CARNAVAL!

Many countries around the world have a Carnaval celebration somewhere between the months of January and March, depending on the year and the tradition of the particular country. It is a festival leading up to the season of Lent, based in the Roman Catholic tradition. Uruguay is known to have the longest Carnaval celebrations in the world, so even in spite of the popularity and fame of the Brazilian Carnaval that takes place right next door, the 80 day celebration in Uruguay is something to brag about. The celebrations here were kicked of with el desfile de las llamadas, or the parade of the calling. This is an all night parade with costumes, masks, huge flags, scantily clothed women, and lots of dancing. The whole thing can be heard from blocks away as the traditional afro-uruguyan condombe drumming moves the parade along in rhythm. It is a sight to see, but you have to be ready to squish in with crowds of people and push your way to a viewing spot. I went to the parade with a group of young adults and we caught glimpses here and there, but mainly stayed on the outside, talking, walking around the traditional barrio sur, and listening to the rhythms of the chico, repique and piano drums that make up the sounds of the condombe. At the beginning of the parade you see groups of drummers standing around a fire on the side of the road, warming up the inside of their drums while the rest of their groups put finishing touches on costumes, organize the giant flags and wait anxiously for their turn to go dancing down the street. Each condombe group generally consists of a group of drummers, followed by a group of ladies dancing, then leading the pack there is a young vibrant woman with the least amount of clothing, her male partner in crime, and two older couples, the women with large dresses and fans and the men always with a cane and top hat.

As the days of Carnaval continue, all over town at different parks, outdoor stages, and theaters, you can find Tablados where there are performances of traditional Murga, a musical group and style that is often referred to as opera, but I view more as a show choir, with singing, dancing, acting and of course you can't forget the vibrant and colorful costumes! While Argentinian murga has an emphasis on the dance, Uruguayan murga emphasizes the music and the lyrics. Often times comical, the lyrics are written to send social and political messages. In the past, murga was a form of subversive public expression against the dictatorship and other oppressive and unjust laws and political structures. I have been to two different tablados and seen four murgas perform. The statements are still political, and issues like war, justice, and the environment have all been popular topics. But it's not all seriousness either, there are fun and games weaved in there as well... I have also heard them talk about everything from the act of making love, to tourists! Obviously I can't catch every joke and play on words because as much as I would like to say it, I am not a native Spanish speaker, but the performance as a whole is well worth the 80 pesos, or 4 dollars it costs to go.

...and the fiesta continues! I'm sure I will have more to tell regarding Carnaval, and I hope to post some pictures as soon as I get a better internet connection.

Miss you all!

Kate

CARNAVAL!

A Week in Para(dise)guay,

Being that it is summer time down here, and just about everyone is taking vacations and time off of work, I decided to use some of my vacation time to head north to Paraguay to visit my friend Jessica/Busta Blatt who is currently working there as a Peace Corps volunteer. Although traveling can be a lot of work sometimes, this particular trip was extremely refreshing and comforting because it is the first time in 5 months since I have seen anyone I know from home. It was really great to be able to share stories and reflect with someone who is having a similar cultural/volunteer exchange experience as me. It is also just nice to be around someone who really knows you.
I flew into the international airport in Asuncion where Jessica was there to greet me as I walked off the plane. We made our way into the city center to a nice air conditioned hotel where we spent the evening catching up and telling stories and sharing bits and pieces of our experiences with each other. Throughout the week Jessica took me to a couple of different places in Paraguay, first was a small town called Guarambare where she spent the first three months of her peace corps training. I got to meet her host family and Brenda, one of her good friends from the program. We were welcomed in with open arms to their home and I had the chance to drink my first terere, or cold mate, Paraguayan style as well as eat some traditional foods like sopa (a corn meal/cheese bread like dish) and of course a Paraguayan asado (bbq). This is also where I had my first real encounter with the native language Guarani. Although pretty much everyone in Paraguay can speak spanish, the majority of people also speak the native language. It is pretty incredible that the language has survived and is still such a fundamental piece of the Paraguayan culture. My spanish is getting pretty good and I am fairly confident in my ability to navigate within the small, spanish speaking country of Uruguay, but this Guarani threw me for a loop. The majority of the people actually speak what they call Jopala, or a mixture of Spanish and Guarani, which obviously makes my ability to understand and follow conversations much more difficult. One word in Guarani that I learned while I was there that I won't forget is Shivivi, which means diarrhea. I think it has something to do with the week following my trip to paraguay...
Anyway, after meeting and spending a day with Jessica's first host family, we went South to Ayolas, which is practically on the border between Argentina and Paraguay, to Jessica's official placement site for the next two years. We spent some time with another host family of hers and we also explored the city, hung out with other peace corps volunteers, made mexican food (to spice up our lives a bit... spicy food doesn't really exist here), played some Paraguayan style volleyball, went for walks, took pictures, toured the dam, took a ride in the fire truck, drank terere, and just enjoyed each other's company.
We spent the last two days back in the country's capital, Asuncion, where I had the opportunity to meet a good amount of her other volunteer friends in the program. We went out to eat, walked around the giant Paraguayan open market, and even went to the movies. For me, one of the most valuable parts of my visit is being able to meet the people that she will be working and living with for the next year, as well as get an idea of what the places look, smell, taste, and feel like. Even though I am also living in South America, each country is distinct. There are different traditions, people, foods, and cultures. Now when Jessica writes in her blog and tells me stories, I have a way easier time relating to what she is sharing with me because I had a brief glance into her life during the week that I was with her.
It was truly a blessing to be able to share a week together during our time of service. I only hope that we will meet again soon; only this time in Uruguay!

This past week I had the opportunity to be completely covered in mud or "barro" from the top of my head all the way down to the tips of my toes; then I (along with over 100 other young adults) threw myself down the side of a hill on what I would call a home made water/mud slide. With nothing more than a swimsuit and shorts, the back of my legs and bum got all raspberried up as I went flying down the hill and sliding into the sugar cane forest and a giant group of sticky smelly, but beaming with excitement, young people. This was just one small piece of the week I spent at the annual assembly of the valdesian student movement. Apart from playing in the mud, we sat through meetings and sessions and discussed various parts of how the students function within the larger church. Elections were held, discussions were had, and the theme of mission was the main topic on which the guest speakers presented. It was fun to see the church in action, especially the young people. There was an energy flowing through the people as they took full advantage of the one time in the year that they get to see each other. The student movement is made up of youth groups from churches all across Argentina and Uruguay. I probably slept between 2 and 5 hours a night, but the tiredness was well worth experiencing "camp" south american style. Dinner every night was between 1030 and 1100... after which began a devotion, night games, campfire and singing. All of which could be followed by playing cards and staying up just to enjoy each other's company. I learned new things, like how to light a campfire with water, and games like giant large group chess, new ideas for devotions and lots of fun new camp songs... in spanish. My body and brain were exhausted after the long week, but it was really fun and I am glad that I am able to be a part of that community while I am here. This week I am trying to find a balance between rest and recovery while still working with the kids at the hogar and preparing for my week in Paraguay to visit Jessica/Busta! I am really excited about the coming weeks. Things are going so quickly, but I am enjoying every moment.