A blog lacking in inspiration, but a window into where I’m at right now:
A list of things I’ve asked for from the States, traveling with my cousin who arrives on Tuesday:
-Peanut Butter- There’s no American peanut butter to be found here. Apparently, Paraguayan moms aren’t so choosy as American moms, because JIF is nowhere to be found on supermarket shelves. Instead, there’s a more oily, grainy, and expensive substitute that they call peanut butter, which is much sweeter than it’s American cousin butter but completely lacking in saltiness. Paraguayans are very much against mixing salty and sweet foods together. There are clear distinctions: traditionally sweet food shouldn’t taste so salty, and traditionally salty food shouldn’t taste sweet, either.
-A GRE Study Guide- There’s not really a big book market here, and I really miss the Barnes and Nobleses from up North. That said, I’ve got to be doing some prep work for taking the GRE test, a pre-requisite exam to being accepted into many masters and doctoral university programs for continuing my studies. I don’t think college administrators will take my stay in Paraguay as an excuse for doing poorly on the exam, so I need it sent down. Don’t worry, mom, I plan to return next year and keep on going with my education. I’m not sure where or what I’ll be studying yet, but I’ve got plenty of time to figure it all out.
-A Nice Candle- All the candles for sale here are pretty crummy devotional ones for putting in front of loved ones’ graves or on the altars before Mary, other saints, and perhaps God, too. Because they’re made from some cheap petroleo material, they’re quite disposable and burn really dirtily. Thus, I asked Mom and Dad to send me down a nice-smelling and clean burning candle to enjoy.
-The Office, Season Three- The Office is pretty much the funniest tv show out right now. I didn’t watch it often when I was in the States, and I don’t really miss tv right now, but it is a good reminder of American culture and humor and something that’ll be good in lifting my spirits up and to share with others.
-Some Good Coffee- Dang it, it’s South America- I thought they grew good coffee everywhere here. I suspected it would be cheap, fresh, and delicious, like the pictures of Brazil and Columbia and Argentina on so many coffee containers. And I was wrong. Not many folks here drink real coffee, and when they do, it’s of the instant variety. I asked Mom and Dad to send me some real stuff to fill up my lonely French Press.
Good Sugar-Free Gum- There’s plenty of gum here, even sugar-free gum, and it’s cheap, too. The problem is, it loses it’s flavor really quickly. So, I’m asking for some good Orbits or Dentyne Ice or something like that.
Mink oil- My deck shoes and leather sandals are drying out, and I can only find sticky shoe polish in the store. A little mink oil from those Northern minks ought to do the trick.
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4 comments:
Is bees wax available? If so, get a cotton string for a wick, melt some wax and add some cinnamon or cloves or even crush some good-smelling flower petals into the wax, and either dip the wick or make a molded candle using an old jar.
They have to have some raw coffee beans there somewhere. Toss a bunch into an oven and roast them (you might have to taste-test them by chewing, but so what, life is for experimenting), then grind them with a nut grinder or even break them up with a hammer and make yourself some brew.
Betcha you could even find a way to make local peanut butter saltier. And don't worry if the locals have something against it. You don't have to make them eat it.
I'll let you in on a little secret. Leather is skin. If you don't have any minks handy to kill and render their skin fat, you can substitute hand lotion. Or olive oil. Or even lard, but that might earn you some unwanted friends.
C'mon - you're a Gringo -- use your head!
Hi Jason We didnt get your request for mink oil so you may not be getting any. Maybe you could dip them in one of those oilslicked rivers you blogged about and it would weatherproof them As far as the coffee issue goes maybe part of your mission work there is to turn the paraguayan people on to the american christions drug of choice starbucks coffee
This is too late to help you out, but there is some really long-lasting-flavor gum--called 5-- out here now. My brother in Indonesia requested some, too.
And--sorry to say, you probably already know this--there is no doctoring of "manteca de mani". I'm not sure what they do to peanuts in the first place to get them to look or taste like what they do in South American peanut butter (it was the same in Argentina and Brazil). You are right to establish your own supply.
Oh yes, and the Paraguayans already have a similar drink addiction--yerba. They don't need coffee.
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