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July 30 Getting back on trackI can't believe it's been almost two weeks since I last posted a blog entry. Life has been more hectic during this time than one would expect. Things seemed to slow down a bit late last week, but then work kept me preoccupied virtually all weekend long. I'm taking a quick break before I plunge back in to catch up on some more work. Many things lately have been postponed, and unfortunately, blogging has to be one of them even though I enjoy it immensely.
I will try to blog more frequently from here on out, but it may take me a few more days to get back up and running. I have a lot to share on life in Paraguay. Let's hope it isn't another two weeks before I write again. In the meantime, let me share a fascinating article from the Wall Street Journal on spouses overseas who build home-based businesses.
July 18 Things are finally coming aroundWhat a change a few days makes. Last weekend we were in a big, empty house in Asuncion living out of suitcases with only meager household items and furniture that came with our house. Today, we have our car. It made all the difference in the world. I picked it up from customs at the Port of Asuncion and had my first driving adventure in Asuncion, a mid-sized city of about 750,000 inhabitants. (Actually, Paraguayans drive fairly sanely, quite uncommon considering that Paraguay is a developing country, and drivers in developing countries often drive notoriously bad.) Our vehicle arrived in record time--just two weeks after our arrival. Tomorrow, our major household shipment from Korea arrives, and I'm taking the morning off to receive the moving vans. This weekend, our air shipment is scheduled to arrive from Virginia, although I have a sneaking suspicion that our good fortune is bound to end sooner rather than later.
People at work were quite aghast at how quickly our belongings came. Many waited months for their automobiles and personal effects to arrive. We were fortunate because our vehicle and household shipment left the U.S. in early June after sitting in crates at the Port of Miami for four months. Still, forces of nature could have increased the transit time. During the southern summer season (November-February), the Paraguay River, the main waterway from Buenos Aires, Argentina to Asuncion, evaporates signifcantly, lowering the water level below what can sustain cargo barges. People moving to Asuncion between these months often find their automobiles and personal goods stuck in transit, waiting in Buenos Aires until the water of the Rio Paraguay rises again. In our case, Mother Nature was very kind to us. For a time, I almost felt a bit trapped between work, home, and whichever destination in between we could reach by taxi. Now, we have our car, and I feel much better. Asuncion does not have a subway, so one must be reliant on cars, busses, or taxis to get around time. Ah, it feels like America.
Blog Notes: Paraguay is absolutely fascinating. I will try to post some photos soon, so please stand by. July 17 Tragedy in Sao PauloTwo weeks ago today, we arrived in Asuncion, Paraguay via a TAM Mercosur airliner inbound from Sao Paulo, Brazil. So when news of today's airline disaster in Sao Paulo reached my ears, I was taken aback. Authorities still don't know how many people were killed or injured when the Airbus 320 inbound from Porto Alegre, Brazil carrying 140-170 people skidded off the runway at Conganhas domestic airport and crashed into a gas station, incinerating the plane. The runway was wet, and the news is reporting that the runway was in need of repair and situated in an urban area of the city giving airplanes little room to manuever. Although we flew out of Sao Paulo to Asuncion, Paraguay through Guarulh International Airport, we also arrived and departed under adverse weather conditions. Our inbound flight was delayed by an hour due to fog, and we waited two hours on the tarmac to depart in our TAM Airbus 320. These tragedies always remind me that it could have been us and makes me thankful that we lived another day to appreciate life and all it has to offer.
Blog notes: Our home Internet connection went down on Saturday and came back last night. We hear that that is quite common here, especially after the ferocious lightning storms that frequently bombard Asuncion. Connections sometimes remain unavailable for several days. Oh well, ese es la vida.
Thanks, Windows Live Spaces! I think this is the fifth time that MSN/Windows Live has featured this blog on its "What's Your Story?" page. As always, I'm honored that World Adventurers gets so much positive coverage on Windows Live. I just wish I could find a way to update this spaces more frequently. It isn't as easy to do in South America as it was in Korea and the United States. Note to the Windows Live Spaces editors--we've left Korea and am now in Paraguay. We'll be here for two years. I plan to focus increasingly on South America, particularly Paraguay. Thanks, again! July 14 The Coriolis ForceWe finally have home Internet access, so I can now write from home and should be able to post more frequently and prolifically. I have many initial impressions of Paraguay to share with you over the next few days (mostly positive). One of the first things I did when I arrived in the Southern Hemisphere was test the theory that water drains clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere and counter-clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere. Some believe that water pouring down a drain is affected by the Coriolis Force, which pulls air clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere and counter-clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere. The drains I tested in both hemispheres seemed to confirm this theory. The toilet in our apartment in Virginia flowed counter-clockwise, while the sink drain in our home here in Asuncion flowed clockwise. However, this is apparently due to how the water is introduced and the geometric structure of the drain. The Earth's rotation, which causes the Coriolis Force, minimally impacts water going down a drain. So much for an interesting theory! July 06 Alive in AsuncionWe made it safely to Asuncion, Paraguay last Tuesday. Our initial impression is a positive one, although Paraguay is obviously different than the United States and will require some acclimation. I have been offline for the past few days and have intermittent Internet access since I arrived. I may not have access at home for about a week. As it is, the Internet here is relatively slow with top speeds of 256-512 kbps (no, not megabytes, kilobytes). I wanted to post a short entry to let you know that we're alive and doing OK here in Paraguay. I will try to write again soon. July 01 The day beforeWe leave for Paraguay tomorrow evening. We're all back together, my wife and son having returned recently from a family visit in China. Our airline tickets and visas are in hand, and our packout is finished. Addresses have been changed, training done, pre-move logistics done. The few remaining personal items left in our apartment are migrating their way to our suitcases. We depart for Paraguay tomorrow night. This day feels like calm before the storm. Although Paraguay has been described as "boring, quiet, and peaceful" by those who have been there, we will still be busy reassembling our life once we arrive. That, and I will start working full time once again. The past four months of training have been more relaxing than stressful. It may not be the case once I arrive in Paraguay, despite the country's mellow, laissez-faire reputation. We'll see.
It may be a few days before I am able to post another blog entry. Once I do, I'll give you my preliminary thoughts on this place that I barely gave thought to over a year ago but is now, for better and for worse, the center of my life for the next two years. Until then, hasta pronto.
Blog Note: I improved my German language score on Friday. My French and German are now officially at the level 1+ out of five in speaking and level 2 in reading. These scores will enable me to bid on jobs in French- and German-speaking countries and qualify for short (two-to-three month) language courses to boost my proficiency. In hindsight, I would have preferred to receive these scores before I bid on assignments last year. I could have very likely been heading to Germany, Austria, or Switzerland right now instead of Paraguay. While I'm looking forward to serving in Paraguay, I definitely would not have turned down the opportunity to serve in Europe! |
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