So as you all know, right now it is summertime here in Paraguay, until about March. The vacations from school and work are from December to the beginning of March or mid-February. It is extremely warm and I die of heat a little bit each day, but it is also quite nice. Paraguyans love the night life, no matter what age you are. Since it is warm and Encarnacion is the "vacation" spot in Paraguay, the costanera and beach are packed with people from the morning until about 2:00 the next morning. At night time we go and sit with my family on the beach, play card games, eat dinner, relax, and walk around. It is so nice since it is still warm out and everyones out like it's the middle of the day. I love that aspect of the latin culture.
Another exciting thing that happens in January is Carnaval time!! It is a big deal here and lasts for about 5 weekends, just into the beginning of February. All year the dancers practice for this month and everyone gets prepared. There's parades with Paraguyan dancing, including girls belly dancing with 5+ flower vases stacked on their head, big bright and colorful costumes with feathers, and beads and sequins. Floats and booths are set up for people to sell things and the whole city, plus more, enjoys the month of Carnaval.
I have also been doing a lot with my family, including cousins, aunts, and uncles. Every Sunday we all eat lunch together, and last Sunday after lunch we all went to the soccer field and played a soccer game! It was very fun and it felt good to be playing again. However, in the middle of the game, while we were all hot and sweaty, a thunderstorm came and we had to run for it. But not just rain, thunder, and lighting, also wind! The wind was so strong, many signs in the city fell down, including trees. It was madness. However, we couldn't run to the cars because the wind was so strong so the only place for cover was in the boys bathroom in the park. So we all went (20 of us) packed in the small boys bathroom while we were waiting for the thunderstorm to pass, it was quite funny. I love my family so much and my cousins are so fun to hang out with!
I am planning a trip to Argentina at the moment, so that will be fun and something to look forward too. That's all for now! Missing my family and everyone at home and around the world!
