Livin' La Vida Paraguaya: Around the town, and some thoughts

Well, besides getting ready for the wedding, nothing much noteworthy has been going on. I can't hardly believe that in about a week, I will be a married man. My goodness, its just hard to wrap my head around how much has changed for me in the last 3 months or so. I used to depend on my family for ALOT, (probably more then was necessary), especially my mom, but now I've left all my friends and family 10,000 miles away, am living in a strange country, trying to start a new life, and it's NOT easy! I wasn't even sure if I was strong enough to even do this, at first. But the truth is, human beings are some of the most adaptable creatures on the planet, and you can really adapt to just about any situation, given the time and motivation. I've had to dig deep to find some hidden reserves of strength, though, because this new life really takes some getting used to... anyway, I am trying hard to fit in here, and it is finally starting to feel like home. Don't get me wrong, I will always miss home, and the life I had there, but if you spend too much time looking back, you miss whats heading your way. And I have alot of happiness coming. I am so glad I am finally DOING something with my life. I just hope I can find a way to earn a decent living here. And I found out that I can never become a citizen, unfortunately. (unless I denounce my U.S. citizenship, which would be dumb) But I can become a permanent resident, which unless I am mistaken, entitles me to all the right of an actual citizen. So what does it mean to be Paraguayan? Well, I can never tell you with 100% accuracy, since I will never be Paraguayan, but what i CAN do, is go over the basic characteristics of Paraguayan people, both positive and negative. Keep in mind, this will of course be a bit of a generalization, but it's a necessary evil. First of all, let's go over the negative. Sometimes Paraguayans can be a lazy, and very stubborn people. Some of them They don't even like to do some of the most basic things we as Americans do. And often they have their priorities all messed up, like letting their houses fall apart, but always having a nice car and the best gadgets. Also, alot of the men are pigs. They are extremely sexist, and chauvinistic, and very lazy. Of course, the Guarani men most came from were also extremely lazy, and so were the Spanish people. So they kind of got a bad deal when it comes to genetics, and every Paraguayan has to fight against these tendencies every day of their life, and it isn't easy. So now that I've probably offended most of the Paraguayans who will read this, let's talk about the good qualities, of which their are quite a few. :) Paraguayan people are some of the warmest, most friendly people you can imagine, sometimes going as far as inviting strangers into their home and even feeding them. They are also extremely intelligent, and some of the most adaptable people I have ever seen. They can figure out how to deal with most situations without a problem. They are also very generous, which fits nicely with the whole friendly thing. Anyway, hope that sheds some light on the matter. :) Now, I have a bunch of pictures from around town to show you.