Just finished playing 2 sets of soccer game with the folks here in site. "Never get discouraged" is what I've been reminding myself. Football is not my game. I grew up with basketball, but my love for this game and my passion is growing each and everyday I play. These guys who I'm playing with are relentless, they will hassle you, will make you feel bad, but you can't do anything about it, but play. Eventhough I'm not on par with them, I feel like I am improving. I might not feel good when I'm around them in terms of my skills, but I feel good over all to be integrating and getting along well with the folks and the dudes in town.

Almost on my first month in site and as much as it is weird to think that I have been in country for about 8 months now, I get easily confused or get easily feel comfortable when I'm around people. I have to check myself and remind myself that I am new to them, to my community, even though I have been in country in awhile. I have to be extra conservative in a way. But it goes what it goes and people, I think, are getting accustomed to me as much as I am getting accustomed to them.

Things are going sllllooooooowwwwww with work, but with facebook and this internet, I can keep myself occupied. Work right now is getting to know people, being seen, and being out. Also, being that school is on vacation and the heat almost 99% shuts down the town doesn't help. All the activities happens in the morning and in the late afternoon and I try to be on par with the people and community with how they move. Say though, I still have to be on par in the mornings, still not rolling along with the town with its sleeping pattern. I guess there's the personal part of me.

Right after my last update, I have learned that, who I considered a friend of mine, was involved in one of the latest kidnapping scheme in the country. It was pretty surreal to see her in national news on television. The house where I've been and the family who I've grown to like. We weren't best friends or anything, I am more close to her sister; we worked in several lectures with farmers and a project plan. I didn't know that she was involved, never really know what she's up to. All I know is that in a few encounters we've had, she was pretty quality with me. Very educated people and very good hearted people, then ending up in messy situations. Everybody's got their own philosophy and visions of their life, their country, and you have to respect that. But with the movement, the kidnapping, that right there, is questionable. I don't know much of the details. For now, it's sad and disappointing to see and hear someone you know having several of their years taken away and be put in a box. Good decisions, bad decision? To each their own.

I'm quite happy with my house situation. It also helps that my landlord is probably one of the best people in town. Also am glad to have enriched my relationship with them. His name is Hugo Santa Cruz. From how things are going, I can say that this is a guy who you can have a life long friendship with. You see, I've been here and known him for a month, but something about this guy that is just good pure air. He's strict, but he's got a good heart. He's naive, but he's got his point of views. He's just a pure good person who knows where he stands and who knows where he is, who knows what he's capable of and not capable of doing. I have great confidence and pure respect for the guy and it is very calm when we don't see eye to eye on rare occasions. I love being his neighbor and I love being his friend. I might not have as much friends as I have here compared to my first community, but I'm quite happy with the pure friendships I have at the moment. With Hugo and his family, I love sharing with them the little we have and in a way, starting to become a part of them. Most Paraguayans are somewhat similar, you just have to know how to relate, and if not, you just have to know how to be open. It's all about emptying your soul and accepting exactly what they have to offer. With no malice nor second thoughts, without the feeling that you get with comrades that you're familiar with, you just have to embrace it without any doubt whatsoever. Considering that they don't have much to offer as much as we, the privileged ones, it is worth every exchange or change you make within yourself and others. This is how you learn or how you go back to your old ways. This is then how you live, or should I say, I live.

I've learned a lot being here. Having more solid confidence on who I am and what I do, how I relate and how I am with other people. I must say, that as much as I plan on even making a dent on peoples lives here, they, in a very big way have humbled and showed me the way.

That would be it for now. I hope I have enlightened you as much I have myself. Until next.