HOkay so I'm backtracking a bit to my second evening in Paraguay but I feel it's necessary for my own memories. Most days in Paraguay are pretty tranquilopa. Not too much going on and I feel like I have to pry information out of everyone like I do from cranky teenagers. How are you? Good. What did you do today? Nothing. What did you eat today? I cant remember. What are you going to do later? I don't know. And so on..... basically everyone is just calm, cool, and collected. Which I enjoy 90% of the time. But the other 10% I would love some spice. And Saturdays are the nights of spice. At least so far.
Anyways, the first Saturday I was swimming in my grandma's pool (yes you heard that correctly) trying not to die from the heat and trying hard to at least somewhat follow everyone's conversations in jopara. Finally we got out and I was about to shower when my sister came in and told me we were going to grandma's house like we do every Saturday night and to get ready. So thinking that we were going back a thirty second walk away I told her I was ready in my t-shirt and shorts. Then I saw she was straightening her hair and putting on a nice dress (yup, girls get sassy here too) so even though she told me I didn't have to change my clothes I picked up on the indirectness of it all (used by everybody in Paraguay) and changed. Then all of a sudden we get in my dad's car. Okay. So we're going to a different grandma's house....
We get there and my grandma is this spunky lady that only speaks guarani so I have entirely no idea what's happening except for the fact that I'm pretty sure they are making fun of me. Oh well. So then we leave and it's like 10pm at this point so I'm thinking naturally that we are going home. But then it's taking forever and it doesn't look familiar so I ask where we are going. And I don't understand the answer. Perfect. But I assumed we were going to get dinner because we hadn't eaten yet. Then there is a ridiculous amount of traffic. I ask why there is so much traffic and again I don't understand their answer.
Then I find myself wading through thousands of people clinging to my sister's hand. It's basically a Paraguayan carnival with Ferris wheels, all sorts of food, a band playing and more. At this point, as if it wasn't confusing enough my dad shares that the vendors shouting "leche leche" (translation: milk milk) actually were selling beer. What a code word. And after a few hours being submerged in "spice" we ended up at a heladaeria and had the best ice cream in the world. What an end to the night.
Well, except for the fact that I had to chase a chicken out of my room when I got home. Paraguay problems. And so this Saturday I was much more prepared for the later event of a fundraiser for old people consisting of a dance competition between different neighborhoods. Don't worry if that made no sense, I still have no idea what happened. Spanish is hard. Jopara is harder. My life is spicy in a tranquilopa way. And I wouldn't have it any other way.
Mucho amor,
Arianna
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