Out of a Clear Blue Sky

I've decided (because I seem to be at a loss for things to blog about) to do a few picture blogs based on color.  He're's blue:

This is the door to the kitchen: the place where all the magic happens.

This is the sky.  I don't know whether or not you take time to look at the sky and by amazed by it, but if you don't you should start.  It's a wonderful way to rejuvenate one's spirit.

This is the thing I plug in every night to ward of mosquitoes.  The little blue part goes into the little white part and that goes into the wall and omits mosquito repellent.  I'm really grateful to have it, because there have been a few cases of dengue fever around, and I don't want any part of that.

This is my good friend Sam.  I said "hey Sam, do something silly!" and he did this.  He's a wonderful companion and  I'm so happy to have had the opportunity to get to know him.  In this picture we're out for a walk in the Jardín Botanico.

These are my new flip flops.  My other's decided that they'd had enough of this life, and I was forced to invest in some new ones.

One More Step in the Right Direction

This is Vidalina. She works in the kitchen at the school.  She's one of the most wonderful women I've ever met.  She lights up my day without trying.  I've learned so much from her and will miss her very much when it's time to return. 

......

The following is my walk to school. It's a short one, taking about 3 minutes in all.  I took the pictures in the morning on my way to work so that it would be like you all were coming to school with me.  So, let's take a walk, shall we? 

This is right outside the gate. The house to the right is ours.  The tree you see right inside the blue fence is a guayaba  tree and it's fruit is just now ripening.  Yummy.

The next picture is taken at the part of the road that sort of narrows up there.

Here we are, just a few paces from my house.  There is often a fair bit of litter on the left side, as you can see. Once there was even a litter of kitties.  They were all gone by the time I came back from work.  I'm hoping they were picked up by people who wanted cats, not by dogs who wanted snacks.

The next picture is taken at the turn right up there where the road ends. 

See the man at the end of the way, there?  We always greet each other as I walk by. Always. He's usually inside the gate of his house, though.  It's rare to see him out for a stroll.

The next picture is taken about two feet to the right of where he's standing.

Directly ahead is a school that was built by Mennonites from the Chaco, but is now the neighborhood's public school. We're looking at it from the back, and only a very small part of it.  There's a little drainage flow to the left that always has a foul odor.  I usually try to hold my breath as I walk by.

The next picture is taken standing on top of the small cement bridge.

To the right is the school still, and we're about to turn onto a more busy street than the ones we've been on. There's a trash drop off up ahead and to the right that you can see, which is another point at which I try not to inhale too deeply.

The next picture is taken right in front of that trash.

If you walk straight here you will reach both the bus stop and the botanical gardens.  The brick wall to the right is that of the public school.  I'm not sure if you can really see the papers on it, but they're propaganda for a political party that supporters put up late at night.  There were recent elections.  The store to the left is the one I go to if I have a hankering for some fruit or something sweet or am in need of baking supplies.  It's a nice place.

The next picture is taken about at the next cross street about halfway down before it seems like the the street completely disappears. 

We've just turned left.  The blue fence to the left is that of the church and the school (they share a fence). The school is located about halfway down the block.  There's a trash holder up there (a metal cage thing that holds trash up too high for the dogs to rummage around in it) and it has some black trash bags in it.  The door to the school is about 3 feet ahead of that. 

This is the door to the school.  I opened the gate, but the door is propped open as always in the heat of summer.  We don't have air conditioning, but we have fans and windows.

And that's what one sees when he or she walks to school on an average day at around 7 am on a weekday.

Love, 
Sarah

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year to everyone!  I’m sorry for being absent minded enough to not have kept up to date with my blogs. I’d like to say that I’ll do better, but that may be an empty promise.  The holidays have been wonderful for me here and I hope that they have been for you all as well.

I was able to spend about a week in the Chaco for Christmas.  The Chaco is what they call the part of Paraguay north and west of the Paraguay River.  Mennonites were the first ones to develop the area and there are three large colonies which flourish there.  It contains 60% of Paraguay’s total area, and only holds 2% of Paraguay’s total population.  It’s flat, usually dry, and hot; much like Kansas in the summer.  The air smelled like home and I was thrilled to stick my head out the window as we were finishing up the four hour drive on our way out there.

I spent time with the pastor’s families and with a family who allowed Aly (Sam’s fiancé who’s spent the last few weeks here with him) and me stay in a spare bedroom.  We spent time playing in water, talking and learning about the indigenous population in the Chaco, riding horses, and attending Christmas services at the town’s biggest church as well as a few Christmas family gatherings.  It was a fulfilling few days and we were graciously hosted and made to feel a part of the goings on.

The song “I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas” has turned into a joke for Roxanne, Sam and I in the heat and humidity of Paraguayan Christmas time.  People always told me before I left The States that Christmas would be the toughest time of year being away from home, family, and friends.  They were right, but I think I’m managing okay.  Top of FormParaguay continues to feel more like home, I continue to feel more comfortable speaking Spanish, and I’m mostly content where I am.

Thanks for your presence in my life, even from afar.  Once again, sorry for the delayed post. 

Love and blessings,

Sarah