Hanging out

Trip Start Jan 24, 2005
1
16
33
Trip End Apr 2007


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Flag of Paraguay  ,
Tuesday, October 11, 2005

So, I'm here hanging out at the internet cafe. Came into town with German and Mimi; they're here to take Mimi's mom to the doctor. We got up at four in the morning so we could get here by six, and of course there's a huge line at the doctor and they'll be there all day, but none of the stores I want to go to are even open yet. That's all right, I donīt mind hanging out doing nothing for awhile.

Simon is teaching the little kids in San Ramon, a nearby community, how to brush their teeth today, and he's teaching the older kids how to make recycled paper. We have a couple of friends coming in to our community next week to talk to the youth about leadership and self-esteem. I'm buying a matress today to accommodate them and future guests. Julie is looking forward to seeing how we live out in the country. She lives in Asuncion where you can buy things like bread and yogurt and go out to restaurants and eat things besides empanadas and roast chicken. It will be a change.

Next week I'm going to make chocolate oatmeal cookies and banana oatmeal cake with the women's commission. Last week we made oatmeal with cinnamon. Oatmeal is kind of expensive though, and hard to come by, at least for human food. The president of the women's commission grows oatmeal to feed to her cattle, but we're not sure how to get from the plant to something we can eat. Anybody know?

I'm also going to have a workshop with the teachers about writing techniques. This project has drawn out a lot longer than I planned. At this point, we're rushing to finish before exams start in November.

The weather is finally turning. We've had gorgeous days; cool in the morning and hot in the afternoon. If only it would stay like this forever . . .

I'm planning a couple of summer camps, one for younger kids, a health camp, and I plan to invite the parents on the last day to talk to them about their kids' health; things like buying toothpaste with flouride. Stuff the kids canīt really do themselves. The other one I'm hoping to do with the older kids and do more . . . in Spanish, the book is titled Como Planear Mi Vida, How to Plan my Life. It talks about making choices, and everything you need to have to make good ones. Kids here rarely think about what they want out of life; it's more of a go where life takes you mentality. Which is great, unless life takes you to dropping out of school and getting pregnant at 14 and living in abject poverty and you're unhappy. All because you never realized you could stick it out and get a job at a pharmacy. So, if anybody has any ideas, any memories of great things you did at summer camp, whether related to my themes or not, let me know.

Our garden is great. Weīve been eating huge carrots, the basil is everywhere, the cilantro plant is higher than my waist, and the cucumbers finally came out. I couldn't be more pleased.

I miss you all.
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