Great Things

Okay, so you know how I got to Caaguazu this morning so that I could be sitting here writing all you wonderful people this update? An onion truck. So, it´d been raining here all day yesterday and the roads today are somewhat iffy. In addition to the fact that the bus breaking down is a not-altogether uncommon occurence. So, some people flagged down the onion truck and we got a pretty, well-ventilated lift to town today. Much preferable to being stuck next to grandpa´s 80 year-old armpit for an hour and a half. And it was really beautiful to see the scenery NOT from behind a dirty glass window. Quicker too. Know how many of you got to say that you rode to work or school on an onion truck today? I´d venture to say, none.
Anway, just thought I´d get that in as it has been the highlight of my day thus far. It also blew-dry my hair straight, and man, I haven´t felt this pretty in a long time! Hee hee.

Chris and I have started to machete the land clear for our house. Yeah, it´s pretty much like jungle where we´re gonna stick the house, so as you might imagine, there´s all these green and brown things called TREES and BUSHES and VINES in the way. And with like 99% humidity it makes us work in short, clumsy spurts. But watch a Paraguayan go at it with the machete, and he´s done like an hour´s worth of work that you would do in like 5 minutes. And THEN turns around and says, ¨facile!¨, (which means ¨easy!¨ in Spanish.) Sure, only because you´ve been practicing since you were like three! But anway, it´s fun and I feel like we´re accomplishing something. So, after the lands all cleared, we have to level it all, which I really don´t know how that´s going to hapen. And we have to move the 6 bee boxes at the edge to another location so we don´t end up getting swarmed to death while we garden or drink terere. And then we have to install a water pump into the well so we can have to water to build with, etc., etc. And then we have to build the latrine and then we can have the materials delivered and then we can start playing Legos and build our house. Chris is optimistically looking at an end date of April 15th, just in time for his birthday. I hope!!

On the culinary side of things, I´ve been making more food items to better supplement the foodstuffs here. I made BBQ sauce which was actually pretty good, and I´ve also made banana bread which they´ve mostly never heard of, and I´ve also taken to practicing making flour tortillas, which are surprisingly easy. And which I think will officially become Chris´ new staple.
If you hadn´t yet heard, Chris finished making our´kitchen´table and life has become inifinitely easier suddenly. I have a surface upon which to work and it´s so nice! Chris really has done a great job, and I´m greatful that he´s innovative and likes to do projects like that. It´s so much cheaper than buying and he can make just about whatever we need. Next, it´s shelves, and then I think another bed?

I think that a lot of people in our community are somewhat convinced that Chris and I cannot build our house out of brick. Wood homes are way more common, not only because they are cheaper, but also because everyone and their mother knows how to hang wood planks and nail them in. It´s harder with brick because you have to make sure everything is always level and plum and you should know a bit about the foundation because the weight of the house will be a lot heavier than it would be with wood. And thus, the people think we are somehow rich because we want to make a house, 6x8 meters, out of brick. I drew up the floor plans, and it LOOKS big on the paper, but it´s a modest home. I know this sounds contrary because most of the people on that street live in houses about 3x4, made of wood and straw and have like 8 people living in them. But, honestly, we´re not making a large house. The actual inside part is only 6x6 meters and consists of a bedroom, kitchen, shower, area for storage and a large sink to wash, and a small extra room for guests or whatever.
Chris wants to build the house himself to show the people that yes, you can learn whatever you want to learn and do-it-yourself. No, you don´t have to be a professional whose studied and no, it´s not brain surgery! We´ve received many offers of help from all kinds of our fellow volunteers, so that could be kind of fun. I hope it doesn´t turn into a big mess. And yes, while I want brick too because it´s cleaner and is better insulating than wood, but I also want to move into my house sometime this year!!

Wish us luck! We´ll need it.....

Love,
Marissa

(Photos: The presidential palace in Asuncion, flanked by some other important pink governmental building. Yes, Chris was convinced he could walk right up to the door and speak with the prez himself, but was twice told loudly by whistle and nice soldier man to not walk towards the building. All I can say is, I told him not to! Pic #2, the view from the museum in Asuncion, which overlooks the large shanty-town community by the river. This area is dangerous and rampant with thieves. And last but not least, the photo of the site of our future house on the day we started to clean it. I think that Chris is standing in our bathroom in the photo.)