OK, so as I've mentioned, there is a ton of drama at the comedor within the women's group. It has gotten ridiculous. Tuesday night there was a meeting with the women's group and the neighborhood commission. All of the ladies were complaining about one woman who, of course, wasn't there. They were just plain bitching about her. Petty nonsense. This lady can definitely be a bit crazy at times, but so can a LOT of the other ladies AND she has done a great deal of work on the comedor and with a pharmacy in my neighborhood. Finally, someone asked me what I thought. I had been sitting there silently gawking the entire meeting up to this point. And then I let it go. Paraguay is a very tranquilo, indirect, gossipy culture. I went on a rant about how the problem isn't this one particular lady, but the fact that no one can talk openly and directly to other people in the comedor, that they'd rather gossip than actually try to work together, that they see no problem bitching about or fighting with each other in front of the 60 kids that we serve. I said my biggest frustration was the inability to act like adults and keep the goal (feeding all those kids) in mind. One woman tried to say that I was just saying this because I was on the side of the other woman, completely ignoring my comments. She also said, "You practically have your college degree", and I interrupted, pointing out that I do not "practically" have it--I do. So now this lady is pissed at me. Fine. I think she's a bit crazy and more of the problem than anyone else. But THEN today the first lady who was singled out (and not at this meeting) called me into her pharmacy, began to cry, and asked why I hadn't said anything to defend her. I honestly don't even know how to deal with this situation. Both sides think I'm on the opposite side simply because I refuse to pick sides in their bullshit argument in which both parties are WAY off base. It is driving me insane. In-effing-sane.
Anyway, that is really all I have to report. I've been enjoying my time with kids a great deal this week, doing a bunch of reading projects, playing a lot of Uno, throwing the frisbee around, thinking about getting a puppy, and trying to figure out where to put this library since there is no possible way it'll work out with this women's group or the neighborhood commission in that part of my site. Goodness.
Thursday, August 12, 2010
El Rio
Aug. 4, 2010
Sunday morning I woke up early and went to the grocery store to buy myself a single burner electric stove. After a week without gas, warm baths or coffee and with no end to this gas crisis in site I decided it was time to take action. I went to a Friendship Day lunch at this lady from the comedor’s house where my boxer was. I couldn’t avoid this event, unfortunately, so I spent 3 hours eating sausage, meat, rice, and sopa Paraguaya (the cornbread dish that I love love love). The boxer is super nice but I can’t help but shake the feeling that even if I was a total bitch/psycho/dullard he would still be interested in me just for my blondness/tallness/Americana-ness. He did give me a box of chocolates for Friend Day (which was on Friday), which I appreciated and enjoyed.
But I was ready to get the hell out of Dodge, or, umm, Villa Madrid. For months now, I have been talking with a PC friend who lives on the other side of Rio Paraguay about meeting up on a boat and just floating/anchoring/chilling, but we hadn’t gotten our shit together to make it happen. He lives 5 miles from me as the crow flies but it is an hour plus bus ride to cross the bridge. So I walked to the other main road through Limpio and hopped on a bus down to the river. It had gotten a bit late (and cold) so I figured just getting dropped off, hanging out with my friend, and then getting picked up a few hours later would be best. I asked a few guys with boats but they were uninterested. Finally one suggested I ask the river police. The water cop (I like the sound of that) said I just had to pay for gas for his row boat’s small motor so away we went. I got to Villa Hayes slightly cold and wet, had a few beers, and then called Jorge to come pick me up. I was slightly nervous about how much he would charge me, though Paraguayans tend not to try to rip you off, so I explained that I was really hoping that when it got hot again I could float around on the river regularly with PC amigos.
We got back to the station and he asked if I wanted wine and Coke. Note: If asked, the answer should always be “Yes” to this. I had the most pleasant conversation with this water cop, chatting about his toddler son, Paraguayan and US stereotypes and cultural differences, and the many trips I will be planning on the river. He ended up not charging me for the boat ride (or wine and Coke) and had a younger river cop assistant walk me to my bus stop. It was, in short, the most pleasant day I’ve had in some time. I can’t wait for the weather to heat up so I can have little flotilla fiestas with amigos!
Sunday morning I woke up early and went to the grocery store to buy myself a single burner electric stove. After a week without gas, warm baths or coffee and with no end to this gas crisis in site I decided it was time to take action. I went to a Friendship Day lunch at this lady from the comedor’s house where my boxer was. I couldn’t avoid this event, unfortunately, so I spent 3 hours eating sausage, meat, rice, and sopa Paraguaya (the cornbread dish that I love love love). The boxer is super nice but I can’t help but shake the feeling that even if I was a total bitch/psycho/dullard he would still be interested in me just for my blondness/tallness/Americana-ness. He did give me a box of chocolates for Friend Day (which was on Friday), which I appreciated and enjoyed.
But I was ready to get the hell out of Dodge, or, umm, Villa Madrid. For months now, I have been talking with a PC friend who lives on the other side of Rio Paraguay about meeting up on a boat and just floating/anchoring/chilling, but we hadn’t gotten our shit together to make it happen. He lives 5 miles from me as the crow flies but it is an hour plus bus ride to cross the bridge. So I walked to the other main road through Limpio and hopped on a bus down to the river. It had gotten a bit late (and cold) so I figured just getting dropped off, hanging out with my friend, and then getting picked up a few hours later would be best. I asked a few guys with boats but they were uninterested. Finally one suggested I ask the river police. The water cop (I like the sound of that) said I just had to pay for gas for his row boat’s small motor so away we went. I got to Villa Hayes slightly cold and wet, had a few beers, and then called Jorge to come pick me up. I was slightly nervous about how much he would charge me, though Paraguayans tend not to try to rip you off, so I explained that I was really hoping that when it got hot again I could float around on the river regularly with PC amigos.
We got back to the station and he asked if I wanted wine and Coke. Note: If asked, the answer should always be “Yes” to this. I had the most pleasant conversation with this water cop, chatting about his toddler son, Paraguayan and US stereotypes and cultural differences, and the many trips I will be planning on the river. He ended up not charging me for the boat ride (or wine and Coke) and had a younger river cop assistant walk me to my bus stop. It was, in short, the most pleasant day I’ve had in some time. I can’t wait for the weather to heat up so I can have little flotilla fiestas with amigos!
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