While I Was Away in Paraguay: Patron Saint Festival

Every year around the 15th of March is the Patron Saint Festival here in Morinigo. Every year on the Friday night of the celebration there is a big concert with many different group performing. This year there was even more talk about the show because a singer named Marilina would be performing. She is one of the top pop artists, if not the most popular, in Paraguay. She was the winner if a reality show called "La Acedemia". I would describe it as a mix between American Idol and Big Brother. It was a singing competition and all the contestants lived together in the same house. I'm not a fan of her music but it is cool to say that I have seen her live.

Marilina

Oasis

Folkloric Groups

Saturday evening of the festival there was a bull fight and then again on Sunday morning. After the bull fight there is a horse show.

On March 25th a friend and fellow volunteer passed away. He was a member of my training group, we spent this past Thanksgiving together and climbed the tallest mountain in Paraguay together. He, along with a couple other friends, were planning to come stay with me and climb the mountain in the beginning of April. On April 2nd there was a very nice memorial service held for him at the Peace Corps office in Asunción. It was a rough couple of weeks getting thought the initial shock of his death but with the support of fellow volunteers we are staying strong. We will all honor him through our service. Here is link to an article about his life and service in Paraguay. http://www.peacecorps.gov/media/forpress/press/2354/

After much refusal I finally agreed to help a teacher with her English class. When I told her I would help I should have know that I would be teaching the class by myself, but I was hopeful. We have only had one real class and another partial class, but so far it has been more fun than I thought it would be. It is only 1/2 hour once a week, which isn't enough time to really learn a language so my plan to make it as active and fun as possible with lots of games and activities.

They have finally started a girls soccer team here in Moriningo. The age range is 13 years old to me being the oldest at 26. We practice Saturdays and Sundays but I have offered to practice during the week with any one who is interested. We'll see if anyone takes me up on it. We still need to form an official commission to be able to start fund raising for uniforms, travel and other expenses but so far everybody seems pretty enthusiastic. Hopefully we can keep up the momentum.

I recently took a day trip to a waterfall that is in a fellow volunteer's site. There two falls and they have built stairs with hand rails down to the lower falls. Also there are a few benches and even garbage cans which is almos unheard of in here. Even the Paraguyan I was with was impressed.