Viejito ya...

At work today for the afternoon, following a good night of drinks and amigos. I went downtown and walked around for a while this morning, which was great since the weather has been much cooler recently than in the past couple weeks. I feel like you can tell that the cold comes from the arctic here in Paraguay, and it can get pretty chilly. Yum! Maria Cella, a secretary here at the firm, just made me a special coffee drink... Truth is that this bday is pretty easy -- better than 27 -- though I'm that much closer to being 30. 30!? At least I am accumulating a few good stories along the way.



Didn't make it this morning, which is one of the great things about being a volunteer worker -- you don't have to punch the clock! Since I am taking next week off and the project is due soon, I had to come in and finish up the Reglamento of the Congressional Library. It is quite amazing that I had the opportunity to write the thing! We based the org chart and more or less the whole Reglamento on the Library of Congress in the States, and of course had to scale down quite a bit as well as make adjustments for the way the library operates today. Pretty dang interesting, though. I would post it up here so that all could read it, but its in Spanish, so most of the readers would have a pretty difficult time with it! José Luis translated whatever I hadn't and made corrections to it so that it looks proper. What a fantastic way to utilize my pricey graduate education!

Las Ligas y las Cocineras

Times have been good lately, and I am getting a much better routine with work and the course of the day. I've been getting a lot more used to things, and I realize that I had a substantial adjustment period since first arriving. Since so many things change when one arrives abroad -- food, sleep patterns, transportation, work, the language, the weather, and even the coffee -- it was quite a shock to the system. My routine is now much better and I really feel that I am settling in. My birthday is coming up soon, so the family is heading out to wherever I prefer. I chose Mexican!


Went out of town to a town called Capieta the weekend before last, which was my first foray into the outlying parts of Asunción. I was spoiled for the whole weekend, since I was there with some friends from the Institute who I endowed with the name las cocineras while I was out there. They were cooking like maniacs, and all of the food was just fabulous -- props to Ingrid and Diana! In the shade in the first photo is the gallo -- the male chicken who mates with all the females -- and in the second is yours truly, picking some little peppers in the morning. The company and the relaxation I endured that weekend made the whole thing feel surreal, the type of experience expats seek in leaving their own homes. Qué gusto...




















I was a guest at a wedding here over the weekend and have a few pics from that, although I felt really cheesy when I was developing them on the computer. It was a great time: dancing, marvelous food, and bottomless drinks. At one point the groom observed that I had drank quite a bit of red wine; well, yeah, they kept on filling my glass! Anyways, it was a great time, and I am glad to have seen a wedding here in the Southern hemisphere. The main differences that I noticed were the traditions of signing the witness book (many people have to do so, and its quite ceremonial) and the custom of passing the ligas. You can see from the photo the custom, and I especially like the guys standing on the right of the photo. The bride has to pass 15 of them to another girl at the wedding. Oh, yeah, and Ingrid caught the bouquet. Good thing I'm not superstitious! ;-)


One related thing that I wonder about is that many people here wear their wedding rings on their right hand. This is really odd for someone (me) who has always noticed whether or not people have a wedding ring; the standard is there to eliminate this confusion, I reckon. Now ambiguity?! Also, I learned this weekend that the word foto in Spanish is feminine, which a found out when I asked a girl outside the chapel to take a picture of Ingrid and I – “nos saca un photo,” I asked her, “nos saca una foto,” she corrected. She proceeded to ask Ingrid how she always ended up with los Americanos… And, while I was riding there on the bus, the driver asked me jokingly whether it was my wedding...I told him that, no, I hoped I could at least afford to get there by car, or at least a taxi...



The Banco Nacional de Fomento (National Development Bank) por la noche

Sidewalks and La Yerba Buena

Carlos and I got in contact with the copyright office. The Director over there thinks that the law is sorta BS, which from his perspective it sure is...librarians are always asking people do to labor-intensive things for what seems like little value. Anyway, we are going to stay in contact with him this afternoon. I didn't want to be rude with my comments about Carlos the other day, and I realize that all of us get too caught up with things sometimes. At times he is so well balanced and jovial, at others not so much -- figuring out a balance is the key for everyone. I read just today a NYT article about a writer who exposed too much of her personal life on her personal blog and also an infamous one named Gawker. Perhaps I let shine too brightly my passing criticism.

I was at the museum the other day, as you know, and thought that this photo came out well. It looks like something from 2001, I thought, which I reckon is what the curators were going for. I also saw a good example of a Paraguayan sidewalk that day, and this one may not be the worst. Paraguayans -- especially the drivers -- don't have too much patience for pedestrians, and you have exercise serious caution when crossing the street.

Oh yeah, I haven't yet solved the coffee issue, but wanted to say something about mate and tereré, which are the national beverages here. Both are basically a tea of various herbs with

certain medicinal qualities -- that people drink all day long. Mate is the hot version and tereré is cold. People can be seen everywhere with their thermos and ceramic or metal cups. They drink it through a metal straw with a strainer at the end, so that the herbs don't enter. It is especially funny to see them driving with their termo and trying to manage the auto while pouring fresh water over the herbs. The red thermos is that of my coworker, Carolina. They also have in abundance the yerba buena that we're more familiar with in the States, and thank goodness for that.

Can I Just Brew it this Morning?

So, I knew that I would have some difficulties adjusting to the professional and cultural differences here, and right now I'm feelin' it.

The library Regulation is due at the end of this week and Carlos is ready to "get rid of it," which to me seems pejorative since I've worked on it for several weeks. There are several things that will not be wrapped up, like cooperation between the copyright office here in Paraguay and the copyright office of the Library (kinda important), but we haven't yet arranged a meeting. This topic has been on my expressed agenda for several weeks, though. It's PARAGUAY, I keep telling myself. Just do what you can, don't be stressed, and turn in your best work -- you will not change the culture with one project. This morning we had a meeting that was postponed from Friday but we didn't make it. Carlos is a pretty busy guy.

Next, I think that I am going to purchase a coffee machine. I really don't mean to talk trash, but I this is just killing me: Nescafé, café sevada, coffee reheated from the night before, and hot light milk... Ewww. First of all, the custom here is to drink it "cortado," which is about two-thirds milk and one-third coffee -- they believe that the coffee is strong, when it's water compared to what most of us drink in the States. Anyway, they have a coffee machine at the house, but is seems they only it to store coffee in the pot either overnight or during the day, which they heat up the next day on the stove. Instead of using the coffee machine, they filter coffee through a fine colander deal, and usually add this to what was left from the previous "brew." This morning I went up for a coffee after doing a bit of yoga but had to wait for Marcela to make it... So, there are a lot of things I can adjust to, but bad coffee? I just don't think I can live with that.

Museos

Lunes here in Paraguay. It's supposed to get up to 31 degrees today, which means that is pretty hot. I took it easy this weekend but did go to a really cool museum on Saturday. It was Día Internacional de los Museos, so I just had to go. From the recent post on my parent's blog, it sounds like they were in a living museum on Saturday! I must say that so far their blog is a more interesting read than this one, and certainly they have more subscribers. I was near the old Congressional Building, the one that was used by the Spanish before the revolution and the Paraguayans just afterward, and loved the reflecting pool that they have out front. Notice also that the building is pink -- I called them directly just now and they didn't know why, though I have read somewhere the reason and have a pretty good idea. I'll dig up the reason and keep you posted. The other pic is of the building where Congress meets now. They have preserved the old brick section and on top of it built up the new and improved glass building -- looks just like Wilmer Hale, eh? Not quite as big, and they probably don't have as much money, either.

I began teaching my second class on Saturday, as well, which is much larger than the other one. It is a contract through Stael's institute with the Universidad Católica, and the students have demanded that someone teach a writing class. I get to use the same lesson plans that I've been using, so of course that makes it easier. I was saying that it is sacrilegious to work on Saturday morning, but now that I have gone to the first class I am excited.

For my own part, I am looking around down here for a teacher of Spanish writing, since my composition skills are fairly weak. I might as well take advantage while I'm down here.


I am planning on a bus trip out of town the day after my bday to Concepción, which is few hours North of here, mostly just to see something besides Asunción. Plus, if I don't plan it and start talking about it, it's not going to happen. One student that I told was surprised that I was planning on going alone, but I guess that she doesn't know me well enough. Several of the place names -- or at least many of the big cities -- are named for actions which take place in the Bible? Although I wonder if they may be less devout here in the city, the Catholic influence altogether has not been too great, and no one that I know of heads to church on Sunday morning.

We have been working diligently on the Regulations for the Congressional Library, and the project is due sometime next week. I'm not sure they are crazy about deadlines here in Paraguay, though, so I

believe that it will be a floating date. Not to mention that there will be changes and implementation issues, I am certain. Tom and Tracey thanks for the onsite help! Here, Carlos and I are meeting with the future Director and Deputy and another woman who is working with us. The image below is of some documents that they have at the State Museum, which at this point serves as the National Archives. I was happy to see that they were preserving all this stuff so well, and was impressed with some of the other exhibits.

A Language Note

Ah, the blog, where I can use my native language without reprehension. Although my Spanish has been holding up pretty well, it’s a bit less efficient than I would like. I was explaining to someone that since my arrival I have gathered and acted as a large pot for Spanish words, and that it is filled to the top with vocabulary from newspapers, books, the Guaraní from Julia and Marcela, and all of the words that I've overheard on the street or perhaps in a bar. For several days, this material must be brought to boil and then simmered down, and reduced to a consistency more durable, more accesible to the tongue. There are several words in my head that I cannot define, and they are partly at fault for lacking the correct word when I have known it for years.

The appearance of non-native speakers of a language is easy to notice when one hears them attempt to form sentences in their new language, and all appear similarly when going through the process. The inconsistencies in sound, improper grammar, poor agreement of verbs and nouns, and subjunctive phrasing that now exist in my oral Spanish are the same as those I hear from non-native speakers of English. While it is easy to recognize in others that they are just learning and have to think more through their words and pronounce with effort, I have not until the other day realized that my use of Spanish sounds just the same. And though a pretty experienced speaker, my weaknesses shine clearly. It is impossible to trick those who surround you while you are learning.

Professionally...

I go to work pretty much every day at Carlos’ office, a law firm. The picture at right was my swanky office, though on the 6th I'll be moving to a different place--a cubicle. The law partner treatment was not to last! With the non-profit arm of their firm I am helping to develop a webpage and simple database Paraguayan laws, related articles, and precedents, etc. We had a meeting about this and the project seems very interesting. You lawyer types will be interested in this, and I’ll set up a link once there is some content to view. Also, pass along any suggestions! There are many resources which exist for similar information, but none have it all in one place and with Paraguayan interests in mind. The Executive Director of the estudio, José, is very interested in this project and wants it to be to be the resource for research in Paraguayan law.

The other project that I am working on is consultation with the Library of the National Congress. Carlos and I won a bid (he informed me when I arrived) to consult with them on the technical aspects of organization and library operation. More or less we are drafting the internal rules and organization chart, etc. and will submit it in the end of May. Carlos is relying on my experience and education in library science, which is exaggerated a bit, but, I suppose that you get what you pay for : ) Plus, a degree from an American university in invaluable here in Paraguay. I am very enthusiastic about this and it is very interesting and ambitious work.

On April 29th the American Ambassador, James Cason, had a press conference to announce the completion of his project with the National Library. He spearheaded a project to microfilm, digitize, and acquire materials for the National Library of Paraguay.




The library is in pretty poor shape, I must report, but this is a great step in the right direction. I went by the other day to meet with someone to learn about the organization and operation but the woman who told me to return and meet with her was not in on Friday. The Ambassador has funds from the Ambassador's Fund for Cultural Preservation—which preserves cultural material from various countries around the world—and has spent the $35,000 he received as a grant. The target materials were mainly newspapers, but some manuscript items as well, from the period of the War of the Triple Alliance, ca. 1865-1900. They are now in a stage to obtain more funding and more newspapers which relate to Paraguayan history. They are expecting my help in this, so if anyone reading this knows of anyone who has some money to contribute, send them a quick note : )

Another thing that I am doing is teaching English writing and research classes. Teaching is great work, and I am glad that I at last have to go through the motions of creating lesson plans and putting into words what I know about writing. Let me know if you think I’m disqualified! We had the first class this week, and the students who showed up (about 50%) were very enthusiastic and have a bit of experience with English composition. I actually get paid a bit for these—about $7 per hour.