t think I would ever make it to church at 8:30. But I guess it makes sense because they start work and school at 7!I still find it odd though. I asked Julia to wake me up at 8 tomorrow though. I want to go downtown and explore, and she wants me to teach her some English too. And I still need to buy batteries for my clock/alarm clock. On the workfront...this lady emailed me back saying she didn´t have work for me, but wanted me to check out her school. She is actually an American teacher from Canton, Ohio...How random right?! Anyway she started a methodist school down here for needy families. Which I think is pretty cool.The barrio is called Lambare, its a little south of San Jorge. Sometime this week, I will take a bus down there. It will be nice to speak to an American :)Oh and I have to call this other woman about teaching also. I was going to last week, but thurs, and friday were holidays so I figured I should wait until Monday... So, I am attempting to wake up early to be more productive, because the middle of the day you can´t do anything and everyone is home from 12-3! ugh still getting used to that.
I contacted Laura Sol one one of my argentine friends, so I think I might go out there for a few days this month. I´m checking with her and Daniela to see what days work best for them.I´m debating over bus or plane...the plane ride is only an hour and half...so thats like driving from ny to ohio...10-12hrs by car...to Buenos Aires that is to get to Argentina its only like an hour or 2. I´ll check out the prices to see if its worth it...hhmmm i dunno. Hope all is well with all of you! I heard you can´t eat pork...lo siento.
besos
Glady