3rd World Country

Before I came to Paraguay I never realized what a 3rd World Country really was. Sometimes now I find myself close to tears at the fact of different lifestyles are and how people around the world forget the fact that there are other people just able to get what they need. Aside from the people you see that the roads, the water, and the plumming suffer too, but the people are the most important to pick up on. The other day at my work my "boss" took me into her office and asked me what I like about Paraguay and how is it different from my home? I told her that in the U.S. people and kids need technology and things to keep them entertained and happy, but here from my work I have learned that even though you might be extreamly poor and not able to afford anything keep you entertained you can have fun even though you have nothing. She started to cry. She said that the kids at my work come literally from nothing and she wishes she could give them more, but it is very hard. I started to tear up too. Every where you go you see poverty. When you come to a big intersection there are people who come and wash your windsheild for small change, seeing the little kids, 5-10 years just makes you want to cry. They do not have shoes, they are very dirty and they keep running around through the busy traffic, I guess after time you just pass them by, but for me to see it, it is just so painful, in the U.S. people spoil their kids all the time and these kids will be doing this terrible job for the rest of their lives, and for what? Little food and a place to live. One of the saddest things I have seen here, actually lives in my house. My host family has a 14 year old girl living with them, she asked them if she could stay with them and help them around the house so that she could earn money for her family. She has 12 brothers and sisters and they are very poor. It makes me want to cry, but she is so nice and happy. She does not like to visit them though, I do not think she likes it at her home, but my host family is very nice Here she is treated much like a part of the family. I just find it so sad, but here it is normal.

We feed them breakfast and lunch, the biggest meal of the day. I do not know if we feed them merienda or no, I leave to early.

Coming into Luque (my town) there is a group of people living in little houses that seem to be made out of garbage bags. It looks like Occupy Wall Street, except worse and it is their perminite home. It is sad to drive by, but the people are really only friendly to eachother, and I have been told they hate white people, like me, so I do not think they ever get much help. Here things are so different, and so sad. 

This is not the best picture of it, but I hope it gives you an idea.

Even though people here have very little they still keep strong faith. It is strange, it seems that people who have so much in the U.S. never go to church, or even truly believe in God. Some people have candles burining in their homes, I have seem perminite nativities outside of peoples houses, and on busses or buildings it is very common to see pictures of Jesus, or statues of Mary or other saints. The other day I saw Jesus stickers for sale in the grocery store. If something like that was in the U.S. there would probably be some kind of law suit. These people are thankful for everything they have, and do not really ask for much. People in other countries have become full of greed and have to have the newest thing, here the only expensive thing I have seen everywhere are Black Berrys, no one has iPhones. Many people do not have cars, you see tons of motorcycles everday. I heard that 5 people die in Paraguay everyday because of motorcycle crashes, I am not sure if  that is exactly true, but I have seen motorcycle crashes before and they are very scary. 

This is a sign for food, but if you see on the right it has a picture of St. Joseph hold baby Jesus.

I have been to one house that was very poor, it seemed like it would fall apart. Here it is common to see, I guess I would call them, crappy houses. I like my house it is very nice, but some houses have poor doors and windows, I do not know what they do when it gets cold (not that it gets that cold, but it still gets pretty cold). It is also common to live on a dirt road, I have stayed in two houses, and both have been on dirt roads. They are not completely dirt, its more like rocks and dirt. It is very common to see roads like this, even in the capital. The dirt is not like the dirt at home. It is redish and sandy. I do not understand how anything grows in it. At first, at my work, I thought they brought in sand for the kids, but now that I see it everywhere I realize it is just dirt, and there is lots and lots of dirt. It is hard to keep your feet clean, but I like it, it shows I am on a true journey. 

Both these pictures are not very good. The dirt is redder sometimes and the stones are bigger and bumpier.

I am going to quickly say a few more things that make it obvious that Paraguay is a 3rd World Country. Here you cannot flush your toilet paper. It did take a while to get used to, but now that I have it is not a big deal. I will be happy when I come home and I will not have to worry about the paper clogging the toilet. Also the water is not clean enough for me to drink. The Paraguay people can drink it because they have for their whole lives, but I have to buy my water. It gets annoying, sometimes I want to drink it just to see if I get sick. I have had juice they made at home and I think that has sink water in it, and I am still fine. Another common things is dogs. Most people have pet dogs, I have 5, but the one just had puppies so now there 14. But I do not mean pets, stray dogs are everywhere. And they are dirty so when they come up to you all happy you just have hope they do not jump on you or lick you or something. You see dead ones on the side of the road too, it is sad, but I try to think of it like they are deer or raccoons or something. 

This picture is random, but I thought it was funny that they spelled Welcome wrong =)

Even though Paraguay is so much different then the U.S. I know I will miss it here, I will always remember it and I know I will be back! I think of it as my home now, and even though it is 3rd World it is still a nice country that is not worth passing up! But the next time you are upset that you cannot go on a trip or you cannot have something you really want, think of the people living here, or in Africa, or somewhere less fortunate, and try not to be so upset.

This is just me having fun in Paraguay!

Oh and I am 100% sure there are spelling errors in this, I wrote it quickly and I do not have spell check, so I am sorry, please just deal with them =(