Christmas in Paraguay

Well Christmas this year was just a little bit different than the usual one back home. For starters it was about 110F the entire week of Christmas...blehhhh... Sense it was so hot my sisters, cousins and I spend about %90 of our time in my aunt’s pool. Though the water is not cool and refreshing, it is like bathwater, it helps a little bit.

FOOD!

 On Christmas Eve here is more like Christmas, its the big sha-bang! We went to the house of the father of my host mother for dinner. We arrived at 10PM to eat dinner, we were early.  We ate, listened to music, talked, and celebrated. At 12AM the fireworks started for that was the moment it was truly Christmas. Everyone went aroung giving hugs and kisses along with wishing a merry Christmas. There were a few people who got hit by the fireworks because the kids were running that show... I know understand why most fireworks are illegal in USA, I think the cure would be smarter parents. 

Anyway it was nothing too exciting at about 3AM me and my sisters convinced my host father that it was time to leave because we were all tired. However, when we arrived back home my sisters had a bust of energy and thought at that moment would be perfect to open gifts, so we did. I received at Paraguayan brand purse, small chocolate cook book and a shirt. It was very nice to get something because most of my exchange friends did not get anything. I gave a themed gift to my family which consisted of: U.S.A. candy, Hunger Games movie, and an air popcorn maker, to make a movie night theme because they do not do that here. I thought this gift was really lame but i have never seen people so excited about it. They all never even knew there was such an invention as popcorn machine and really enjoyed the movie, which was nice for me to see.

 

On Christmas day we went across the street to the parents of my host father for lunch, it was just like every other Sunday. We sat and ate meat and salad. They do not have a Christmas themed type of food. They also had no sort of sweets which seemed very weird to not have on Christmas. In the end my Christmas was good. It involved people I care about and some new traditions which I enjoyed. However, when I skyped my family and see all my old traditions still full of life without me it is a very bitter sweet feeling. I love being here with these people but I still have so many ties pulling my thoughts back  to all that I understand and love. 

We ran out of clean glasses so we were drinking Champaign from this pitcher and passing it around the table

Nothing is ever complete in Pargauay without atleast two thermos of Terere.