Danger -- Contents May Overheat!

These days, I often joke that my head is going to explode. But I´m only half joking.

I am learning SO MUCH STUFF.

First of all, of course, I am still working on my Spanish. On top of that, it seems that everyone I meet -- especially the older generation -- is keen to teach me Guaraní. This is OK with me, because I am eager to learn.

However, now that I am in Ciudad del Este, these languages are no longer enough. It is a given that I will pick up some Portuguese, as the majority of the merchants downtown are from Brazil and conduct business in Portuguese. If I want to go shopping, ever, some Portuguese would be a good idea. It´s not so much that it is necessary, as that it is considered rude not to make an effort.

There is also a lot of Arabic spoken in businesses downtown. Gulp. My host dad keeps saying phrases to me in Arabic at random times. It´s a game for me now, to guess at what he might be saying. I understand absolutely nothing, except for Allah and Isa. (If only his favourite expression were Insh´Allah.) As it is, I can´t imagine a language with a more beautiful sound, but I am making absolutely no effort to learn Arabic. My poor brain is doing all it reasonably can.

But don´t think for a moment that I am learning nothing but languages. No, no.

My students are eager to reciprocate by teaching me things, in exchange for English. Thus it happens that I had my first violin lesson this morning. I am pretty excited about the possibilities of this new endeavour.

Furthermore, one of my host dad´s nieces (so my cousin, I guess) is going to teach me to dance. Not the traditional Paraguayan style -- the contemporary stuff. That way I can dance along to the incessant Reggaeton beat that pumps through every neighbourhood. Those who know me well, know that I love to dance. It´s part of my embodied way of experiencing music, and joy.

Of course, I am learning to make traditional Paraguay foods and drinks. I love to cook, and my year would hardly be complete without some new favourite dishes. If I can serve a vegetarian, African-inspired dish in Paraguay, I better come home able to cook something Paraguayan!

Who knows what else I will pick up while I am here? I love to learn, so I am soaking it all up. That´s my plan for the whole year...

Unless my head explodes first.

Disenchantment

I think I have fallen out of love.

(No, not with Jonathan.)

I have fallen out of love with a version of Paraguay I knew. That was the Paraguay that centers around Mennonite colonies in the Chaco; the Paraguay where the cities full of Spanish-speakers are more dangerous than they are exciting; the Paraguay in which White Mennonites only ever relate to Paraguayos and Indigenous people as workers on their farms.

Yep. I am definitely out of love.


The good news is that I am falling in love afresh... with a version of Paraguay that I like much better.

Living with a Paraguayo family for a month has given me new eyes with which to see this place. I am learning to live as part of a warm, relationship-oriented culture. It is so person-affirming to greet absolutely everyone when you enter a conversation circle, with at least a handshake and a "¿Que tal?" if not with a hug and kisses. It makes sense to me that relationships should matter more than task efficiency. I like seeing that principle in practice here!

I am coming to value the traditional knowledge that is still passed on here, in ways that I think many older persons in Canada would envy. The elderly are revered as sources of knowledge and wisdom. Young people learn as matters of fact which remedios yuyos (remedial herbs) have which health benefits when added to the tereré water. Children work as apprentices with their parents outside of school hours, so they can make a living of their own eventually. This is especially important for those who do not complete high school or go on to university studies. Whether learning to cook or do laundry or chop wood or drive a tractor or brand cattle, children learn by doing, alongside their parents and grandparents.


I am growing to love the scenery, from the sunrises in the flat, dry Chaco, to the lushly green rolling hills and lake by Ciudad del Este. The blend of languages engages my attention and keeps me forever learning. (At present I am working on Spanish, Guaraní, Portuguese, and even Arabic. Imagine!) The people are curious and friendly. The red earth does not cease to fascinate me, and I am most curious as to what will happen when I start composting. Paraguayans live with gusto, and while the loud and repetitive reggaeton music sometimes gets to me, there is something irresistible about a place that vigorously celebrates everything from birthdays to soccer victories. I can hardly wait until Christmas -- apparently even the toddlers set off age-appropriate fireworks!!!

Now, more than ever, I get to spend one-on-one time with this culture I am coming to love. I am in Ciudad del Este, five hours away from the North Americans who came to Paraguay with me. When I resort to English words to explain myself, I am met with blank stares. Yep, this is the real deal -- like the potentially tough marriage that follows a wonderful period of dating.

I have an opportunity in this new setting to not only fall in love... but to choose to love. Pray that I may learn how to live that out.