Paraguayan: ”Te hallas, Katy?”
Me: “Hêe, che avy’a ko’ape”
Every time I meet somebody new (literally. every single time), I can expect to be asked the same exact question. The question usually asked to me in Spanish, is figuratively translated to mean, “are you happy?” but literally translates to “have you found yourself?” To which, I always respond in Guarani by saying “yes, I have found myself here.”
I love that I can always (ALWAYS) expect to be asked the same question, no matter who it is I meet or where I meet them. Whether I’m hitching a ride with the construction workers out of my site, running into an old señora walking down the street, or just joking around with a group of humans, I can si o si (literally meaning “yes or yes” or figuratively meaning “no matter what”) expect to be asked if I’m happy.
Happiness is important to Paraguayans. My brother informed me before I left for the Peace Corps that Business Insider, or Forbes, (or some time of journaly business thing like that), did a world ranking of happiness and Paraguay was listed as the world’s happiest country (if I get good enough internet I’ll try to find this article**).
Me: “Hêe, che avy’a ko’ape”
Every time I meet somebody new (literally. every single time), I can expect to be asked the same exact question. The question usually asked to me in Spanish, is figuratively translated to mean, “are you happy?” but literally translates to “have you found yourself?” To which, I always respond in Guarani by saying “yes, I have found myself here.”
I love that I can always (ALWAYS) expect to be asked the same question, no matter who it is I meet or where I meet them. Whether I’m hitching a ride with the construction workers out of my site, running into an old señora walking down the street, or just joking around with a group of humans, I can si o si (literally meaning “yes or yes” or figuratively meaning “no matter what”) expect to be asked if I’m happy.
Happiness is important to Paraguayans. My brother informed me before I left for the Peace Corps that Business Insider, or Forbes, (or some time of journaly business thing like that), did a world ranking of happiness and Paraguay was listed as the world’s happiest country (if I get good enough internet I’ll try to find this article**).
**What's the world's happiest country?
I’ve been keeping this in mind for awhile now, but I’m just now starting to piece it all together. Happiness doesn’t come from money, a good job, a six figure salary with benefits, good grades, 100+ likes on your instagram photos, 1,000+ friends on Facebook, or prestigious awards. To Paraguayans, happiness comes from family. Paraguayans honor family.
In most households you’ll find brothers and sisters, moms and dads, grandmothers and grandfathers, along with cousins, nieces, and nephews all under the same roof (or maybe even multiple roofs all at least within shouting distance). Sure, there’s always that one cousin in every family who has moved to Spain, Argentina or Brasil for a better job, but besides that one cousin, the entire family is together, and usually within the same community or spreading out around neighboring cities.
Okay, now I want to try something…
Look at your household and ask yourself:
Who are you living with? Family? Friends? Acquaintances? Someone you found off of Craig’s List? Your seven cats?
How far are you from your parents? Under the same roof? Within shouting distance? Within walking distance? Within driving distance? Within a plane ride? Multiple plane rides?
How far are you from your siblings? Your grandparents? Your aunts, uncles, cousins?
How far are you from your friends?
Interesting....
Now, this is where I start to feel REAL hypocritical. Because here I am, living alone with my dog, with multiple plane rides separating me from all of my family, preaching the importance of family to you guys reading this blog.
Why is it that we feel that we must go out and travel and see the world and learn from other cultures, when in return, we leave our own behind?
Are we too busy looking over our neighbors fence (or in my case worrying about the other side of the world) to realize what we have right in front of us?
Okay, let me just state that I’m NOT regretting my choice to come here. If I didn’t leave my comfort zone to begin with, I would have never seen this, nor been lucky enough to have been a part of it. But that’s what is really amazing about my job, I get to JOIN one of these Paraguayan families. I’m not just that awkward outsider alone out here talking to her dog (although there may be moments when I feel that way…) but I am actually a PART of this amazing Paraguayan family that meets every single weekend and holiday to hang out (read: eat asado and pass around a cold beer). It’s fun that my Paraguayan (host) brothers’ wife’s mom becomes like family to me and I’m constantly hanging out with my Paraguayan (host) mom’s sister’s son’s wife.
SOOO to prevent myself from rambling on any longer, let me summarize the point of this blog.
First of all, I think it’s pretty hilarious that when you first meet someone their “go to” question to ask you is if you’ve found yourself in Paraguay (talk about small-talk!). Where can the convorsation go from after that?! Tell me your deepest darkest fear and all your hopes and dreams?!
Secondly, to Paraguayans family is happiness. It’s that simple.
And I think.. I’ll leave it at that.
I’ve been keeping this in mind for awhile now, but I’m just now starting to piece it all together. Happiness doesn’t come from money, a good job, a six figure salary with benefits, good grades, 100+ likes on your instagram photos, 1,000+ friends on Facebook, or prestigious awards. To Paraguayans, happiness comes from family. Paraguayans honor family.
In most households you’ll find brothers and sisters, moms and dads, grandmothers and grandfathers, along with cousins, nieces, and nephews all under the same roof (or maybe even multiple roofs all at least within shouting distance). Sure, there’s always that one cousin in every family who has moved to Spain, Argentina or Brasil for a better job, but besides that one cousin, the entire family is together, and usually within the same community or spreading out around neighboring cities.
Okay, now I want to try something…
Look at your household and ask yourself:
Who are you living with? Family? Friends? Acquaintances? Someone you found off of Craig’s List? Your seven cats?
How far are you from your parents? Under the same roof? Within shouting distance? Within walking distance? Within driving distance? Within a plane ride? Multiple plane rides?
How far are you from your siblings? Your grandparents? Your aunts, uncles, cousins?
How far are you from your friends?
Interesting....
Now, this is where I start to feel REAL hypocritical. Because here I am, living alone with my dog, with multiple plane rides separating me from all of my family, preaching the importance of family to you guys reading this blog.
Why is it that we feel that we must go out and travel and see the world and learn from other cultures, when in return, we leave our own behind?
Are we too busy looking over our neighbors fence (or in my case worrying about the other side of the world) to realize what we have right in front of us?
Okay, let me just state that I’m NOT regretting my choice to come here. If I didn’t leave my comfort zone to begin with, I would have never seen this, nor been lucky enough to have been a part of it. But that’s what is really amazing about my job, I get to JOIN one of these Paraguayan families. I’m not just that awkward outsider alone out here talking to her dog (although there may be moments when I feel that way…) but I am actually a PART of this amazing Paraguayan family that meets every single weekend and holiday to hang out (read: eat asado and pass around a cold beer). It’s fun that my Paraguayan (host) brothers’ wife’s mom becomes like family to me and I’m constantly hanging out with my Paraguayan (host) mom’s sister’s son’s wife.
SOOO to prevent myself from rambling on any longer, let me summarize the point of this blog.
First of all, I think it’s pretty hilarious that when you first meet someone their “go to” question to ask you is if you’ve found yourself in Paraguay (talk about small-talk!). Where can the convorsation go from after that?! Tell me your deepest darkest fear and all your hopes and dreams?!
Secondly, to Paraguayans family is happiness. It’s that simple.
And I think.. I’ll leave it at that.