Have you ever wondered what time it is in Paraguay compared to where you live? Well, the answer is - it's complicated. Or, it depends - on what the date is. Our time zone is UTC (formerly GMT) plus 5. Compared to the East Coast of the US which is UTC plus 4. So, right now, we are an hour ahead of the East Coast.
When we arrived in July, however, Paraguay was in Daylight Savings Time. Because it was winter. So we were actually the same time as the East Coast. At the beginning of October our DST ended, so we are an hour ahead. But on Sunday the US moves to Daylight Savings Time (as it goes into winter), at which point we will be two hours ahead. And it will remain that way until either 1. Paraguay goes into DST or 2. The US leaves DST (I'm not sure which happens first). (Did I mention it was complicated?)
Is anyone surprised that we are ahead of the US? I know that I just couldn't get my arms around that fact the first time I traveled to South America, some 20+ years ago. I really thought that South America was south of the US and it wasn't until I took a good look at the map that I saw how far east it is! Nothing helps bad geography skills as much as traveling...
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Orthodontia
We knew before we arrived in Paraguay that both of our girls were going to need more orthodontic work (Arianna had braces a few years ago). Since we were only in Virginia for a limited time, we decided to wait and get to work on it here in Paraguay (we also thought that the cost would be significantly lower here). We had talked to our friends the Sappias back when we were still in the US and they had a dentist that they highly recommended, so we started with him.
Well, he is a Paraguayan German (or maybe German Paraguayan???) and he spends a lot of time out in the German communities and other traveling, so it took a while to actually get the appointments set up. Once we did, we felt pretty confident about his recommendations for Arianna, but not as convinced about Abigail (removing 8 teeth and then just waiting for the rest of her teeth to come in). So, I got a second opinion for both girls.
To make a very long story shorter, I ended up taking Abigail to 4 different "dentists" (they are usually general practitioners here). The last one I went to did three consultations before giving us her recommendation. For the second and third I ended up asking a friend here who is from Guatemala to go and translate - it was just too difficult to process the Spanish and the recommendations at the same time!
In the end, she thought that all the same teeth needed to come out that the first dentist did, plus two more (the two additional are wisdom teeth that are erupting prematurely). While at first I was really concerned about removing that many teeth, I felt better that this dentist is going to go through the process more slowly (removing 4 teeth on top, but only removing the baby teeth on the bottom for now). So, Abigail had her first oral surgery last Thursday and she handled it fantastically! She has one more scheduled in two weeks, then the baby teeth extractions. We'll take a break before doing the wisdom teeth.
Arianna also got her braces on last week - at the first office that we had visited. I think that she's had more pain from them than from her extractions (the week before) or Abigail's. And now, I'll be going to 2 different dental offices for the rest of our time in Paraguay:). It will be better when our car is working again, but that is another whole saga which will have to wait for another day....
Well, he is a Paraguayan German (or maybe German Paraguayan???) and he spends a lot of time out in the German communities and other traveling, so it took a while to actually get the appointments set up. Once we did, we felt pretty confident about his recommendations for Arianna, but not as convinced about Abigail (removing 8 teeth and then just waiting for the rest of her teeth to come in). So, I got a second opinion for both girls.
To make a very long story shorter, I ended up taking Abigail to 4 different "dentists" (they are usually general practitioners here). The last one I went to did three consultations before giving us her recommendation. For the second and third I ended up asking a friend here who is from Guatemala to go and translate - it was just too difficult to process the Spanish and the recommendations at the same time!
In the end, she thought that all the same teeth needed to come out that the first dentist did, plus two more (the two additional are wisdom teeth that are erupting prematurely). While at first I was really concerned about removing that many teeth, I felt better that this dentist is going to go through the process more slowly (removing 4 teeth on top, but only removing the baby teeth on the bottom for now). So, Abigail had her first oral surgery last Thursday and she handled it fantastically! She has one more scheduled in two weeks, then the baby teeth extractions. We'll take a break before doing the wisdom teeth.
Arianna also got her braces on last week - at the first office that we had visited. I think that she's had more pain from them than from her extractions (the week before) or Abigail's. And now, I'll be going to 2 different dental offices for the rest of our time in Paraguay:). It will be better when our car is working again, but that is another whole saga which will have to wait for another day....
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Food shopping, cooking and eating
When we lived in Costa Rica, one of the big shocks was how much groceries cost, and how hard it was to figure out what to cook. That experience certainly made this transition easier, because our few "favorite" recipes that worked in Costa Rica also work here (Chuck Wagon Buns, "Chewy, Spicy Chicken", Chicken Fajitas, Spagetti and Hamburger Stroganoff - although I can't bring myself to spend the amount of money it would take to add fresh mushrooms). We were also able to revive one of our Costa Rican favorites - sausage and peppers on a roll. Ever since we lived in CR, the girls have longed for salchichon, which is CR's version of sausage. They don't quite have the same thing here, but since chorizo's are so common and popular, I decided to revive the dish, Paraguayan style.
One thing that makes cooking and eating easier (and more dangerous) here is the AMPLE supply of bakeries with inexpensive, fresh baked bread. Chuck wagon buns are definitely better on fresh hamburger buns that are sometimes hot when I get them! Everyone in the family seems to enjoy open faced grilled cheese (mozarella), with fresh tomatoe and basil (Arianna skips that part) on yummy ciabatta bread - it's a great lunch.
On Tuesdays there is a great "outdoor" market (which is actually in the underground parking area at the mall), where there is an abundance of great produce at very reasonable prices. I love being able to buy cherry tomatoes every week. We are thrilled to have "real" corn on the cob (not the kind used only in soup which is what we had in Costa Rica) and local peaches are just becoming available (there were imported ones before, but they were very expensive). Strawberries were just starting to be in season when we arrived in early July, but I think they are about finished now. I've been told that we won't see them again until next year when they are gone, so I did freeze some (but probably not enough to last very long!).
Here's a photo of some very strange fresh raspberries that I bought here. We didn't really like them so we used them up in smoothies:
Fortunately, you can buy frozen "normal" raspberries for a reasonable price.
Here are the yummier strawberries:
Later on I'll fill you in on eating out (including ice cream)!
One thing that makes cooking and eating easier (and more dangerous) here is the AMPLE supply of bakeries with inexpensive, fresh baked bread. Chuck wagon buns are definitely better on fresh hamburger buns that are sometimes hot when I get them! Everyone in the family seems to enjoy open faced grilled cheese (mozarella), with fresh tomatoe and basil (Arianna skips that part) on yummy ciabatta bread - it's a great lunch.
On Tuesdays there is a great "outdoor" market (which is actually in the underground parking area at the mall), where there is an abundance of great produce at very reasonable prices. I love being able to buy cherry tomatoes every week. We are thrilled to have "real" corn on the cob (not the kind used only in soup which is what we had in Costa Rica) and local peaches are just becoming available (there were imported ones before, but they were very expensive). Strawberries were just starting to be in season when we arrived in early July, but I think they are about finished now. I've been told that we won't see them again until next year when they are gone, so I did freeze some (but probably not enough to last very long!).
Here's a photo of some very strange fresh raspberries that I bought here. We didn't really like them so we used them up in smoothies:
Here are the yummier strawberries:
Later on I'll fill you in on eating out (including ice cream)!
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Spring!
Spring arrived on September 21st and it is actually a day that is noticed here. People talk about it on the radio, and guys are out on the street selling flowers. My friend Lisa said she saw people selling balloons too. I thought the city looked green when we arrived, but it is even more green now. And the flowering trees have been beautiful:
There were some purple ones that were in bloom a little earlier, but I didn't get a shot of them. Maybe next year! But I did take a few more pictures of some flowers that we see all over:
This has been a very nice time of year - when we don't need heat or air conditioning! I am trying to enjoy each beautiful day and bracing myself for summer.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Status Update
Well it's been a while since I've written so I thought I ought to at least get a little update out. The big news today is that our shipment arrived!! We are now surrounded by piles of stuff, but I think we will definitely feel more settled with a car and some things that make our house feel like home.
Our other big news is that Arianna changed schools to an online international academy. There were several reasons we let her leave the "brick and mortar" school to do this cyber school, but one of the main reasons was that although there were several different nationalities at the school, there were problems with the students not wanting to speak in English. Since we had really thought that this school she is attending might be a better solution, we decided to switch now before it was too late for this school year. So, in the midst of getting our shipment, she is starting 8th grade again! It's pretty cool - we've had a couple of live sessions with her teacher and some of the other students. They even have clubs and field trips (we haven't figured out how that works yet!).
Anyway, I'd better unpack some more so there's room to sleep, but I just thought I ought to put something on the blog since it had been so long!
Our other big news is that Arianna changed schools to an online international academy. There were several reasons we let her leave the "brick and mortar" school to do this cyber school, but one of the main reasons was that although there were several different nationalities at the school, there were problems with the students not wanting to speak in English. Since we had really thought that this school she is attending might be a better solution, we decided to switch now before it was too late for this school year. So, in the midst of getting our shipment, she is starting 8th grade again! It's pretty cool - we've had a couple of live sessions with her teacher and some of the other students. They even have clubs and field trips (we haven't figured out how that works yet!).
Anyway, I'd better unpack some more so there's room to sleep, but I just thought I ought to put something on the blog since it had been so long!
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Shopping for Glasses and Sneakers
When we were at Suzuki camp, right before we moved here, Abigail's glasses broke (one of the arms of the frames fell off). I spent a good chunk of a morning when we were back in VA getting them repaired. Her prescription was a little old so I didn't think we could go new glasses before we left the country.
Shortly after we arrived, the other arm of the frame bent in such a way that I was afraid to bend it back. It was obvious that she needed a new pair. So, one day she and I went over to the mall close to the hotel where we were staying to see what we could do. My Spanish was even rustier then than it is now, but we were going to do our best.
We found out from the rather grumpy attendant at the information desk that there were two glasses stores at the mall. So we found our way to the first one, where the salesperson showed us a few options. Both of us were shocked to hear the price - around 2.5 million (Guarinies that is). OK, so I had gotten used to big numbers for paying for things, but when we did the calculation it came out to roughly $500! I also asked if there was any way to repair the glasses, and the answer was no.
Needless to say, we walked out of that store:). I said to Abigail "I guess we should have gotten a new pair in the US!" and suggested that maybe she'd have to switch to contacts (not a good suggestion in her opinion). Anyway, we headed to the next store.
Thankfully, we were happy to find several options there that would be less than $100 - what a relief! And on top of that, the salesperson was able to bend her frame back so that she could use it until the glasses were ready. We took John back with us in the evening just to see if he liked the ones she picked out too (Arianna was sick that day and stayed in the hotel). They were ready in less than a week and they're quite cute. You can sort of see them in her first day of school photo below:
We did have another similar shopping experience when we were trying to get sneakers for Arianna before she started school. At the mall they had quite a few options of imported brands: New Balance, Nike, Addidas, etc. But Arianna wasn't thrilled with them and they all cost well over $50, some closer to $100 (I usually buy them sneakers at Target or Payless, so that's kind of high for me). We went to a more local shop on the street right outside of the mall and found a really cute pair of sneakers for about $15. Arianna hasn't worn sneakers in years and really doesn't like physical activities that require them (preferring gymnastics, dance, horse back riding, yoga, etc.), so I was pretty reluctant to invest in an expensive pair of sneakers. Now, if her PE teacher talks her into joining the soccer team as he's trying to do, I'd be happy to reconsider:).
Shortly after we arrived, the other arm of the frame bent in such a way that I was afraid to bend it back. It was obvious that she needed a new pair. So, one day she and I went over to the mall close to the hotel where we were staying to see what we could do. My Spanish was even rustier then than it is now, but we were going to do our best.
We found out from the rather grumpy attendant at the information desk that there were two glasses stores at the mall. So we found our way to the first one, where the salesperson showed us a few options. Both of us were shocked to hear the price - around 2.5 million (Guarinies that is). OK, so I had gotten used to big numbers for paying for things, but when we did the calculation it came out to roughly $500! I also asked if there was any way to repair the glasses, and the answer was no.
Needless to say, we walked out of that store:). I said to Abigail "I guess we should have gotten a new pair in the US!" and suggested that maybe she'd have to switch to contacts (not a good suggestion in her opinion). Anyway, we headed to the next store.
Thankfully, we were happy to find several options there that would be less than $100 - what a relief! And on top of that, the salesperson was able to bend her frame back so that she could use it until the glasses were ready. We took John back with us in the evening just to see if he liked the ones she picked out too (Arianna was sick that day and stayed in the hotel). They were ready in less than a week and they're quite cute. You can sort of see them in her first day of school photo below:
We did have another similar shopping experience when we were trying to get sneakers for Arianna before she started school. At the mall they had quite a few options of imported brands: New Balance, Nike, Addidas, etc. But Arianna wasn't thrilled with them and they all cost well over $50, some closer to $100 (I usually buy them sneakers at Target or Payless, so that's kind of high for me). We went to a more local shop on the street right outside of the mall and found a really cute pair of sneakers for about $15. Arianna hasn't worn sneakers in years and really doesn't like physical activities that require them (preferring gymnastics, dance, horse back riding, yoga, etc.), so I was pretty reluctant to invest in an expensive pair of sneakers. Now, if her PE teacher talks her into joining the soccer team as he's trying to do, I'd be happy to reconsider:).
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Fitting in
Well, I wouldn't have guessed it, but it turns out that we actually look like we belong here. Last weekend when I was in the grocery store, a gentleman in the baking aisle asked me about which flour would be better for a diabetic - as if I belonged:) (in Spanish, of course). That NEVER would have happened in Costa Rica. But here there is such a large population of German descent (and I think also German ex-pats) that we actually look like we belong. We've visited a few churches and today and last week we went to a Mennonite church (also in Spanish), where there were quite a few blond haired families. There are apparently many more Germans here than there are Americans.
Besides the German population, there is a fairly large Asian population - mainly Korean, but other nationalities as well. In Arianna's class of 16, 11 are Asian. Most of them are TCK's (third culture kids) like she is, but I think that one of them is a Paraguaya of Asian descent. Someone told John that at some point Korea was trying to lower it's population and Paraguay was trying to raise theirs and so they came to some favorable agreement for immigration. But, most of the kids at Asuncion Christian Academy are just embassy kids like Arianna, or missionary kids like Abby's friend Ali who goes to school there too.
Besides the German population, there is a fairly large Asian population - mainly Korean, but other nationalities as well. In Arianna's class of 16, 11 are Asian. Most of them are TCK's (third culture kids) like she is, but I think that one of them is a Paraguaya of Asian descent. Someone told John that at some point Korea was trying to lower it's population and Paraguay was trying to raise theirs and so they came to some favorable agreement for immigration. But, most of the kids at Asuncion Christian Academy are just embassy kids like Arianna, or missionary kids like Abby's friend Ali who goes to school there too.
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