So I’ve been wanting to do a post like this for awhile…but it’s very hard to explain a “typical” day here in the life of a Peace Corps Volunteer. I think however, that my day today may have been just enough random stuff put together to exemplify what a day in the life looks like.
Let’s start from the beginning
Let’s start from the beginning
September 20, 2016
6am- I set my alarm so I could get out of bed by 6am. Paraguayans are morning people, you wake up early and you look guapa. Usually I wake up around 7ish, but since August, they’ve been cutting off the power at 6am every day to do some construction work on the road. When the power gets cut off, the water stops shortly after. Anyway, last night I decided I was going to get up before the power and water gets cut to make myself some coffee. So I did that.
7am- I’m sitting on my porch, enjoying my instant coffee (mixed with nutmeg, cinnamon and milk) and I realize the electricity is still on. Dope. I make another cup of coffee and took my overnight oats out of the fridge to enjoy my breakfast.
8am- I get a voice message from my counterpart informing me that this Sunday is “National Heart Day” !! Paraguayans really LOVE these national days (anything you think of, I’m sure there’s a national day that the Paraguayans are celebrating down here) and get super into the festivities. I’m asked to inform my mother’s association that they can sell some healthy food at the event, and was asked if I would participate as well. How exciting!
8:20am- I head across the street to relay the information to my host mom, and snag the keys from the community center from her.
8:30am- I decide to contact a fellow health volunteer in my area to ask her to do the event with me, because working alone is no fun.
9am- Now that I’m all amped from my coffee, I’m ready to teach my first English class of the day. I realize there’s still electricity (hmm.. that’s annoying that I woke up early for no reason) and decide I can use a room in the community center for my class.
9:15am- No one shows up to my English class. Not surprised.
9:30am- Decide to water my plants because there’s still electricity and water. Decide to play some Taylor Swift for my plants.
10am- Not sure what to do, very typical, the morning is still young. I decide I can make all my invitations for my pregnancy club (oh did I mention I FINALLY have a date for our first meeting?!) and be super productive this morning. I get my paper, markers and scissors, sit on my porch and start writing.
10:30am- I’m realizing I spend a lot of time hand writing things.
6am- I set my alarm so I could get out of bed by 6am. Paraguayans are morning people, you wake up early and you look guapa. Usually I wake up around 7ish, but since August, they’ve been cutting off the power at 6am every day to do some construction work on the road. When the power gets cut off, the water stops shortly after. Anyway, last night I decided I was going to get up before the power and water gets cut to make myself some coffee. So I did that.
7am- I’m sitting on my porch, enjoying my instant coffee (mixed with nutmeg, cinnamon and milk) and I realize the electricity is still on. Dope. I make another cup of coffee and took my overnight oats out of the fridge to enjoy my breakfast.
8am- I get a voice message from my counterpart informing me that this Sunday is “National Heart Day” !! Paraguayans really LOVE these national days (anything you think of, I’m sure there’s a national day that the Paraguayans are celebrating down here) and get super into the festivities. I’m asked to inform my mother’s association that they can sell some healthy food at the event, and was asked if I would participate as well. How exciting!
8:20am- I head across the street to relay the information to my host mom, and snag the keys from the community center from her.
8:30am- I decide to contact a fellow health volunteer in my area to ask her to do the event with me, because working alone is no fun.
9am- Now that I’m all amped from my coffee, I’m ready to teach my first English class of the day. I realize there’s still electricity (hmm.. that’s annoying that I woke up early for no reason) and decide I can use a room in the community center for my class.
9:15am- No one shows up to my English class. Not surprised.
9:30am- Decide to water my plants because there’s still electricity and water. Decide to play some Taylor Swift for my plants.
10am- Not sure what to do, very typical, the morning is still young. I decide I can make all my invitations for my pregnancy club (oh did I mention I FINALLY have a date for our first meeting?!) and be super productive this morning. I get my paper, markers and scissors, sit on my porch and start writing.
10:30am- I’m realizing I spend a lot of time hand writing things.
11am- While I have all these sharpies out, I decide to get creative and color one of my coffee mugs. I saw this thing on Pinterest awhile ago about using sharpies to decorate mugs and then baking them in the oven so they stay on. Let’s see if this works.
11:30am- My sharpie mug looks dope. I hope this type of mug can go in the oven…
11:30am- My sharpie mug looks dope. I hope this type of mug can go in the oven…
12pm- Lunch time. I head across the street to eat lunch with my host family
12:10pm- SURPRISE, my host nieces (age 7 and 8) don’t want to eat their food
12:20pm- I try to persuade them into eating their food. Maggie ends up putting her food in Vicky’s shoe. Not ideal.
12:30pm- My host mom brings me miel negra (black honey from caña dulce) with a banana for dessert. YUM, I LOVE YOU HOST MOM!
1pm- Let’s give English class number two a try, shall we?
1:09pm- There’s 7 girls here today, I wonder what happened to all the boys.
1:20pm- NOW the power goes out. GRRRREAT
1:21pm- We move class outside
1:26pm- Decide to teach them about nutrition today
1:40pm- We play a game about classifying foods (in English) into food groups (carbs, veggies, fruits, dairy, protein, fats and sugars).
1:50pm- They like the game and ask to play again
2pm- GIRL SCOUT TIME. So there’s been a group of 5th and 6th grade girls that have been coming to my English class and always ask about doing different activities. I asked if they wanted to have their own club, and we agreed to meet after English classes to have our own meetings,
2:08pm- We vote on a name for our club. They want to be called Comité de Niñas, La Paz (girls committee, The Peace) how adorable.
2:09pm- We start to write our mission statement. I ask them what do you want to do?
2:10pm- Someone says “help our community”
2:11pm- Someone says “help the sick people”
2:12pm- Someone says “take care of the environment”
2:13pm- I decide I love these girls.
2:30pm- We vote on positions for everyone to hold in the club.
2:40pm- We copy our mission onto a piece of paper
2:50pm- We all sign our names on the paper with our titles in the club. They tried to make me the president and the secretary of the club but I politely declined and told them that the positions were only for them. Then they inform me that I can be “The Helper”
12:10pm- SURPRISE, my host nieces (age 7 and 8) don’t want to eat their food
12:20pm- I try to persuade them into eating their food. Maggie ends up putting her food in Vicky’s shoe. Not ideal.
12:30pm- My host mom brings me miel negra (black honey from caña dulce) with a banana for dessert. YUM, I LOVE YOU HOST MOM!
1pm- Let’s give English class number two a try, shall we?
1:09pm- There’s 7 girls here today, I wonder what happened to all the boys.
1:20pm- NOW the power goes out. GRRRREAT
1:21pm- We move class outside
1:26pm- Decide to teach them about nutrition today
1:40pm- We play a game about classifying foods (in English) into food groups (carbs, veggies, fruits, dairy, protein, fats and sugars).
1:50pm- They like the game and ask to play again
2pm- GIRL SCOUT TIME. So there’s been a group of 5th and 6th grade girls that have been coming to my English class and always ask about doing different activities. I asked if they wanted to have their own club, and we agreed to meet after English classes to have our own meetings,
2:08pm- We vote on a name for our club. They want to be called Comité de Niñas, La Paz (girls committee, The Peace) how adorable.
2:09pm- We start to write our mission statement. I ask them what do you want to do?
2:10pm- Someone says “help our community”
2:11pm- Someone says “help the sick people”
2:12pm- Someone says “take care of the environment”
2:13pm- I decide I love these girls.
2:30pm- We vote on positions for everyone to hold in the club.
2:40pm- We copy our mission onto a piece of paper
2:50pm- We all sign our names on the paper with our titles in the club. They tried to make me the president and the secretary of the club but I politely declined and told them that the positions were only for them. Then they inform me that I can be “The Helper”
3:00pm- The girls tell me they have singing practice at their school and they invite me to come watch. Well, since I have nothing else to do all day, I think I can make room in my schedule for that.
3:04pm- We get to the school and one of the teachers informs me their practice isn’t until 4pm. Oh well
3:06pm- The principal asks to speak to me in her office. I’m scared for a second, but then I realize that I’m not in trouble because I’m not a student here and I didn’t do anything wrong.
3:07pm- I go into her office and she gives me an invitation to attend an event at their school on Friday.
3:10pm- I leave the principals office. The kids find me. They want to teach me Guarani. Okay, why not?
3:11pm- I am seated in a tiny desk in the 6th grade class room, pronouncing words in Guarani with a mob of students laughing at me and giving me words to say so I can pronounce them wrong and they can laugh some more.
3:40pm- Finally they start their singing practice.
3:43pm- This is catchy
3:50pm- A kindergartener is singing a solo. What is this? This is so adorable.
4pm- The girls tell me its time for them to leave. I guess I’m going with them?
4:04 pm- My host sister is outside drinking terere, I decide to join her.
4:07pm- I think she tells me she’s bringing me a puppy home from work tomorrow.
4:08pm- Now we’re talking about Peace Corps in Africa
4:09pm- I’m still confused about the puppy but we already changed the conversation
4:10pm- She wants to know if they get paid more in Africa because life is harder there. I tell her that’s a really good point and they probably should get paid more, but I don’t think that’s how it works.
4:11pm- I find out the power and water may be out for 6 months
4:12pm- Maybe it’s just out until December?
4:13pm- Why do I never know what’s going on?
4:14pm- Maybe I should be getting paid more.
4:30pm- Opa la y (the water’s gone) for the terere
4:40pm- Head back home. It’s trash burning hour. Very hazy and it smells bad.
5pm- I hear the gate opening. I look out my window and an ox cart is pulling up.
5:01pm- A little confused why these cows are coming at me, why are they coming to the community center? MY PLANTS! They better not step on my plants!
5:02pm- Ahhhhhhh….the cart is full of chairs. They’re returning the chairs to the community center. I should go let them in.
5:03pm- WHERE ARE THE KEYS TO THE COMMUNITY CENTER. IF I LOST THEM MY HOST MOM WILL KILLLL MEEEEE.
5:03pm- Oh, here they are. All good.
5:06pm- I should probably help him carry in all these chairs instead of just standing here awkwardly starring at his cows.
5:07pm- I liked the striped one.
5:10pm- Now there’s only one chair left. Great, I look like a loser carrying one chair while this guy carries 10 at a time.
5:11pm- Well, that was eventful.
5:12pm- Hmm… what now.
5:13pm- Back to sitting on my porch.
5:14pm- Decide to draw on the back of my sharpie mug.
3:04pm- We get to the school and one of the teachers informs me their practice isn’t until 4pm. Oh well
3:06pm- The principal asks to speak to me in her office. I’m scared for a second, but then I realize that I’m not in trouble because I’m not a student here and I didn’t do anything wrong.
3:07pm- I go into her office and she gives me an invitation to attend an event at their school on Friday.
3:10pm- I leave the principals office. The kids find me. They want to teach me Guarani. Okay, why not?
3:11pm- I am seated in a tiny desk in the 6th grade class room, pronouncing words in Guarani with a mob of students laughing at me and giving me words to say so I can pronounce them wrong and they can laugh some more.
3:40pm- Finally they start their singing practice.
3:43pm- This is catchy
3:50pm- A kindergartener is singing a solo. What is this? This is so adorable.
4pm- The girls tell me its time for them to leave. I guess I’m going with them?
4:04 pm- My host sister is outside drinking terere, I decide to join her.
4:07pm- I think she tells me she’s bringing me a puppy home from work tomorrow.
4:08pm- Now we’re talking about Peace Corps in Africa
4:09pm- I’m still confused about the puppy but we already changed the conversation
4:10pm- She wants to know if they get paid more in Africa because life is harder there. I tell her that’s a really good point and they probably should get paid more, but I don’t think that’s how it works.
4:11pm- I find out the power and water may be out for 6 months
4:12pm- Maybe it’s just out until December?
4:13pm- Why do I never know what’s going on?
4:14pm- Maybe I should be getting paid more.
4:30pm- Opa la y (the water’s gone) for the terere
4:40pm- Head back home. It’s trash burning hour. Very hazy and it smells bad.
5pm- I hear the gate opening. I look out my window and an ox cart is pulling up.
5:01pm- A little confused why these cows are coming at me, why are they coming to the community center? MY PLANTS! They better not step on my plants!
5:02pm- Ahhhhhhh….the cart is full of chairs. They’re returning the chairs to the community center. I should go let them in.
5:03pm- WHERE ARE THE KEYS TO THE COMMUNITY CENTER. IF I LOST THEM MY HOST MOM WILL KILLLL MEEEEE.
5:03pm- Oh, here they are. All good.
5:06pm- I should probably help him carry in all these chairs instead of just standing here awkwardly starring at his cows.
5:07pm- I liked the striped one.
5:10pm- Now there’s only one chair left. Great, I look like a loser carrying one chair while this guy carries 10 at a time.
5:11pm- Well, that was eventful.
5:12pm- Hmm… what now.
5:13pm- Back to sitting on my porch.
5:14pm- Decide to draw on the back of my sharpie mug.
7pm- Go across the street again to my host families’ house to watch my telenovela, Eva.
7:01pm- OH NO SHE DIDN’T
7:02pm- Oh yes, yes she did.
7:03pm- Damn, her lipstick is on point.
Okay so you guys don’t actually need a minute by minute recap of what happened during my telenovela today (but actually if you’re interested Eva, La Trailera is available to watch on On Demand!)
8pm- Head back home
8:01pm- Boil water for my mint tea
8:02pm- Decide to write a blog post about my day
8:22pm- My cup of water is finally boiling on my easy-bake-oven electric stove top.
8:30pm- Actually sit down with my mint tea in my bed to write this blog post
8:31pm- Remember I’m supposed to teach a science class tomorrow afternoon at the school
8:32pm- Decide I’ll plan my lesson tomorrow morning since I have nothing planned….
8:33pm- Actually writing this blog post.
SOOOOOOOO…. I think that sums up a pretty average “day in the life of a peace corps volunteer” in Paraguay. Contains lots of down time, some crafts/DIY projects, an English class, some impromptu activities, some terere, some telenovelas, some cows…. you get the picture. Some days have less going on, some days have some more formal/pre-planned lessons or actual events going on. Sometimes my health post is involved, sometimes my day is pretty much just going to a meeting, and lots of times my plan for the day is to have no plans. But today was one of those days that just felt… right.
ANYWAY hopefully you enjoyed hearing about my day, and now you have a better understanding on what a “typical” day is like. Maybe I’ll do more of these, maybe I won’t. Let me know what you think.
7:01pm- OH NO SHE DIDN’T
7:02pm- Oh yes, yes she did.
7:03pm- Damn, her lipstick is on point.
Okay so you guys don’t actually need a minute by minute recap of what happened during my telenovela today (but actually if you’re interested Eva, La Trailera is available to watch on On Demand!)
8pm- Head back home
8:01pm- Boil water for my mint tea
8:02pm- Decide to write a blog post about my day
8:22pm- My cup of water is finally boiling on my easy-bake-oven electric stove top.
8:30pm- Actually sit down with my mint tea in my bed to write this blog post
8:31pm- Remember I’m supposed to teach a science class tomorrow afternoon at the school
8:32pm- Decide I’ll plan my lesson tomorrow morning since I have nothing planned….
8:33pm- Actually writing this blog post.
SOOOOOOOO…. I think that sums up a pretty average “day in the life of a peace corps volunteer” in Paraguay. Contains lots of down time, some crafts/DIY projects, an English class, some impromptu activities, some terere, some telenovelas, some cows…. you get the picture. Some days have less going on, some days have some more formal/pre-planned lessons or actual events going on. Sometimes my health post is involved, sometimes my day is pretty much just going to a meeting, and lots of times my plan for the day is to have no plans. But today was one of those days that just felt… right.
ANYWAY hopefully you enjoyed hearing about my day, and now you have a better understanding on what a “typical” day is like. Maybe I’ll do more of these, maybe I won’t. Let me know what you think.