I’ve been writing blog posts in my head for the past week or so, but now that I’m sitting down to actually write, I feel like doing another DAY IN THE LIFE post. So here it goes…
6:04am- alarm goes off. WHY did I decide to wake up so early? I’m exhausted from traveling back to my site from Asunción yesterday. Public transportation (and lack there of) really takes it out of me. Snooze.
6:14am- Oh right, I said I would go into the school this morning to work on our project for the science fair. Crap, I should probably get out of bed.
6:15am- The lights turn on! Hell yes we still have power so I can make coffee before I go.
6:20am- *insert swear word of choice* because there’s no water. Huh, thats annoying. I couldn’t shower last night when I got back because for whatever reason there was no water. This may become a problem today…
6:21am- complain to my dog about how unfair life can be and go back to bed to cuddle with her instead of getting ready
6:30am- Okay now I think I should probably get out of bed
6:40am- Okay now I think I should probably get out of bed
6:50am- Okay now I think I should probably get out of bed
6:51am- Okay now I get out bed
7:10am- Hop on my bike to get to the school
7:14am- I pass an ox cart, I must be making good time
7:18am- A little boy on a bike that looks worse off than mine passes me, I must be going really slow
7:21am- I hit some sand, almost eat it
7:25am- Make it to the school
7:26am- Wipe the sweat off my face
7:30am- Enter the 5th grade class. The teacher tells me that she hasn’t bought all the materials yet to make our volcanoes, but I can teach the class about plate tectonics and volcanic activity while she goes out to buy some baking soda.
7:31am- Well this will be funny.
7:32am- Ask the kids what they already know about volcanoes.
7:33am- Silence
7:34am- Silence
7:35am- Silence
7:36am- Realize I have a lot of work ahead of me and it’s gonna be a long morning.
7:37am-Decide to draw some pictures on the board, and maybe that will help me explain all this stuff.
8:11am- Finish my explanation of how volcanoes are formed, what causes them to erupt and what happens after an eruption. Ask if there are any questions
8:14am- Thankfully this one kid has a million questions that I think I’m answering correctly. If not, no one will know.
8:16am- Lava is one thousand degrees celsius I decide. Don’t question me, I’m the teacher.
8:22am- Run out of things to say so I decide to show them photos of the volcanoes I hiked in Nicaragua
8:26am- These kids think I’m the coolest person ever now
8:27am- One girl gives me a coffee candy
8:30am- I decide to mention that there are volcanoes under the water in the ocean. This blow their minds.
8:40am- The teacher comes back and we can finally make our model volcanoes! (the reason I thought that I came to the school today) Decided to go with the basic coca-cola and mentos reaction along with a second reaction using vinegar and baking soda.
9:00am- I’m a local celebrity
9:01am- I make plans to come back and work with the 2nd graders and 5th graders next week so we can finish up everything for the science fair (which is exactly a week from today. WHAAAT) hopefully we can get it together.
9:02am- A couple girls pass me some notes that says “Te amo Katy” as I get on my bike to head home
6:14am- Oh right, I said I would go into the school this morning to work on our project for the science fair. Crap, I should probably get out of bed.
6:15am- The lights turn on! Hell yes we still have power so I can make coffee before I go.
6:20am- *insert swear word of choice* because there’s no water. Huh, thats annoying. I couldn’t shower last night when I got back because for whatever reason there was no water. This may become a problem today…
6:21am- complain to my dog about how unfair life can be and go back to bed to cuddle with her instead of getting ready
6:30am- Okay now I think I should probably get out of bed
6:40am- Okay now I think I should probably get out of bed
6:50am- Okay now I think I should probably get out of bed
6:51am- Okay now I get out bed
7:10am- Hop on my bike to get to the school
7:14am- I pass an ox cart, I must be making good time
7:18am- A little boy on a bike that looks worse off than mine passes me, I must be going really slow
7:21am- I hit some sand, almost eat it
7:25am- Make it to the school
7:26am- Wipe the sweat off my face
7:30am- Enter the 5th grade class. The teacher tells me that she hasn’t bought all the materials yet to make our volcanoes, but I can teach the class about plate tectonics and volcanic activity while she goes out to buy some baking soda.
7:31am- Well this will be funny.
7:32am- Ask the kids what they already know about volcanoes.
7:33am- Silence
7:34am- Silence
7:35am- Silence
7:36am- Realize I have a lot of work ahead of me and it’s gonna be a long morning.
7:37am-Decide to draw some pictures on the board, and maybe that will help me explain all this stuff.
8:11am- Finish my explanation of how volcanoes are formed, what causes them to erupt and what happens after an eruption. Ask if there are any questions
8:14am- Thankfully this one kid has a million questions that I think I’m answering correctly. If not, no one will know.
8:16am- Lava is one thousand degrees celsius I decide. Don’t question me, I’m the teacher.
8:22am- Run out of things to say so I decide to show them photos of the volcanoes I hiked in Nicaragua
8:26am- These kids think I’m the coolest person ever now
8:27am- One girl gives me a coffee candy
8:30am- I decide to mention that there are volcanoes under the water in the ocean. This blow their minds.
8:40am- The teacher comes back and we can finally make our model volcanoes! (the reason I thought that I came to the school today) Decided to go with the basic coca-cola and mentos reaction along with a second reaction using vinegar and baking soda.
9:00am- I’m a local celebrity
9:01am- I make plans to come back and work with the 2nd graders and 5th graders next week so we can finish up everything for the science fair (which is exactly a week from today. WHAAAT) hopefully we can get it together.
9:02am- A couple girls pass me some notes that says “Te amo Katy” as I get on my bike to head home
9:13am- Home. Still no water. And yup, now the power is out too.
9:14am- My pregnancy club is this afternoon! So I start getting things ready for that
10:00am- Decide to head to my health post to see if my nurse is there to talk to her about our club and go over some details for this afternoon
10:07am- She’s not there.
10:08am- Decide to walk across the grass to get some milk from the dispensa
10:10am- There’s no milk
10:11am- Well, you lose some you lose some, right?
10:12am- As I’m about to head home in total defeat, my nurse shows up at the health post.
10:16am- We decide to head over to the community center now to prepare the space for our pregnancy club
10:18am- I learn that the construction workers broke the waterline yesterday while they were digging and that’s why there was no water last night/this morning.
10:20am- Now begins the prep for our pregnancy club. Let me just take a minute to explain that Paraguayans LOVE to go overboard with decorations. Even though I live down a dirt road and there’s currently no electricity or running water, we had to prepare like CRAZY to have a pregnancy club. We couldn’t just have a snack, we had to have an entire decorated table with food. And of course we needed a backdrop for a photo op. Literally so over the top.
11am- The nurse asks me if I can prepare terere for her. I know I have a half a jar of water in my fridge and one ice tray that’s full in my freezer. I also know I won’t be able to refill it anytime soon.
11:01am- I want her to like me so I tell her yes as I’m dying on the inside
12pm- One of my neighbors comes up to hang up this backdrop with a fancy staple gun. Literally this is so fancy I can’t even. We don’t even have water to make juice with but we have this super chuchi spot for a photo op.
1pm-Well, it’s show time baby. Let’s do this pregnancy club!
1:01pm- Nobody is here. The nurse points that out to me. YES I KNOW I CAN SEE THAT
1:02pm- The nurse says “what if nobody shows up?”. Great thanks for bringing up every peace corps volunteer’s biggest nightmare (and also sad reality)
1:17pm- Someone’s coming!
1:18pm- it’s a nurse from the health post in town
1:20pm- we decide to sit outside in the shade. this giant overly decorated room with all the food is mocking us
1:30pm- the nurse from the health post in town is super cool. She’s giving us all these great ideas and just being super relaxed and telling us about when she worked in the Chaco. Really love this lady
1:45pm- we start talking about how maybe this site isn’t the best place for a pregnancy club since the women all live so far away and have to walk from all over to get here and they all go into town for their checkups
1:46 pm maybe Curupayty isn’t ready for a pregnancy club
1:47pm maybe this is a sign
1:46pm- I start to think the world doesn’t want me to be around babies
1:47pm- maybe the world isn’t ready for me
1:48pm- back to reality, we start to plan our next move. the nurse mentions a diabetic club. this I can’t wait to see.
1:49pm- WAIT, SOMEONE IS COMING
1:50PM- A PREGNANT WOMAN! THERE’S A WOMAN COMING WHO IS PREGNANT!
1:51pm- OMG a woman is here and she is carrying a tiny human inside of her that’s not yet even a human because she’s only two months along but its a tiny human nonetheless!
1:52pm- The pregnant woman brought a friend who has a tiny human with her
1:53pm- They tell us their pregnant cousin is coming too!
1:54pm- Music to my ears
2:15pm- We start our pregnancy club. In all, there are two pregnant woman, and two other mom’s with babies and small children. The nurse gives a mini charla about having a plan to go to the hospital for when you go into labor and how we always recommend a natural birth opposed to a C section when possible.
2:40pm- I made a joke about not being able to understand when toothless Paraguayan men talk to me, and everyone loved it. I don’t think they understood that it actually wasn’t a joke and this is an actual problem I’ve been having.
2:55pm- Everyone is going ham on my banana bread that I made. They are eating it all up!
2:56pm- All the banana bread is gone. Success.
3:00pm- Well now it’s over. Looks like I’m the one cleaning this up.
9:14am- My pregnancy club is this afternoon! So I start getting things ready for that
10:00am- Decide to head to my health post to see if my nurse is there to talk to her about our club and go over some details for this afternoon
10:07am- She’s not there.
10:08am- Decide to walk across the grass to get some milk from the dispensa
10:10am- There’s no milk
10:11am- Well, you lose some you lose some, right?
10:12am- As I’m about to head home in total defeat, my nurse shows up at the health post.
10:16am- We decide to head over to the community center now to prepare the space for our pregnancy club
10:18am- I learn that the construction workers broke the waterline yesterday while they were digging and that’s why there was no water last night/this morning.
10:20am- Now begins the prep for our pregnancy club. Let me just take a minute to explain that Paraguayans LOVE to go overboard with decorations. Even though I live down a dirt road and there’s currently no electricity or running water, we had to prepare like CRAZY to have a pregnancy club. We couldn’t just have a snack, we had to have an entire decorated table with food. And of course we needed a backdrop for a photo op. Literally so over the top.
11am- The nurse asks me if I can prepare terere for her. I know I have a half a jar of water in my fridge and one ice tray that’s full in my freezer. I also know I won’t be able to refill it anytime soon.
11:01am- I want her to like me so I tell her yes as I’m dying on the inside
12pm- One of my neighbors comes up to hang up this backdrop with a fancy staple gun. Literally this is so fancy I can’t even. We don’t even have water to make juice with but we have this super chuchi spot for a photo op.
1pm-Well, it’s show time baby. Let’s do this pregnancy club!
1:01pm- Nobody is here. The nurse points that out to me. YES I KNOW I CAN SEE THAT
1:02pm- The nurse says “what if nobody shows up?”. Great thanks for bringing up every peace corps volunteer’s biggest nightmare (and also sad reality)
1:17pm- Someone’s coming!
1:18pm- it’s a nurse from the health post in town
1:20pm- we decide to sit outside in the shade. this giant overly decorated room with all the food is mocking us
1:30pm- the nurse from the health post in town is super cool. She’s giving us all these great ideas and just being super relaxed and telling us about when she worked in the Chaco. Really love this lady
1:45pm- we start talking about how maybe this site isn’t the best place for a pregnancy club since the women all live so far away and have to walk from all over to get here and they all go into town for their checkups
1:46 pm maybe Curupayty isn’t ready for a pregnancy club
1:47pm maybe this is a sign
1:46pm- I start to think the world doesn’t want me to be around babies
1:47pm- maybe the world isn’t ready for me
1:48pm- back to reality, we start to plan our next move. the nurse mentions a diabetic club. this I can’t wait to see.
1:49pm- WAIT, SOMEONE IS COMING
1:50PM- A PREGNANT WOMAN! THERE’S A WOMAN COMING WHO IS PREGNANT!
1:51pm- OMG a woman is here and she is carrying a tiny human inside of her that’s not yet even a human because she’s only two months along but its a tiny human nonetheless!
1:52pm- The pregnant woman brought a friend who has a tiny human with her
1:53pm- They tell us their pregnant cousin is coming too!
1:54pm- Music to my ears
2:15pm- We start our pregnancy club. In all, there are two pregnant woman, and two other mom’s with babies and small children. The nurse gives a mini charla about having a plan to go to the hospital for when you go into labor and how we always recommend a natural birth opposed to a C section when possible.
2:40pm- I made a joke about not being able to understand when toothless Paraguayan men talk to me, and everyone loved it. I don’t think they understood that it actually wasn’t a joke and this is an actual problem I’ve been having.
2:55pm- Everyone is going ham on my banana bread that I made. They are eating it all up!
2:56pm- All the banana bread is gone. Success.
3:00pm- Well now it’s over. Looks like I’m the one cleaning this up.
3:40pm- All cleaned up, I’m taking off my bra, getting into my hammock, cuddling up with my dog, and reading a book in English.
3:41pm- Can’t find my dog
3:42pm- Literally yelling CHIPA CHIPA CHIPA CHIIIIPAAAA and my neighbors are laughing hysterically at me because I sound like a chipa girl selling hot chipa on the bus.
3:46pm- Oh maybe they’re also laughing at me because I found her in their yard playing with the baby cows.
3:47pm- She crawled under the fence and can’t seem to get back through. This is kind of a problem
3:49pm- I manage to wiggle her out from under the fence and I hold her up like Simba and present her to my neighbors
3:50pm- Hammock time
3:51pm- Chipita is so cute I can’t even handle it
3:52pm- We take some selfies together
3:53pm- My neighbors must think I’m such a white girl for sitting in this hammock with this tiny dog taking selfies
3:54pm- I laugh because I am such a white girl regardless of what country I’m in, posing for selfies with my tiny dog
3:55pm- I actually snort out loud
3:56pm- My neighbors definitely heard that
3:57pm- I’m an embarrassment
3:58pm- Chipa falls asleep on me
4:00pm- Okay, now I’m reading my book
3:41pm- Can’t find my dog
3:42pm- Literally yelling CHIPA CHIPA CHIPA CHIIIIPAAAA and my neighbors are laughing hysterically at me because I sound like a chipa girl selling hot chipa on the bus.
3:46pm- Oh maybe they’re also laughing at me because I found her in their yard playing with the baby cows.
3:47pm- She crawled under the fence and can’t seem to get back through. This is kind of a problem
3:49pm- I manage to wiggle her out from under the fence and I hold her up like Simba and present her to my neighbors
3:50pm- Hammock time
3:51pm- Chipita is so cute I can’t even handle it
3:52pm- We take some selfies together
3:53pm- My neighbors must think I’m such a white girl for sitting in this hammock with this tiny dog taking selfies
3:54pm- I laugh because I am such a white girl regardless of what country I’m in, posing for selfies with my tiny dog
3:55pm- I actually snort out loud
3:56pm- My neighbors definitely heard that
3:57pm- I’m an embarrassment
3:58pm- Chipa falls asleep on me
4:00pm- Okay, now I’m reading my book
5:00pm- still haven’t moved
6:00pm- still haven’t moved
7:00pm- went to my host families house to watch my telenovela. Eva’s daughter is pregnant, but this time she wants it. The last time she was pregnant it was from this drug dealer who kidnapped her and took her to vegas to marry her and steal all her money but then she lost the baby when he was chasing her and she fell down the escalators at an outdoor mall.
8:00pm- Head back home and decide to write this blog.
8:01pm- realize it’s a Friday night
8:02pm- go back to writing this blog.
WELL that was my day today! Looks like I'll be switching up between updates, reruns of my days and vlogging!
6:00pm- still haven’t moved
7:00pm- went to my host families house to watch my telenovela. Eva’s daughter is pregnant, but this time she wants it. The last time she was pregnant it was from this drug dealer who kidnapped her and took her to vegas to marry her and steal all her money but then she lost the baby when he was chasing her and she fell down the escalators at an outdoor mall.
8:00pm- Head back home and decide to write this blog.
8:01pm- realize it’s a Friday night
8:02pm- go back to writing this blog.
WELL that was my day today! Looks like I'll be switching up between updates, reruns of my days and vlogging!