A Lot Like Christmas

z

The Insfran Christmas Gang!

Another difference: Christmas is completely celebrated on the 24th of December. I awoke at 3 pm on the 24th to a quiet house, the pitter patter of rain and mini explosions: it almost felt like Christmastime at home, well minus the humidity and mosquitos. My sister and I had been out at one of the graduation parties until sunrise and my feet still ached from the heals. Yes people, the heals stay on ALL night. It's not like prom where it's just for the pictures and then we're liberated from these fashionable torture devices. So with aching feet I walked to the bathroom to do the usual morning, well afternoon, routine but to my despair the water wasn't running. So I hobbled back to my room to watch some TV and again to my despair the power was out. So I was left with no choice but to stimulate my dormant brain by reading the New Yorker. It was actually quite nice and the tranquility of the gloomy day lifted awoke my Christmas cheer. My host sister and I helped my mom wrap presents, one for each family member under 20, and we mostly just sat around until around 8 when the real celebrating began. A cousin from the capital of Paraguay called Asuncion came in and we all sat in the yard drinking and eating bocadillos, little snacks, hearing explosions every couple of minutes.

The fat American got up the wall!

Fireworks are a large part of Christmas. Not the multi-colored, sky-filling explosions we're used to on 4th of July or New Years but smaller do-it-yourself-goodluck-not-blowing-yourself-up ones. My cousins had a bunch of them and I even got to try and light one but failed. I believe my cousin said, "Ana you really just messed up on lighting a firework." Unfortunately I haven't had much practice with these terrifying things but it was really cool to watch them and it really made me realize this was a totally different culture. At 12 midnight a slew of bigger fireworks went off from neighboring houses and my slender cousins easily hopped up on the roof. However, I have put on a little padding for the--well I guess I can't use winter as an excuse-so I've just but on a bit of padding at climbing up a wall was not so easy for me. Thankfully my cousins were able to awkwardly pull me up the wall, it was not one of my most gracefull moments.

After we watched all the fireworks it was present time! Christmas here is not full of Santa Clause wrapping paper and decorative stockings. Rather one or two gifts and a lot of hugging. My mother gave me some flip flops with straps decorated with plastic pink flowers; it's a very Paraguayan fashion. After presents the parents go to sleep and the youth go out and party till the sun comes out! Which is exactly what I did. The 25th is just a family lunch and Christmas is over. And that was my Christmas experience in Paraguay.

My little cousin Oliver a bit overwhelmed by all the comotion. He's being held by my host mother's boyfriend, Jochen, who is very much part of the family.

My host mother, Nora, and Jochen.

Our "family portrait."  My mom Nora, host sister Betsabe, Jochen, and me.

Family Lunch on the 25th! There is never any lack of food at the Insfran household.



The forgotten boys. No presents for these gentlemen so we sent them outside.



I really should devote an entire entry about Oliver. The first time he saw me he came running, arms open screaming "chica linda, chica linda!" Translation: "pretty girl, pretty girl." He is the family entertainment and one of my best friends here in Paraguay. Here he is playinng with his Christmas present, which I believe was a bike.