Sunday, August 31, 2008

Nobody leaves here without singin the blues...

And so, like Elizabeth Shue in Adventures in Babysitting, I too have sung the blues. Albeit begrudgingly, and with a shrug in my shoulders, I, PCV Cassie Doolittle, have had a bad week.

Da da du dah dant

I was working in Paraguay
Just the other day

Da da du dah dant

I gave a talk on Parasites
And meds to hold them at bay

Da da du dah dant

One of my ladies came to me
With her kid wanting play

Da da du dah dant

Asking for more free meds
Because she had a sister in the neighboring village that had a lot of kids but didn't have time to come to the prevention session, and she promised she would tell her all about sanitary conditions and blah blah blah blah......

Da da du dah dant

when i looked down at her baby's feet
and he had no shoes and a dirty seat

And it's so hard....

Da du dahnt da dahnt da dahnt

Being a PCV in Paraguay

I got the
Da Daaaaaaaaaahhhhhhh
P C V PY blues!!!!

And although I'm feeling better this week and I'm in the city eating ice cream and street meat (I love street food from a sketchy looking cart) I am still frustrated with my work. But the good thing about Peace Corps is that it keeps you on your toes. I figure i need to approach certain challenges with a different view. I'm trying to think outside the box, or at least in Paraguay, think outside the banana field. What's the point of staying frustrated when all you really need is some terere and meat on a stick to think through your issues!!!

Monday, August 04, 2008

Mystical Crystal rock people

I have some new photos on my flickr if you´re interested.

Long Long Fork

It´s been a while since I´ve had time to sit down and blog up something interesting. But really, not much has been going on.

After my trip to Peru, I´m trying to get back into the groove in my site by baking bread. I made my first loaf of bread with my friend, Ña Gladys. It had swiss chard, onion, and garlic from our garden. I gave some of it to my señora as well, and she gave me a funny look when she ate it. She told me pretty bluntly that I didn´t kneed the dough long enough, and it needed more salt.

Screw you critics. I ate the whole thing myself. And Gladys didn´t complain. So boo on you.

I´m in charge of the Peace Corps Paraguay Fun Activities Commitee for Thanksgiving 2008. I´ve decided we're going to do a summer camp theme as long as I get a bullhorn and Camp Director t-shirt. Although I can´t decide if it should be fun 80s summer camp, or scary 80s horror summer camp (see Friday the 13th 1-10???).

There are some people that think since it is THANKSgiving, that possibly costumes with blood all over them would not be appropriate. But I ask you, if you could choose between Meatballs and Sleepaway Camp, which would you choose?


Meatballs with Bill Murray and some weird alien (although i can´t be sure but i think that was meatballs 2) or Sleepaway Camp, one of the best horror movies to date.


I know which way I´m voting. After all, this is important stuff when thinking about sustainable development. Right? RIGHT???

At least it´s keeping me from making naked pancakes and throwing kids over the walls. Even if it is a long time away. So if anyone has any ideas of fun activities, like hot dog eating contests and relay races, let me know. I also need to figure out a clever name for our camp. I´d like for it to be in Guarani, but I´ll take any suggestions. Camp Chippaguazu or Camp Eatalottafood are kinda what I´m looking for.