Mechanics
I haven’t spoken much about the nuts and bolts of Peace Corps training. Up until now, I’ve had more interesting things to say. But this dreary day has finally come, so here is an account of exactly what the hell is going on out here.
There are sixteen in this abnormally small class, Paraguay’s G-24. Of those, nine are in the Municipal Services Division and seven of us are in Rural Economic Development. The Munis live in a nearby, genuine town with paved roads and cyber cafes and all that. We REDs have our homes and families in a farming community reachable by a long, dusty stretch of cobblestone road. By and large, we stick to our host communities, which have houses rented for classrooms.
The host communities are fairly representative of our eventual locations in terms of size. However, my training community is relatively developed for a farming locale – an hour from the capital with pretty reliable electricity and no threat of being stranded by rain on muddy trails. Some of us have indoor plumbing, others have latrines. We´re all on well water. A girl could get spoiled on this – some volunteers don´t have electricity. Others have weak current, insufficient to power thirsty gadgets like refrigerators. I´m still weeks away from finding out how my service site will measure up.
In the morning, starting at 8 AM, we have language class. We break into microgroups (no more than three students per classroom) and have intensive, conversation-based language classes. I get about two hours a morning of Spanish and one of Guaraní. We go home for lunch and siesta for an hour and a half, then have technical skills classes in the afternoon.
The tech classes are longer (and certainly feel that way) but less intense. They’re more about the usual business school patter: jargon; group projects; and giving presentations. It’s necessary, though. I’ve got language leaking out of my ears after just a morning of it – a full day might kill me.
The Guaraní word of the day is korapy, meaning patio. Guaraní y´s are pronounced like truncated u´s. Korapy an important term out here. We have year-round outdoor living. At my house, for example, the dining room table is outdoors, as are parts of the kitchen and all of the entertaining space. We sit around drinking mate and commenting on the antics of the pigs, chickens, and pets roaming the back yard.
June 18th, 2007 at 3:48 pm
Well, I am back in knox vegas. I arrived yesterday afternoon just before M returned from France. The website is fantastic, I love getting the up dates and have told many people who know you to check it out.
Grad went really well. We had not received rain in Sav for two months and the powers that be decided that day would be a good day for the ducks. I didn’t mind though and took it as a good omen since we needed the rain so badly.
The Tuesday after I wen to the Beach with the G Walkers and B. Very nice trip, I didn’t know I could sleep that much in one day. Hit or miss on the weather, but the location and company were excellent.
Sunday I flew to CO with D Mai. We explored Denver that afternoon then drove into the Rockies to find our hotel for the night. We both interviewed on Monday in Avon (Vail Valley). The interviews went very well… hopefully more on that this week. Drove back to Denver where we stayed for the next three nights. Some interviews went well, some did not. We hope to have a firmer understanding of where we will be later this week.
Went back to ATL after that and stayed with L and C. They were so sweet, and took very good care of me and my crazy dog. Mostly just chillin and eatin.
So now I am in TN until the end of this week after which I will either return to SAV or possibly go to AL with M for the weekend. Then NC for the Fourth of July. whew.
I hope you continue to do well.