At the beginning of December, I felt like everywhere I looked I saw red and green, red and green, red and green. Christmas was coming. In December in the United States, you also see red and green everywhere you look whether it's on houses, trees, or wrapping paper. Here in Paraguay, the red and green you see everywhere is sandia! Watermelon! Since the seasons are reversed, Christmas in Paraguay is celebrated in the summer. It's very hot, and people spend most afternoons sitting in front of their houses eating watermelon. We tend to cut watermelon into slices, but Paraguayans slice it down the middle, put the half in their laps, and scoop out the fruit with a spoon. I have to admit it's delicious with a spoon! Next summer, you should try it.

Most Paraguayans are Christian so pretty much the entire country celebrates Christmas. I have always celebrated Christmas too, and I was a little nervous about spending my first Christmas away from home. I was afraid I would miss my family and our traditions, but at the same time, I was excited to see Paraguay's traditions.

For the entire month of December, there was a buzz in the air. A lot of people here put Christmas lights on their houses too, and some buy little artificial trees to put in their living rooms. One of the big differences about Christmas in Paraguay is that it is celebrated more on Christmas Eve. On December 24th, family and friends gather in their homes and have a big Christmas dinner of the typical Paraguayan dinner, asado, which is what we would call a cook out where they grill steaks, chicken, or pork. After dinner, everyone sits around together waiting until the clock ticks to midnight, and it is officially Navidad. At midnight, people shoot off fireworks, drink champagne, and hug and kiss each other. It reminds me of our New Year's traditions.

On Christmas Day, families spend the day together at home and continue to eat the asado from the night before. Most families don't have the tradition of Santa Claus nor of giving gifts, but since that is my favorite Christmas tradition, I bought gifts for the family with whom I spent Christmas. They were excited to receive their first Christmas presents, and it was a special moment for me too.

After Christmas, everything went back to normal for a short week and then came New Year's Eve, Año Nuevo. New Year's is celebrated in the exact same way as Christmas with asado, the countdown to midnight, fireworks and champagne. It was humbling for me to realize what an incredible year 2010 was for me, and I'm looking forward to see what 2011 holds.

As a class, I want you to take a minute to look around your classroom. Look in your desks, in your cabinets, on the walls. Think about your schedule each day you come to school; what you do, what you use, what you enjoy.

Now I want you to take a minute and imagine if you came to school and there were no books. NO books. What would that be like??

Your teacher would never read aloud to you. You would never be able to go look up information for a project. You would never be able to escape into a book.

This is the reality of the lives of students here in Paraguay. There are hardly any books in school! Nor outside of school. Paraguay is not a country where it is normal to sit down and read a book. In fact, there are lots of people here that don't know how to read, in Spanish nor in Guarani. People are beginning to value reading more, but books are still hard to find. For this reason, one of my projects is to build a public library in my town! We already have a plot of land and have started fundraising within the community to construct the building. I have begun making requests to different embassies and companies to donate books. Little by little, things are starting to come together. The only thing I see us still lacking is books.

So... I wanted to extend to the classrooms that are following this blog the opportunity to work with my Paraguayan community to build a library, share the joy of reading, and help develop Paraguay. I would like to invite you all to be a part of my library project by donating books.

Logistics:

- books should be IN SPANISH

- for any level

- books should be mailed in a package to me, as a gift to me, and then I in turn will donate "my" books to the library (My address is to the left.)

- I will continue to accept book donations until the end of my service in April 2012.

- For large-scale book or monetary donations, please email me at lizzie.greer@gmail.com so I can consult Peace Corps rules and can work out a way to receive your donation.

From the community of Natalio, from my students, and from the bottom of my heart, I say GRACIAS!

One thing that I have learned in Paraguay is that they love an excuse to have a party. They have holidays every month, and each time they have a big festival or party that the whole town attends. September 21st was a 3 in 1 holiday - Internacional Dia de la Paz, Dia de la Primavera, and Dia de la Juventud - International Day of Peace, the 1st day of Spring, and the Day of the Young People. As we were finishing winter and entering spring, the United States was ending summer and starting fall. Why are the seasons opposite?? It is an interesting science topic...

In August, we celebrated a different holiday, el Dia del Nino - the Day of the Child. This day is a longstanding tradition because a long time ago when Paraguay was at war, there were no more men to fight so thousands and thousands of children went into the battlefields to fight for their country. For this reason, el 16 de agosto celebrates the children of Paraguay.

On this day, the school that I work at canceled class and had a party all day long. In the morning, the students drank chocolate milk and ate cookies. For lunch, the mothers prepared lunch, and we all ate together. In the afternoon, we ate cake and drank yogurt. The weather was beautiful, and it was a great day. Towards the end of the school day, the teachers invited me to play a game of volei, volleyball, in the grass at our school. I began to play and went to hit a ball. I ended up falling backwards and put my hands down to catch my fall when --- CRACK! I jumped up to find my arm deformed with a large hump where the bone had been displaced. "Rompi mi brazo! Rompi mi brazo!" I started to yell - "I broke my arm! I broke my arm!"

Within a half hour, I was on my way to the hospital. The closest modern hospital to me is about an hour away, but luckily a man that works in my office has a car and was able to take me there. When we arrived at the hospital, they wheeled me in and took an x-ray of my arm. I was right - it was broken right at the wrist. I stayed at the hospital that night, and the next day the doctor put a plaster cast from my fingers to over my elbow.

I had to wear the cast for a month!! It was extremely uncomfortable, and it was hard to do a lot of things. The woman I lived with had to help me bathe, put up my hair, and cook my food. It was a great conversation starter though; I met a lot of people because everyone was curious as to what happened to me. "Ha'a ha ope che jyva" I would say in Guarani. "I fell and broke my arm."

When I finally got my cast off, I had a hard time moving my arm at first. It was very sore, and I had to get used to straightening my elbow and twisting my wrist. Now it is fine, and I can do pretty much everything again as I did before. As painful and terrible of an experience as it was, I know that 50 years from now, I still will remember the time that I broke my arm in Paraguay.

The best thing about Paraguay is the people. They are kind, welcoming, and laidback. They are hardworking and proud. They love to laugh and they love to talk, especially over a nice cool drink of terere.

Terere is the official drink of Paraguay and a very important part of the culture.

What do you need for terere?

Yerba, these are the herbs that are the basis of terere. They give the tea its taste, and depending on the brand, it can be very light or very bitter.

A guampa, this is the cup where you put the yerba. You pour it in when it is dry.

A bombilla, this is the straw. You tuck it in the yerba in the guampa.

A jar or a termo with water. You can add ice or yuyos, special herbs with different tastes and can be used to treat different sicknesses.

How do you drink terere?

After you have put the yerba in the guampa and the bombilla in the yerba, you then add the water and suck the terere through the bombilla. It's usually just a couple sips. The most common way to share terere is in a circle of people. In this setting, after you drink the terere, you then pour the water in and pass it to the person to your right. They drink the terere and then pass it back to you. You then pour in more water and pass it to the person to the right of them and so on and so on. You drink in this way until the water runs out. And if the conversation is good, you go for more water!

When do you drink terere?

Paraguayans usually drink terere mid-morning and mid-afternoon when the weather is hot. It is also common to drink it around 11:00 right before lunch.

Where do you drink terere?

Paraguayans mainly drink terere at their houses on the porch or sitting in the shade in the yard. Honestly it is acceptable to drink terere anywhere and everywhere. It is common for people to drink terere at work, at the soccer field watching the game, or traveling by car or bus.

Who drinks terere?

Everyone! It is a common way for Paraguayans to pass time, welcome visitors, and share good conversations.

Why drink terere?

Terere is an extremely refreshing drink, especially on those really hot days, and it's the best way to spend time with friends.

Ojo! Paraguay is the only country that drinks terere. Lots of other countries drink a similar drink called mate. This is the same as terere except the water is hot.

If the terere spills when someone passes you the guampa, don't worry - it means good luck! But if you drink all of the terere and then pass the guampa and yerba to the wrong person, you just passed them your luck.

Paraguayans have lots of theories, myths really about the dangers of mixing certain food and drinks with terere. For example, they say it is dangerous to drink mate and terere one after the next. If you mix terere with any other drink really, they say it can make you sick. The ultimate no-no? Mixing watermelon with terere. AB-SO-LUTE-LY NOT!

I haven't suffered any terere tragedies yet, unless you call passing an entire summer day in good company with a refreshing drink a loss... :)

After I completed my application to the Peace Corps, they decided to send me to the country of Paraguay.

Paraguay is a small landlocked country in South America, bordering Argentina, Brazil, and Bolivia.

Its capital is Asuncion, which sits in the west on the Rio Paraguay.

The Rio Paraguay divides the country in half. There are green rolling hills in the east, leaving the Chaco in the west full of savannas, scrub forests, and marshes.

As the United States is divided into 50 states, Paraguay is divided into 17 departments.

Paraguay has 4 seasons but seeing as it sits in the Southern Hemisphere, the seasons are opposite as that of the US. So when you all are enjoying summer, I am shivering inside my sleeping bag, and when you are enjoying winter, I am sweating in the hot sun!

Paraguay is a generally rural country. Most people live in small communities called companias which sit on dirt roads outside of small towns called pueblos.

Most families have their own gardens, fields, and animals and use the products to eat everyday.

Most communities have running water and electricity. There are public buses that travel to the pueblos and most families own a motorcycle to get around otherwise.

The national lifestyle is an attitude of "tranquilo" which can be summed up as calm and peaceful. No worries.

The colors of the land are bright; the landscapes are beautiful, and the sunsets are breathtaking.

Not many people come to visit Paraguay because it is surrounded by countries that attract more tourists. Paraguay is unlike any other country I have visited, and I feel lucky that I am getting to spend 2 years in a place that so few will ever come to know. It's a hidden treasure.

What do you think of Paraguay? Does it sound like a place you would like to visit?

Mbá´eichapa. Iporante paraguaipe.

Hola como estas? Bien aca en paraguay.

Hello! How are you? Good here in Paraguay! As I write this post, I am laying in my bed listening to the rain pouring down outside. I was so happy to see the storm clouds coming to cool us off from this intense heat. It feels amazing!

It´s hard for me to believe that a little more than a week ago I was playing in the snow in North Carolina. In the past week, I have said goodbye to my family and friends in the United States and have moved to Paraguay. Now I am living with a family in the pueblo of Naranjaisy (nah-rahn-hi-see) and will be here for the next 3 months as I train for my job with the Peace Corps!

I wanted to write today to tell you a bit about the Peace Corps. What have you heard or learned about the Peace Corps? I´ll tell you what I know! In 1961, President Kennedy created the United States Peace Corps. It is a program that is paid for by the government to send American volunteers to work in developing countries for 2 years. The United States is a very fortunate country with lots of resources and a government that takes care of its people. Sadly it is not always that way in other countries. For this reason, the Peace Corps sends Americans to share what we know and can do to help people take care of themselves.

Its 3 main goals are:

1) to share knowledge and skills and to work with people of a country to meet their basic needs,

2) to help make a better image of Americans to people in other countries, and

3) to help make a better image of people of other countries to Americans.

Ultimately Peace Corps hopes to work towards world peace and friendship while helping people of other countries make their lives better. There are different ways that volunteers do this, working with people in agriculture, business, health, and many more. My project is in education. It is my job to help the teachers of Paraguay make school more fun and easier to learn for the students. Right now I am in training with 48 other volunteers where we are practicing our Spanish and Guarani, the other language spoken here, and learning how to live and work in Paraguay. At the end of April, we will finish training and spread out through Paraguay to work at our assigned sites.

Right now there are around 8,000 PC volunteers in 135 countries around the world. To date, there have been 190,000 in around 170 countries. Luckily, President Obama is very supportive of Peace Corps and wants to give more money and send more volunteers to more countries in the world. That makes for a huge impact!

When talking about Peace Corps in Spanish-speaking countries, we say ¨cuerpo de paz.¨ These words translate to ¨body of peace.¨ What does it mean to be a body of peace? How do you think PC Volunteers act as a body of peace? What can you do to be a body of peace in your home?

I wanted to let you all know that you might not hear from me for a couple weeks because I will be going out into the country of Paraguay and have limited access to the internet but I will write as soon as I can! Ciau!

Hola! Mbaeichapa! Hello!

I am excited to tell all of you that I have arrived here in Paraguay!

Since Paraguay is in the Southern Hemisphere, its seasons are opposite than those of the United States. So while it is winter there, it is summer here and it is HOT!

I don´t have a lot of time to update right now, but I hope to tell you more next week!

Ciau!!

"Deja que el mundo te cambie, y podrías cambiar el mundo."

"Let the world change you and you could change the world."

Hola! My name is Lizzie Greer! I am about to embark on the biggest journey of my life, and I want you to join me! But first, let me tell you a bit about myself...

This is me!! I am 22 years old, and I am from Boone, North Carolina. I have a mom, a dad, a sister, 2 brothers, a dog, and 3 cats! I come from a biggggg family! I love all sports, and my favorite team is the Carolina Tarheels because I went to college at UNC. While I was at UNC, I studied Spanish. Do you have Spanish class at your school? It has always been my favorite subject!

When I was studying Spanish, I decided to travel to a country where they only spoke Spanish so that I could practice. I went and lived in Mexico for 5 months. My Spanish improved a lot, and I had the time of my life making great friends and eating delicious food! This is my favorite picture of the city where I lived in Mexico.

When I returned from Mexico, I realized how much I loved traveling; meeting new people, living in different cultures, seeing beautiful places. The more places I visited, the more I began to feel connected to all the other people in the world. This made me be a kinder, more compassionate person, treating each person I met with respect and appreciation.

Now I am about to leave for another trip to another country. But this one is a little bit different. On February 9th, I will be moving for 2 YEARS to the country of Paraguay in South America! I will be working for the United States Peace Corps, and my main job will be to promote world peace and friendship.

I want you and your school to follow me in my experiences! I want to teach you about Paraguay and the Peace Corps. I want to show you my home there, and I want to introduce you to the friends I will make. I also want to meet you and learn about your lives wherever you are!

I have traveled, made friends, and taught children around the world with the hopes that I can bring happiness and peace to everyone I meet. I have let my world change me so that I can change the world.

How has your world changed you? How can you change the world?