Day to Day

Looking back at my other blogs I´ve realized that I have not given even a basic overview of my week. So here it is a week for Becca in Paraguay....

Monday

In the morning I prepare for and teach 2 1/2 hour classes. My family has a private primary school. I teach the grade one´s and two´s in the morning. The classes are usually fairly basic, learning how to sing ¨Hello teacher¨ responding to basic commands and of course colours!
In the afternoon I do the same thing with the preschool and kindergarten classes (they are a little more basic) In the evening I spend time with the family, watch novellas (spanish soap operas) to practice my spanish and prepare classes for the next day.

Tuesday

In the morning I head out to Mariano Roque Alonso for spanish classes. MRA is about half an hour away by bus. Scott and I have recently started classes with Tyler´s host sister Laura (who teaches english at a local english institute) I am enjoying having a place to ask questions regarding language and culture. After our class we join the family for lunch, Maria enjoys hosting people and seeing some of her other hijos (children).
I then return to Villa Hayes for my 3 o´clock class. There is an hour to an hour and a half break where I eat supper and then my second class. These classes are becoming less and less structured adn more time is being spent on conversation.
I then prepare for my Wednesday classes.

Wednesday

I usually spend the morning preparing for my classes and tiding up my room. At around 10 I leave for San Lorenzo (about a hour and 45 min trip) I eat lunch at the house of Martha and Rogelio Duarte, Scott´s host parents. Martha is also in charge of us during our stay here in Paraguay. It is a good time to touch base with both Scott (the only other Canadian in our group) and Martha who worries about my being so ¨far away¨in Villa Hayes.
After lunch and conversation I head out to catch my bus to Km 81. Catching the bus is an adventure. I always have a hard time pronouncing Itacurbi (the closest town to Km 81) and the buses that drive through San Lorenzo go to both Ruta 1 and Ruta 2 (both of which have more than 81 kms) and I would rather not end up at Km 81 on Ruta 1 because then I would be over 40 km from where I wanted to be. Luckly I have not, as of yet, taken the wrong bus.
Once I get to Km 81 I get off the bus and walk 2 km up the driveway to the Mennonite Hospital where I have 3 classes. I collect my room key and head to the dining room for supper. (which usually has a traditionally Russian Mennonite influence, there was rollkuchen once!).
After settleing into my room and reviewing my class notes I have my 1st class at 6:30, followed right after by another at 8. After the classes are over I head to the house of Wilhelm and Eleonore Schroeder and we practice conversing in English. After their class I head to bed.

Thursday

I am up to eat breakfast in the dining room by 6:30 and after breakfast head out to the road where I pick up a bus to take me to Asuncion. Once in Gran Asuncion I transfer buses and usually end up at Tyler´s house for some conversation and terere with his host mother Maria. I then head back to Villa Hayes for lunch and my afternoon and evening classes.

Friday

My free day, is usually spent cleaning, drinking terere, doing spanish homework, etc.

Saturday

I often head in to town and have meetings with my fellow group members, in the future a few Saturdays will be spent exploring Paraguay, and or helping out at the Congresso Menonita Mundial (I am never sure the order on those M´s) office. The evening is spent at church in Villa Hayes where the young people have their church service.

Sunday

Church is at 9 whether I have spend the night in Roque Alonso or in Villa Hayes and depending on who is preaching is done at around 10:45 or 11. The afternoon are spent with family relaxing drinking terere, and eventually sometime in the evening I start preparing for the next week of teaching.

So there you go, a rough outline of my week and what´s up.