Iguazu Falls

After Brandon finished golfing on Thursday, the Arza family drove us across the boarder into Brazil to visit “Parque Nacional do Iquaço” (Portuguese for Iguazu National Park). We thought we might run into trouble at the boarder since we don’t have our Brazilian visas, but we were told that the falls is a sort of “neutral” area of Brazil where you’re allowed to visit without having a visa. Sounded good to us.

Guli (the Arza’s 7^th grade daughter) stayed with us as our tour guide as the rest of the family went to do some shopping back in Ciudad del Este. The park was impressive and reminded me a lot of the national parks back in the states. There was a gift shop, snack bar, and museum that you could peruse free of charge. You then paid your bus fare and loaded a double-decker bus that wove through the jungles of the park.

Along the bus route were several stops before getting to the actual “Path of the Falls”. One stop was a trail tour, a 9-kilometer trail (I think it was 9 K, maybe only 7) that took you to an area of the river above the falls where you could raft and kayak. The second stop was another trail that took you down below the falls where you could again board a raft that would paddle right up into the basin of the falls. We saw these boats from where we stood and were quite jealous of their vantage point.

The last stop on the route – our stop – was the Path of the Falls. There was a hotel on site and vendors set up for a canopy tour, a rope bridge walk across a section of the falls, and a repelling wall descent into the mouth of the falls. Maybe next time. We stuck to the trail and were amazed at what we saw.

Around every turn there was a new section of the falls to behold.

Each view seemed more magnificent than the next.

When you thought you’d seen it all, you realized you hadn’t.

The trail wove along the edge of the jungle with several Kodak moment platforms set up with remarkable views in the background. Near the top of the trail, where the first falls cascaded over the edge, we ventured onto a platform walkway that was built over the water. The force of the water created such mist that the full view of their length was masked and we were soaked as we made our way to the end of the platform.

Bailey had been asleep for most of the trip, but awakened in time to enjoy the misty shower. Good thing she’s a water baby! She seemed to enjoy it, even if it did interrupt her nap.

Just above the platform over the water was a lookout tower. After a brief elevator ride, we found ourselves level with the falls, looking out towards the canyon of water below. Simply amazing.

Abierto del Paraguay

Our trip to Ciudad del Este would not have been possible without the Arza family. The mom, Veronica (Vero), teaches kindergarten at ACA with Brandon and their two daughters – Alejandra and Guliana (a.k.a. Ale and Guli) – attend school there, too. The purpose of the trip for them was the Abierto del Paraguay (Paraguayan Open), a tournament that their daughter Ale was competing in. She is an extremely talented golfer, who represented Paraguay in a South American tournament a few weeks back and placed first. The Paraguayan Open boasts itself as the biggest tournament in South America and Ale of course went to compete. In addition to the professional and amateur competition, Brandon also had the opportunity to golf for two of the three days with Osvaldo, the girls’ dad.

The course was set just outside Ciudad del Este, in the city of Parana. The Parana Golf Club was an extremely exclusive community with it’s own school and shops set inside the guarded gates of the club. Apparently it is where the “who’s who” of Ciudad del Este retreat to keep their wealth and family safe from city life.

Wednesday found all of us trekking to the course for Ale, Brandon and Osvaldo to warm up on the driving range and putting green. While they putzed around the course, Vero, Guli, Bailey and I went around to a few other touristy locations to check if they’d be open as usual during Holy Week. Many businesses downtown were closed, but the Itaipu Binacional Dam and Flora y Fauna would be open later in the week for us to visit. Yeah!

Thursday and Friday were the biggest of the golfing days since all three – Ale, Brandon and Osvaldo – were competing. Brandon and Osvaldo were partnered up with two other men from Asuncion, one who turned out to be the step-dad of a student of Brandon’s. Imagine that. And the step-dad was the one who won the event for the non-professionals.

The weather was decent enough, but the course was quite hill-y and the humidity took it’s toll on all the golfers. Friday found Brandon and Osvaldo going half-sies on a golf cart to see if that would help them golf any better. Not so much…

Saturday was the final day of competition for Ale and it was postponed for rain when she was about halfway through the course. The rain continued, but the committee decided that they had to finish golfing regardless; the other option was to postpone the games until the following day – Easter Sunday – and that wasn’t something they were willing to do. The whole family was soaked after trudging through the course in the rain, but had fun all the while.

Ciudad del Este

Tuesday, April 19^th found us leaving the city of Asuncion, making a 327 kilometer drive to Ciudad del Este. Located on the eastern boarder of the country (hence the name “city of the east”), Ciudad del Este connects to both Brazil and Argentina, making it a hotspot for the sale of stolen goods, drug and human trafficking, and all sorts of illegitimate businesses. Good times!

We left Asuncion in the late morning and spent the afternoon driving along a two-lane highway that stretches eastwardly across the country. Similarly to the states, the center lane line was a double orange line that occasionally changed into a dashed line for passing. But alas, as with most traffic “laws” in Paraguay, the dotted line meant little to drivers. We wove in and out of traffic, playing chicken with oncoming diesels and scooting between cars with precious centimeters to spare. And motorcycles traded the madness of the highway for the safety of the shoulder. They had to share the “lane” with pedestrians and stray dogs, but it seemed to be a worthwhile swap.

Bailey spent most of the trip in her car seat with the straps securely fastened around her shoulders. It’s amazing though, in the absence of a law requiring car seats, how quickly we allowed her to sit in our laps instead of leave her crying in her seat (and how nice it was to nurse her without having to stop). About thirty minutes outside the city we stopped for a much needed bathroom break and enjoyed some amazing soft-serve yogurt. Brandon even let Bailey try some when my back was turned!

The city itself was nothing extraordinary. It was dirty and crowded, with the sidewalks packed with street vendors competing for business with the storefronts just steps away. I do wish I had taken a picture of the streets, though, to show just how congested things were. Imagine the streets of Victoria Gardens (a dirty, run-down VG) with the sidewalks lined with carts selling everything from cell phone cases to underwear, imitation crocks to blenders. And by lined I mean jam-packed with no room between carts and the carts placed only two-shoulder widths away from the doors of the storefronts. The streets hosted cars parallel parked end-to-end the entire length of the avenue on both sides with (barely) room for one car to drive in between. Throw in several thousand pedestrians clogging up the narrow walkways and braving the traffic in the streets and you’ll begin to see an image of downtown Ciudad del Este. For a full picture, you’d also have to add trash piled in the gutters, and cardboard lining the sewer grates, and police officers, and mobile money exchangers, and food vendors, and . . .

One more note about the city; rumor has it that the buildings you see above ground are only half of what’s actually here. Supposedly there are several stories of rooms below each store where the black market goods are kept. Then, when you ask to buy an item, they send a runner downstairs to fetch a stolen version of the item, keeping the legitimate inventory in the store. At least that’s what we’ve heard.

Filler

It's the biodegradable popcorn stuffed in boxes for shipping fragile items.

It's what teachers do when they finish a chapter or unit and have only a few days before Santa Semana (Holy Week, a.k.a. Easter Break).

It's what this blog is this week.

Filler.

I have nothing spectacular to report and we are gearing up for our trip to Ciudad del Este where Brandon will be golfing and we will all enjoy a trip to the Iguazu falls.

In the meantime, here are some pictures of what Bailey's been up to the past few weeks:

Just hanging out in the pool with Daddy!

She couldn't decide if she wanted her milk or the toy car...

An onion was dropped on the floor and she spent the next little while chasing it around the living room. Good times!

All smiles for her eleven month pictures!

More pool time, this time Mommy joined the fun.

And a video of pool time with Daddy -

drumming, dancing, singing, and, finally, napping on his belly.

Field Day

Friday, April 8th was the biggest day of the year for Brandon . . . field day. He was responsible for planning events, organizing teams, and recruiting enough volunteers to run an all-day event for the students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade. He spent weeks typing up schedules, creating sign-up sheets, tracking down personnel, gathering supplies for events . . . needless to say, he was exhausted by the time Friday actually rolled around. BUT, with all the planning behind him and most tasks for the day delegated to others, he was able to enjoy time with the students as they competed in 11 different events. Plus, his amazing wife made him a "Field Day Survival Kit" full of drinks and snacks to keep him hydrated and fueled for the day.

Now, every year I taught fifth grade, we did a field day for all the 4th and 5th grade students where we set up 8-10 games, divided students into teams, and had them parade from station to station to participate in the activity. That was my frame of reference going into this field day, but my expectations were met with a much more complicated fiasco.

Each station wasn't simply a game or activity for the students to participate in. Rather, the students went head-to-head against each other in competitions ranging from a 50 meter dash to furthest ball kick, most baskets made in a minute to sack races. And the top three finishers from each grade level received a ribbon for their performance.

But it wasn't just about individual performance either. The students traveled around with their grade level, but were grouped into three teams (red, white and blue). That task - dividing all the students into three fairly balanced teams - was another duty for which Brandon was responsible. So, as students completed events, they earned themselves ribbons, and their teams points. A huge chalkboard (and yes I mean "chalk" board) was wheeled out to the field to update the student body of the standings throughout the day.

An "equal opportunity" day this was not. That is, every student did not participate in every event. Too simple! No, every student filled out a ranking sheet for Brandon, ranking 1 - 7 the top events that they wanted to compete it. And it was Brandon's job to place a balanced number of students in each event, "balanced" meaning an equal number of (equally talented) students per grade AND equal per team. It wasn't perfect, but considering that before tallying the final few events two teams were tied and the third team actually won, it was close.

Field day started with a school wide relay race where one student per team per grade level was chosen to run in a huge race around the field. Starting with pre-kindergarten, three students - one from the blue team, one from white and one from red - ran their tails off around the track painted onto the field just for this day. Pre-kinder kids passed the batons to kinder who passed off to first . . . on and on until the senior students crossed the finish line. Bailey was still finishing her breakfast during the race, but a constant stream of cheers filled our apartment as she enjoyed her cereal. After a few words of encouragement from Brandon, the kids were off to their events! Here are some pictures from the day, highlighting most of the activities.

Brandon giving instructions to the students at the start of the day.

6th grade shooting hoops, most in 60 seconds wins; go Rebeca!

Longest ball kick (not that exciting to photograph).

Mr. Christian stretching with students before the longest golf drive event.

"FOUR!"

And they're off! . . . running the 200 meter dash.

Ya Yah's longest frisbee toss efforts (complete with body check by Alvaro!).

Camila jumping rope for a minute.

Ye Ji tossing a football through a tire. Unconventional form, but it worked!

8th grade boys competing in the sack race.

Three high school boys (red shirt & the two in blue) challenging two teachers

(both in white) in the 100 meter dash.

The post wouldn't be complete without pictures of Bailey from the day! We spent our time with the sixth grade class (when Bailey wasn't napping) and watched in amazement as "problem" students morphed into patient caretakers. Surprisingly, it was the boys, too, that were most taken by her: playing with her, stroking her arm, and making sure she was hydrated! Who'd a thunk?

And we have to thank Miss Lily for the outfit! It was perfect for the day. We supported all three teams without choosing sides (though the red team says that the top of the shirt being red put her on their team).

Quince

It's the Spanish word for fifteen (15) and in Paraguay is how this "coming of age" birthday is referred to. It's the same as the quinceneria that other Latin American countries celebrate, just with a shorter name. And on Saturday night, Brandon and I had the opportunity to attend this special celebration for one of the students on campus.

It was amazing and I wish I had more pictures to share with you, but there were already three photographers taking pictures of the event and I didn't feel right contributing to the paparazzi atmosphere. Instead, I sat back and enjoyed the evening, trying to remember as many details as possible to describe to you in this post.

When you first walked into the room, there was a giant waterfall set up directly ahead, forcing you to the left or the right. To the left was the "kid" section of the room, complete with couches and ottomans, high tables and bar stools. Students from school (and Sara's friends from church) lounged on the couches and hopped from table to table, socializing and giggling all the while. The boys wore slacks, button-up shirts and ties, and some even topped off the look with a blazer. The girls strapped on high heels and short party dresses, many of them strapless. Think homecoming.

(Our friends Elder & Jill who sat with us at the event)

To the right of the entrance was the adult section, where we were banished for most of the evening. It was set up in traditional banquet manner: white linens, mirrored centerpieces (with live fish in bowls, just like at our wedding!), several sets of silverware and more glasses than necessary. The men were outfitted similarly to the boys, minus the awkwardness, while the women's dresses were longer with straps, but still elegant like the girls'.

The entire room was transformed into an underwater scene by huge sheer curtains that hung from PVC pipe framing. It wove it's way across the entire length of the room, with cut outs of fish and transparent spheres - little air bubbles - hung with fish line. On the back side of the water feature, the adults and kids were further separated by a dance floor and an elevated head table with seats for three - the guest of honor and her parents. The arrangement worked well and allowed everyone to see the stage and the events taking place, without being disturbed by "them" on the other side of the room.

The evening started with a father-daughter dance (that commenced nearly an hour and a half after the start time advertised on the invitation). After a few minutes, the grandfathers cut in to dance with the birthday girl, while the grandmothers took over dancing with the dad. The party director, clipboard in tow, then rallied the young boys to also take their turn dancing with Sara. It was like watching a dollar dance, minus the dollars. The last boy to dance with Sara was her brother, which elicited oh's and ah's from the adults and spontaneous applause when they were finished.

It was then time for food. While the young'ns gorged themselves on pizza, hamburgers, and fries, the adults had an elegant spread of hors d'oeuvres and main dishes to sample. Martini glasses hosted sliced green apples with a lime glaze and cheese dip filled delicate dishes with a single strip of bread balanced within. Meats (vacio y pollo con jamon) simmered in chafing dishes aside platters of potato and pasta dishes.

While everyone finished their meals, Sara's pastor served as Master of Ceremonies for the event, explaining the importance of the night in the young lady's life. He also called on several students and adults who had prepared blessings for Sara. As she sat center behind the head table, friends, family and teachers took turns reciting and/or reading blessings for the young girl. The final blessings were from her parents and it was hard not to tear up as her dad got misty eyed talking to his little girl.

The last formal event of the night was the singing of happy birthday. Once the last note was sung, the kids descended like vultures on a spread of American candy the family had brought back from a recent trip from the states. Glass vases were filled with m & m's, sweedish fish, and air heads. Fish bowls overflowed with Jolly Ranchers and Hershey's Mini Candy Bars - Milk Chocolate, Dark Chocolate, Crunch and Mr. Goodbar. In all, there was over 70 pounds, yes, SEVENTY POUNDS, of candy to be divided by the teens. But don't worry, we swooped on the table, too, and used my purse as our trick-or-treat bag. We're doing our best to ration out our portion and make it last. So far so good.

It was a great night and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. BUT we found out that, next to a quince, the FIRST birthday in a child's life is of utmost importance. Time to get to work . . .

International Dinner

After the Parade of Nations event that took place during the day last Friday, ACA hosted an international dinner to celebrate all of the countries represented by the students and staff at the school. It also serves as the main fundraiser for PTA.

The days leading up to the event found the maintenance workers working hard on the field, building a stage, hanging a wide assortment of flags around the lower basketball court, and setting up tables.

At one point I walked by and saw one worker, Ruben, working on the stage while the other three workers stood under a tree talking. I asked him (in Spanish) why he was alone and if the other's weren't working today. He just laughed, probably at how bad my Spanish was. The next day he had help on the stage and I commented that he wasn't alone today and it elicited another chuckle. Good times.

The night itself was quite enjoyable. Every family brought traditional food representing their home country for the event (enough for 40 people, divided into two dishes). The main countries (Paraguay, United States, and Korea) had their own tables, and all "others" (Brazilian, Taiwanese, and other South American countries) were lumped together on the "international" table. After being dismissed by table to get plates of food, it was a free-for-all in terms of second (and third) helpings, until most platters were all but licked clean.

Entertainment for the night consisted of three acts, again from the three main countries represented by the student population. The Korean students created a mini-orchestra and performed two songs, a hymn and a Korean ballad.

The Paraguayan students worked together in their Spanish class on a dance number. Well, I can't exactly say it was the "Paraguayan" act because many of the students in the act were from other countries. It was neat, though, in that they all wore jeans and white shirts, then tied ribbons around their wrists in the colors of their home countries. It was also funny to watch some of the boys who had been strategically placed in the back rows.

The Americans were represented by three students - Wesley, Ashley, and Jessica. They are siblings (and the children of the Academic Director) who have all been blessed with incredible voices. They performed an a cappella number in beautiful harmony.

There were nearly 500 people at the event which means the PTA should have earned around $3,000 (25,000 Guarani a person, times 500 people, divided by 4,000 - a close approximation to the current exchange rate), minus the expense of the chairs, tables, place settings, and linens for the evening. It was a success on many levels!

And Bailey even got to enjoy some of the evening before we put her to bed, then returned to the party. That's one of the many blessings of being on campus. School events are literally in your backyard so leaving a sleeping baby in her room while you're at the event is possible!