Paraguay 2013, Day 2 – So Beautiful Yet Made Of The Simplest Things

June 26, 2012

Today, we worked in Dacak. We visited the high school there, and we met the students.  They were very nice and eager to teach us Guarini. We then, along with the high school students, learned how to make “recycled bricks,” which are just plastic bottles stuffed with trash and compacted until they are hard. In my experience, the actual stuffing may have been the most challenging thing of the day. After stuffing the bottles, we used them to make a bench, and decorated the bench with broken floor tiles. I actually did not expect for the bench to look so beautiful, but yet be made out of the simplest things.

After the difficult part came the fun. The students invited us back to the school to watch them dance. It was wonderful, but the best part was when they wanted to teach us the dance. After them teaching us, of course we had to teach them a dance. They picked it up really fast. Dancing had to be the best part of the whole trip so far!

Things winded down once we left the school. We went back to the house of a peace-corp volunteer, and had a reflection. After the reflection, and singing “Happy Birthday” to Sirah who turned 16, we left for our home-stay houses for diner. It was there that I realized that I had changed as a person. I was more appreciative of what I had after seeing what the Paraguayans didn’t have. I also saw how even though they didn’t have a lot, they still gave what they had so that others would be happy. It made me think about how much I am willing to give for the benefit of others.

Alicia H., Parkdale High School