Reflecting On One Year

Chris and I went to the ´botanical´garden in Asuncion. Okay, think more like a large park with a zoo, natural history museum, and 100-hectare nature reserve. (Okay people, it´s a developing country--discard all pre-conceived notions of the aforementioned places. It´s not like the places at home). I had already made up my mind previously that I would avoid the zoo like the plague. We paid the entrance fee to the garden and walked up to the museum. The museum was okay. Just a bunch of taxedermied animals, animals in jars, and a large collection of indigenous artifacts. Afterwards, we edged towards the zoo, which Chris was adamant on seeing. It was a disaster. After seeing series upon series of ill-housed, unhappy, and frustrated exotic birds, large cats, and other mammals, we arrived at the tapir enclosure. The tapirs were housed with an extremely large white crane-like bird with a black head and bill (there were almost no information placards on the animals, so I have no idea what it was). The ¨caretakers¨came to feed the tapirs and one man proceeded to hit the bird with a large, bulky leather glove on the bill repeatedly after the bird proceeded towards him and the exit gate. As this happened, his companion cackled with delight. I couldn´t take it and completely lost it. I had been bawling previously, but this was the last straw. I´m almost glad, for I would have reached the elephant and rhino exhibits, and that surely could have been far worse.

After leaving the zoo, composing myself, and boarding the bus, we headed back towards the hotel. Unexpectedly on the way, we passed the Ycua Bolanos grocery store. This was the site of a massive fire a few years back in which some 400 people perished. A fire had broken out, and the owner had locked the customers in to prevent looting. Last year while we were trainees, the sentencing verdict passed on the owner. He got off of on 5 years, which was reduced to 3 due to 2 years already having been served or something like that. As a result widespread rioting and protests shook up part of Asuncion. It was sad to see the empty black hulk where so many died. It was covered with memorials and the victims´names.

To top that, we passed by Plaza Uruguaya, which is situated by the hotel which we frequent. There, some 100+ native peoples from the Chaco region of Paraguay are camped out (and have been since the winter), as they have been displaced. Not sure on exact details, but they are essentially landless due to some sort of government dealings and negotiations. It´s really humbling to see truly poor people washing clothes on the street, cooking over fires, showering on the sidewalk, living in black plastic lean-to´s; going about all their daily motions all on public display in a public square. It´s difficult for me to see urban poverty versus poverty in the countryside (campo). In many ways they are alike, but at least the people in the campo have a little bit of land to build a house or have a garden or farm. Not so for the city homeless. And of course there are very little or no services to help the poor. As many times as I see it, I can´t get used to it. There is such a startling class divide here in Paraguay.

We finished our day by going to one of latin america´s most beloved past times: a club soccer game. The two teams that have a very strong and old rivalry are Cerro Porteño and Olimpia. We did not go to one of those games as they have the tendency to become extremely violent, often ending in rioting. People are known to fight each other, throwing bags of urine, swinging belts with buckles; throwing and shooting nails, rocks, cement, and anything that can possible vist bodily harm on another. Nevertheless, we did witness a little bit of violence at the game we went to which was Olimpia vs. 12 of October. It was relatively tame, fun, and exciting. The guards took Chris´ belt away, and the cops in riot gear waited patiently at the top of the bleachers waiting for any mass violence. The only remarkable thing that happened is that an Olimpista (Olimpia fan) tried to spear a supposed Cerro Porteño fan for allegedly trying to rob him. The large noisy crowd of Olimpistas seated directly to my left started to move and sway and I turned to see a man approach another with a sharpened flagpole. The situation was diffused shortly thereafter, and everyone went back to cheering for the game. There wasn´t even beer sales at this game. People are just passionate about soccer in this country.

That all happened in August. As of now, Chris and I are officially farmers. We are cultivating a piece of land in front of our house about the size of 1/2 hecater. It´s hard work, but we´re planting peanuts, melon, corn, beans, and cassava in association with abonos verdes (plants that fix nitrogen) to show farmers an alternative (and better) way of land management. We are also planting sesame and tartago to demonstrate cultivation of these crops as a possible source of supplemental income. Tartago is used in making industrial oils and is also a source of biofuel. The government is not offering credit to grow cotton this year, and farmers need to be looking at alternated sources of income. We hope by showing them these plots, it will encourge interest and show how easy it is to actually do. Paraguayan farmers do not want to take risks and try it on their own land and are skeptical if you just inform them by mouth. They need to feel it and see it with their own hands before they have buy-in.

Tomorrow we will be getting a future volunteer in training to come and visit us. Wow. I still remember when we were in training and we went and visited our volunteers, Justin and Amanda, who have also become friends. Now they are leaving in December as they finish their service and we are hosting our own trainee.

Chris and I have grown immensely. We are different people now than when we left. I am forever changed and if nothing else comes out of this, Chris and I both agree that we are better citizens of the world for it. We have learned about ourselves, each other, other cultures, other parts of the world, and this experience is so uniquely different from anything we could ever do at home. We are better people now no matter what happens from here on out. Even though this experience is rife with frustration, lack of hope, and impatience some days, I am truly grateful to have been given this experience.