Saturday, June 16, 2007
Update on Rueben:
I knew that paying him 10 mil (10,000Gs) was way too much, now I will never be able to leave the grocery store alone in peace. He insisted on carrying my bags even though I only had 3,000 to give him. In the end I was glad though, because I didn’t have to walk home in the dark and because he was really chatty this time and now I feel like we are almost friends. He lives close to another much bigger grocery store farther down the street, but he couldn’t apply for a job there because he doesn’t have an address. I didn’t understand at first that his mom had died, because he used a euphemism with which I was not familiar (but now I know, so as to not pass through that awkwardness again). Now he lives with his dad, his aunt and 5 other brothers and sisters. And it turns out I was right in being suspect of his wage; he doesn’t really make 10 or 12 dollars per shift, that is the maximum. He admitted to me that sometimes he works 6 hours and makes less than a dollar. But before you start feeling sorry for Rueben, know that he is saving up to buy a new cell phone. He has one now, but he wants a fancier one with a camera and then he can take pictures of his girlfriend.
This week I re-read the diary of Anne Frank. It is almost eerie how utterly complete the work is in and of itself, how the plot moves along with such force, and how perfect in foreshadowing and timing it is. It gives me shivers to read about Anne wanting to be more than just a housewife, to be a writer and live on after her death, and then to think about how those wishes were fulfilled. It just goes to show that we cannot really improve on the drama of daily life, even if it is just eight people stuck in a secret hiding place with nothing to do but read books, reiterate their political opinions and fight over butter rations. I couldn’t help making comparisons to my blog, which is also a narrative and commentary on daily life. I apologize for not having such humorsly annoying characters or an idealized romatic relationship; I suppose my comic Mrs. Van Daan is the way I make fun of Paraguayan inefficiency. Like Anne, I am the most happy when I can be outside on a beautiful day and am also very concerned with self-improvement. However (in the spirit of diary sharing), my personal entry on January 16, 2007 states that “If I have a story to tell, I will not be the hero.” I then write about my intention to be an honest observer, and hopefully the heroes that emerge will be “the people I meet, the buildings, the streets, the dogs…” and all the other things here that make daily life such an adventure. I am definitely looking forward to the time when I will back home and back to “normal,” but there are certain “Peters” I have developed here…NO, I’m not talking about boys to cuddle with, but those things that make my life here very satisfying and comfortable and I am going to miss very much. Two of those things will be Ben and Karen my fellow north Americans, and here are the links to their blogs:
http://karen-lifeinparaguay.blogspot.com
http://suddenlysenor.blogspot.com
I knew that paying him 10 mil (10,000Gs) was way too much, now I will never be able to leave the grocery store alone in peace. He insisted on carrying my bags even though I only had 3,000 to give him. In the end I was glad though, because I didn’t have to walk home in the dark and because he was really chatty this time and now I feel like we are almost friends. He lives close to another much bigger grocery store farther down the street, but he couldn’t apply for a job there because he doesn’t have an address. I didn’t understand at first that his mom had died, because he used a euphemism with which I was not familiar (but now I know, so as to not pass through that awkwardness again). Now he lives with his dad, his aunt and 5 other brothers and sisters. And it turns out I was right in being suspect of his wage; he doesn’t really make 10 or 12 dollars per shift, that is the maximum. He admitted to me that sometimes he works 6 hours and makes less than a dollar. But before you start feeling sorry for Rueben, know that he is saving up to buy a new cell phone. He has one now, but he wants a fancier one with a camera and then he can take pictures of his girlfriend.
This week I re-read the diary of Anne Frank. It is almost eerie how utterly complete the work is in and of itself, how the plot moves along with such force, and how perfect in foreshadowing and timing it is. It gives me shivers to read about Anne wanting to be more than just a housewife, to be a writer and live on after her death, and then to think about how those wishes were fulfilled. It just goes to show that we cannot really improve on the drama of daily life, even if it is just eight people stuck in a secret hiding place with nothing to do but read books, reiterate their political opinions and fight over butter rations. I couldn’t help making comparisons to my blog, which is also a narrative and commentary on daily life. I apologize for not having such humorsly annoying characters or an idealized romatic relationship; I suppose my comic Mrs. Van Daan is the way I make fun of Paraguayan inefficiency. Like Anne, I am the most happy when I can be outside on a beautiful day and am also very concerned with self-improvement. However (in the spirit of diary sharing), my personal entry on January 16, 2007 states that “If I have a story to tell, I will not be the hero.” I then write about my intention to be an honest observer, and hopefully the heroes that emerge will be “the people I meet, the buildings, the streets, the dogs…” and all the other things here that make daily life such an adventure. I am definitely looking forward to the time when I will back home and back to “normal,” but there are certain “Peters” I have developed here…NO, I’m not talking about boys to cuddle with, but those things that make my life here very satisfying and comfortable and I am going to miss very much. Two of those things will be Ben and Karen my fellow north Americans, and here are the links to their blogs:
http://karen-lifeinparaguay.blogspot.com
http://suddenlysenor.blogspot.com
# posted by Ellen @ 5:04 PM 
