Birthdays Birthdays Birthdays.

The beginning of June was a big time for birthdays in my family.

I attended my first ever Quinceañera or Quince. Most of you probably have at one point heard about this type of party. It is like a Sweet 16 party, but for 15 year old girls. In most Latin American cultures it signifies the transition from child hood to early womanhood. This Quince was for a girl, AnaLiz, whose family I have become pretty close with, so I was really excited.

Normally for a Quince the girl of honor wears a fancy, pale-colored dress. However, her party happened to fall on a Friday during an unseasonably cold spell. She pulled it through and wore a cute white sweater and vest with some pretty fashionable white boots. 

Me and the birthday girl

At one point  AnaLiz's grandmother basically kidnapped me. She is an adorable old lady who only speaks Guarani, which makes our communication is very limited. We danced and danced and danced, she was holding onto me so tight at one point I thought she was going to dislocate my thumb. I was very impressed at the endurance of this old woman. Whenever I tried to wander away she would send some little child to retrieve me. At this point she is one of my main motivations for learning Guarani, so we can actually have a real conversation. 

After everyone was fed and full. The real dancing started. It began with the traditional father-daughter dance. However, her father is not in the picture, so she danced with her older brother, it was perfect.

 

Then came the cake! I don't know what it is but Paraguayan cake is so good. Also, they have an interesting tradition with the cake at a Quince. They place these little trinkets which are connected to ribbon inside the cake. The birthday girl and all her friends each pull out one of the ribbons and whoever gets the one with the ring is the first to marry. Don't worry I didn't get the ring!

Getting ready to pull the ribbons

Traditional cake to the face.

Birthday girl with her Mom and brothers and sisters.

The other birthdays I got to celebrate were those of my host father and grandfather, who happen to be born on the same day. Anyone who knows me will find that funny because my real mother and father were also both born on their father's birthdays. It was a fun day of food, family and cards !

My host dad and mom

Playing cards

My host grandma on the left and grandfather in the middle

Baby it's cold outside ...

It has finally begun to get cold in Paraguay. When I got here back in February it was summer and some days/nights were unbearable. I would sleep with as little clothes as possible and the fan full blast. During the day I would break out in heat rashes. It was intense to say the least. During those first few weeks when people would say don't worry it will cool down, it will actually get pretty cold, I would laugh in their face. In the midst of that sweltering heat I couldn't imagine it ever getting cold here. Well now I'm biting my tongue.

Today when I woke up it was -1 degrees Celsius. I don't know the exact conversion rate but its about 30 degrees, and yes I know it gets colder back in Maryland, but in the United States when its cold you can take refuge in your houses with central heating. Here that isn't  an option. Imagine going camping when its freezing outside, where there is no escape.

I've come to grips with the fact that for the next couple months looking cute is not an option. Its comfort over beauty people. I've also learned the valuable lesson of: layers, layers and more layers.

This may be over sharing but as I am posting this on Thursday I have not showered since Monday. But, you try taking an, at best luke-warm, shower in cold weather and then you wouldn't think I was so crazy. 

I think one of the hardest parts of winter in Paraguay, so far, is that it is summer back home and I'm seeing all these pictures and Facebook statues about people going to the beach and doing all types of outdoorsy things while I'm huddled up in my (incredible-best purchase I ever made) sleeping bag with about 3 layers on attempting to fall asleep.

There is one good thing about the cold. It leads to quality time spent huddled around the fire with my host family!