The kitchen (complete with spaces for a kitchen and stove but conspicuously missing such amenities...) The small counter space is also conveniently a breeding ground for cockroaches climbing into the small cracks...though they are small and hopefully friendly :)
Sorry I didn't turn the picture, but this is my bathroom. The toilet and French bathroom thing are behind the door. I'm SO excited to have a GOOD bathroom!
This is one of the bedrooms and there is one of equal size on the other side. I didn't put up a picture of the living room but it's about this big too.
My front door :)
That's right everyone, I am now the official renter of a Paraguayan apartment in the town of Itaugua. I'm so excited to finally get into my own space and get down to work... I know it must sound pretty pretentious to dislike living in a hotel, but it really isn't all that it's cracked up to be when you are looking at long term residence. I need to get into a place that is MINE and that I can make into whatever I want it to be. Well, I have that and more. Not only do I have my own 2-bedroom apartment with a big kitchen and living room, but the entire place comes with...absolutely NOTHING! No fridge, no stove, no furniture whatsoever, no fans or air conditioning, and not one curtain. The place does come newly painted and you'll never guess...but despite the previous tour modeling a beautiful eggshell exterior the owner opted to paint the entire thing PINK!!! PINK!!! How in the wide world of apartment hunting would I have the curse of living in ANOTHER pink apartment?? *most of you may remember my BRIGHT pink apartment in Buenos Aires* Luckily, it isn't the bright pink that would give me flower child hallucinations at the end of 10 months, but it's pink nonetheless...
It was hard enough to get the place though that I can't really complain. I went around the main street with 2 different helpers and this was literally the only apartment available. I even got some leaders with families in the area but none of them were available right next except for a really old, suspicious lady with a room that was her sister's until the sister died a month ago...not to mention that room is connected to the old lady's room with a curtain in between effectively eliminating any privacy if the possible ghost presence didn't get to me first...
So, the place I found really makes me feel good with a lot of independence but safety too. It's in an actual apartment building which aren't too common around here. There is a guard at the entrance and they are big enough for families so it's a pretty calm area. At $120 a month plus electricity (and all the furniture...) it's more expensive than it should be this far out of the capital, but all the other places were asking the same price so I took it. It's right on the main road heading into Asuncion or out towards the interior which makes everything else closeby too. Next door is a laundry mat and a hardware shop. I'm a block away from a supermarket (where I promplty went to buy cleaning supplies this afternoon to tear apart the place with orange-scented magic), a block away from the bus stop, across the street from an ATM, 3 blocks from church, and 2 blocks from a world-famous empanada shop. Not to mention being on the main route where all the country's main nanduti shops are. It's so exciting...Pink, but exciting.
So, the bulk of my time has been in working out housing issues. I've made some trips into Asuncion and have been able to meet with another Fulbrighter down here that is studying emigration and women's rights issues. She was really fun to talk to, spunky and inquisitive and I think she'll be a great contact. She got her last April and is going strong so it's good to get her persepective to add to my recentness...
Transitioning into Paraguay has been interesting. Since I've been staying at the hotel, I've really felt more transitory than I would like. I've gotten used to the different feel of the buses here in all my trips to Itaugua, Capiata, and Asuncion, but the people are still a little on the unfamiliar side. People are typically amazingly kind and open when you talk to them, but not many people brave starting a conversation with me and get over the whole curly-haired blond girl thing.
I have also started my first official Guarani lessons. I can now say things like "the frog jumps on the road" and "the beautiful girl sleeps on the bed." I don't know if I'll ever become conversational as I start hearing the different oral vowels as contrasted by the nasal vowels not to the mention the speed that they say things! It's fun to show off at least a few words and everyone is overly excited for the gringa to be speaking Guarani.
Well, enjoy the pics of my empty apartment... I'm officially moving in tomorrow but couldn't take my stuff in until we got the contract worked out and everything so I didn't do anything more than clean today.
Lots of love to everyone, talk soon!!This last picture was taken at a family barbecue I went to with a wonderful family that has taken me and is convinced I'm an "angel." Their oldest daughter is the employment specialist in Asuncion and they live in Itaugua so she put me in contact with her brother her got me the apartment but the mom (on the right) fell in love with me and I became instant friends with the other daughters (the youngest is on the right and is currently engaged). The mom and Sinthia who is the employment specialist are currently the only active members in the church though the kids are all technically members. The family is a blast to hang out and extremely kind and loving without having known me I feel like we have a sincere connection. Catalina (the mom on the right) says she thinks that we knew each other in the preexistence and I don't have any reason to doubt her.
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