Peace Corps Office

Trip Start Jan 24, 2005
1
5
33
Trip End Apr 2007


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Flag of Paraguay  ,
Tuesday, February 8, 2005

Hi all! I'm here visiting the Peace Corps office for the first time. It is super nice. Like, it has air conditioning and the internet only takes one minute to pull up a site, not five. We're going on a tour this afternoon, but right now we're on lunch break and Simon is still out with his group, so my lunch hasn't arrived.

Asuncion is very different from the other parts of the country I've seen, and I get the impression that I haven't even begun to see the dicotomy (I'm pretty sure I spelled that wrong). We went to check prices on school supplies, especially thin foam sheets because we're going to use them to make a calendar for an elementary classroom because the foam is resistant to humidity and bugs, and it's cheaper than using wood.

I have come to the conclusion that I brought all the wrong clothes. I brought all clothes that don't need to be ironed, because our Paraguay information book told us there's a good chance we won't have electricity. This is untrue. Almost all parts of the country have electricity and even the poorest people have TV, though not necesarily cable, where you can watch FOX or HBO virtually unchanged except for the commercials. Besides that, you have to iron all of your clothes because otherwise the eggs that scary parasites have laid in your clothing while it is out on the line will burrow into your skin and become worms and live there until you go to the doctor and he squishes them out. Needless to say, we're all a little paranoid. I know at least 3 people who have gone to the doctor (she comes to our training site 3-4 times a week) for "parasites" anly to find out it's some measly allergy.

Anyway, I'm going to get a couple of items of more appropriate clothing made for me. It costs about $5 for a skirt or pair of pants, for material and labor. The price isn't really representative, though. A teacher makes about 350,000 Guaranis a week, and a skirt costs 35,000 Guaranis, so the price isn't exorbitant, but costs about half a day's wages. And teachers are some of the best paid people around. That is, the teachers who make a salary. In general, teachers work for no pay, or for bus fare to get to the school for the first 4-6 years of their careers.

A lot of people are waiting to use the internet, so I'm going to sign off for now. I'm thinking of all of you.
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