New arrivals

There have been a few hectic days here, getting the house and garden nextdoor ready for a new teacher and two assistants who are arriving from UK over the next week or so.

On Friday Beth Bridgewater arrived to teach in Primary for two years. Leaving home and family in UK is a terrible wrench. To come to a huge, empty house was not easy for Beth, but she is now beginning to settle.

Beth is from a family which has a history of mission. Her grandfather was the founder of Wycliffe (Bible translators). It is a privilege to have Beth with us. As yet she is a little insecure about the teaching side of things so please pray for her.

Yesterday we all went to the airport to meet Jo Miller. Jo will be with us for six months as a classroom assistant. Next Sunday Zoe Eves is expected to join them from Ireland.

This morning I took Beth and Jo to the cathedral. There was an informal service. To my delight the congregation really welcomed them both and this has helped them to settle and feel happier.

One could instantly see their love for children.

As for me.... my arm is very much better and my hip is OK most of the time. We have had high humidity recently so I had a "jippy" day yesterday....... all part of the aging process, I suppose. Ha! Ha!

A good week

The past week has been generally good. I have been out and about a bit, visiting my doctor, shopping for new sandals for work and sorting out renewal of documents.
I saw my doctor on Monday about my hip. He told me that it will be about four more weeks before I am pain-free as I had torn a muscle in the fall. In fact, as he pulled me around he must have freed something which was trapped because it has been far less painful, unless I overdo things, (which I am inclined to do).

My arm is also much better. My doctor was proposing some physiotherapy but I showed him what I have been doing and what I can do. He said that I should just continue and it should get stronger in a few weeks without the need for going back and forth to physio.

I have been pushing things a bit as I love to cook. Preparing things can sometime mean that I have to take a day out afterwards as my arm aches so much, but that is small price for being independent again.

Another birthday, another year.

It is my birthday today. I always miss having close friends around on my birthday. Either I am here and they are in UK or vice versa. However, I was determined to enjoy the day.
I woke up in the early hours so I opened my present from Mags and Gwen and resolved to wear it today. It was a lovely, little, pendant with a typical Paraguayan Guampa and bombilla in filigree silver.

I then slept in late. When I finally opened my window shutters I was greeted by a sign hanging from Sharon's balcony across the road, in English, but which most Paraguayans understand. (At least it did not have my age on it!)

I invited Sharon to come out to lunch with me. We did it in style, calling a taxi and going to La Paraguayita, a well known local restaurant. There we indulged ourselves in a very typical Parguayan asado (grilled meats) lunch.Sharon, being Sharon, had brought streamers, a deflated balloon, a lollipop and a noisy blower to complete the birthday decor!

The amount of meat for two was the usual Paraguayan mountain (enough for four or five) but we took a doggy bag home with us.My day was finally made when two pupils came in with their dad and stepmother. Emmanuel rushed over to greet me first with a big "Hallo, Mrs. Van! (He had forgotten my name already, but at least he spoke English.) His older brother, then came over and he and Sharon sang "Happy Birthday" to me. I was so touched.
This afternoon I am putting my feet up and I am going to veg out in front of a DVD.

All in all, a good day and another good memory to stash away in my mind!

Historical day

Today is a historical day as several coins are being withdrawn from the market. We have all been told to take our old coins to the bank by today. Recently I disposed of a shoe box full of small coins. I used to save them and give them to kids at school who were fund raising. Now we will only have "silver" coins, 100guaranies, 500 guaranies and 1000guaranies. The notes are also gradually being changed for plastic ones.

Update on me

I continue to make good progress with regards to my arm but my hip continues to cause concern. I need to get it sorted ready to walk to work in February.

I am now able to look after myself pretty well, doing housework and cooking meals. I still need help for ironing and I could not open a tin of salmon yesterday. (I was so looking forward to a very rare treat.) Maybe I will get a salmon sandwich on my birthday.

Thanks to those who have written to encourage me. It means so much to me.

When will it end?

There seem to be floods all over the world at the moment, the worst being in Australia.

Some areas of Paraguay have also been suffering floods. This year we have had the wettest December for many years. There are normally very high temperatures with a thunderstorm about once every ten days. This summer we have had at least three or four storms per week, with torrential rain. This has kept the temperatures no higher than about 40C, with an average of around 36C. Many days we have experienced a pleasant 30C.

In Asuncion most of the rain finds its way down the hills and into the river Paraguay. There is no proper drainage system, just a few big storm drains (many of which have collapsed this year), so often streets become deep rivers.

People in the Chacarita area, living near to the river often get flooded. This year it has been nearly every day that they have had water running through their houses.

It is all a result of "La Nina", the change of currents in the oceans. Today the Meteorological office announced that we should get less rain in February, but that the unusual weather effect will last until at least May. After that if the currents change to "El Nino" again we can expect more droughts.

The crazy thing is that even though we have had torrential rains there is still not enough rain to fill the reservoirs in the Chaco. The Indians need your prayers for more rain there.

Dia de Los Reyes Magos

Just when we expect the Christmas rush to have passed, the market place in Paraguay becomes a child's paradise as there are toys for sale everywhere. They literally spill onto the streets.

Día De Los Reyes (Three Kings Day) may seem to fall outside of the December Holiday celebration; however, it’s part of the religious symbolism of Christmas, and it is celebrated in Paraguay. The children look forward to this as the most important day of the year. Christmas itself here is low key, with very little by way of presents.

Día de los Reyes is celebrated on January 6th., 12 days after Christmas. It is often viewed as the last day of the Christmas season, or the end of the 12 Days of Christmas. Dia de los Reyes Magos commemorates the arrival in Bethlehem of the three Wise Men: Melchior, Gaspar,and Balthazar who followed the Star of Bethlehem bearing gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh for the baby Jesus. Most towns and villages and many churches celebrate with a parade featuring the Three Kings. Some Kings throw sweets to the children along the street.

Children anxiously await waking up on January 6th to find toys, and gifts left by the Reyes Magos (The Three Wise Men). In some areas, it is customary to leave out shoes in which treasures may be deposited by the visiting Wise Men. Some children leave out a box of hay or food for the camels.

For children in the Chacarita there is little to look forward to as parents cannot afford presents. A trip to the local market to gaze at toys is their treat. However, many parents try to get a small gift from the local market and other families get together to have a small meal in the evening.

There was little festivity in the house nextdoor to me (a squat). When I popped round with a card game from the Kings, for the children to play together. You would have thought that I had brought gold. They were so happy.

The young lad on the left sells newspapers. His dream was realised when somebody gave him a bicycle to help him with his work.

Here all the commercialisation of Christmas is really put into perspective amidst the poverty.

The Bicentenary year begins

Unfortunately I was unable to get into town last night for what will be the first of many Bicentenary celebrations of the Independence of Paraguay from Spain.

In the square next to the congress building there was a wonderful show during which national history and culture was displayed.

A ten minute projection onto the front of the old congress building showed famous Paraguayan characters, poets, writers, musicians and artists and also, the history of Paraguay through major events such as the Triple Alliance war, the Chaco wars, Stroessner's dictatorship and (since I arrived here) the First of March rebellion. A children's chorus sang "I'm from the Chacarita " and a huge orchestra of harps was conducted by one of the most famous harpists in Paraguay. There was national dancing and the Maka indians also performed an act, showing their culture. There were of course many fireworks (Paraguayans adore fireworks and big bangs.) Thousands of people turned out for the extravaganza. The show ended with the modern group, Kchiporros ( with an ex-student of San Andres leading them). There was a string of speeches, one of which emphasized the importance of good education if Paraguay is to move forward with the rest of the World. There was also the usual cry for solidarity and unity.

Challenges for the government in the year ahead are finding enough electricity (settling problems with Brazil over the Itaipu dam), cement and fuel, as petrol prices escalate, which pushes all prices up..