Training and Culture.

Training
Training is what I am here in Guarambare for the next 3 months, until I move to my site for the next 2 years. We have it Monday through Friday from 7:45am-5pm with a break at 12pm for lunch everyday as that is the most important meal of the day here in Paraguay. The morning session consists of language training. We were split into groups the first day as the trainers assessed our Spanish language skills. Since I passed out of Spanish, I moved straight into Guarani.
This is another interesting part of Paraguay, it has one of the highest levels of bilingualism in the world, and is only country in the Americas with one of the original indigenous languages as the official language along with Spanish. My family, and about every other person I have met here, is fluent in both, which is amazing. So, needless to say, I am learning it right now, which is no easy task. The best part however, is that there are 4 other people in my group so it is basically 3 hours of private lessons.
The other part of my day is based around a tech session for Environmental Education, my sector of work in Paraguay. The four sectors in our group are Crop Extension, Beekeeping, Agroforestry, and Environmental Ed. In our group, we have learned about different teaching materials to use in schools, structure of Paraguayan schools, making recycled paper, glasses, made gardens, learning to transplant vegestables or trees, and the list shall continue throughout training. We also assess case studies from past PCV (Peace Corps Volunteers) projects and how to create sustainable development. I really like everyone in my sector, which is 12 people, who all come from a variety of backgrounds and experiences, which is great to have.

Tapeapovo.
So the site where I live is about 1 hour away from Asuncion. We were paired up and given certain places we needed to go for each pair and find our way by ourselves to Asuncion using the bused with limited help from the training staff. Well, I was instructed to go to the Centro to check out all the Government buildings and more importantly, visit one of the popular newspapers to see how we can get educational materials for free. My partner and I took two buses and arrived safely in the centro with the help of the bus drivers and other random Paraguayans. We then walked around aimlessly in the centro to see Argentina right across the river which was pretty cool. The major governmental buildings were also interesting as one is pepto bismol pink, and the presidential palace has architecture that resembles both Buckingham Palace, the White House, and a few other important buildings in the world.
Beyond the major structural buildings and Argentina, we noticed the great disparity between rich and poor in this city. I heard Asuncion has one of the greatest disparities between rich and poor in the world. We saw a large encampment of shed type, temporary housing, like the shantytowns seen in City of God, or outside Mexico City, all along the river besides the governmental palaces. Very interesting to see.
We ended our journey at the Peace Corps office in Asuncion, which is near the U.S. Embassy, both are like fortresses. The Peace Corps office is amazing because it has so many resources to utilize like a large library with both reading books and resource books on just about everything…

Volunteer Site Visit
A way Peace Corps helps us learn about our job is sending us to visit another PCV already in a site within our sector to see what they do. Interestingly enough, I got sent to closest, about 1 hour away while some of my friends got sent 9 hours away on buses. I went to Aregua, a pueblo on a really nice lake, known for its art. I think the Peace Corps knows me. Even more crazy, was when I arrived at my volunteer’s house and we started chatting, we realized that we both went to UC Santa Cruz and were Environmental Studies majors. More strange, he grew up in Sacramento…It really is a small world.
So the town he lives in is on a beautiful lake, and is known for the best strawberries grown in Paraguay. Good thing I am allergic to strawberries. More awkward, I went the weekend of the strawberry festival. What are the chances…
Other than that, my volunteer has done some amazing work around community environmental education and development. This gave me a lot of ideas and secured my ideas of why I joined the Peace Corps. It was great to see the possibilities of work in my field. He even is teaching hip hop to Paraguayans. The possibilities of my Peace Corps work…