Out the window to my left I can see the grand river that runs between Paraguay and Brasil. Over time the river has created a vast canyon. In time, man made a bridge to cross it and connect the neighboring cities. All of that beauty is out the window on my left, but my attention is drawn to my right and the young, happy, face of my 8 year old exchange sister smiling at me. I smile back and we share a bilingual laugh. My exchange father drives us through the city and my exchange mother points out buildings of interest. They're a nice family, they're a friendly family, they're my family, and i feel comfortable with them.
They take me to their, now our, house. It is a good size. It's not big, but it fits the whole family with room to move. Milici's brother is outside with the three dogs finishing the meat when we arrive. His three daughters introduce themselves, and take my luggage to Alan's room. Alan is their son who is doing the same program as me, just opposite. He is in Arizona. His walls are bare except three Beatles posters and a Bob Marley one. I feel at home in there. The room has a high vaulted ceiling and tile floor, just like the rest of the house. The girls then take me to meet their mother and two Grandmothers. After the introductions we sit down to eat a large lunch of assorted meats, salad, and potatoes. The language hasn't been getting any easier for me, which I can tell makes things more difficult for them. It's still the first day, Milci, my exchange dad, reminds me. He's right, but that still doesn't make it any less of an inconvenience.
I still have lots of unanswered questions, but I don't really care anymore. I'm here, things will work out as they will, whether I know how that is or not isn't going to change how it is. I also don't care because I have a beautiful city in my backyard to distract me.
Describing the city in one word is easy...colorful. It's colorful in look, smells, sounds, and people. Fences, walls, roofs, doors,and sidewalks are all bright colors that radiate in the Capricornian sun. The age of the city can be told by the large trees that cover the fronts of buildings and shade intersections. Many of the trees are flowering, adding to the brilliant array of colors all around. The city smells like the river clashing with the smells that come with a cement jungle, and topped off with the fresh smell of live vegetation and pollen. All of these smells are mixed and stirred by the cool wind and then settles in the open parks and fields of the city. Cars and motorcycles can be heard driving around on the main streets creating a steady background for the sounds of squawking birds, barking dogs, laughing kids, and salsa music that fill the neighborhoods. Our house is filled with the sounds of Milici and I playing guitar and singing classic rock songs as Ale, my sister, keeps beat with the bongos. Even without all of these new excitements La Ciudad del Este would still be colorful, because of the people. Kids play soccer, football, in the park. People kiss on either cheek when they say hello or goodbye. A man carrying an opened 12 pack in one hand and the missing piece in his other walks down the street. Two homeless men follow him and pick up his cans as he litters them behind him. The neighbors to one of our sides has a junk heap for a yard. The people on his other side are responsible for the salsa music, and they have dances to accompany it.
Where ever people are, there seems to be a liveliness to the air that won't go away. No matter what their living conditions are people seem genuinely happy. Happy to be together. Happy to be doing what they're doing. Happy to be alive. It's a trait I love in people, and it's a trait my new father excels in.
-Paz y Amor,
Samuel
P.S. My exchange dad has All Star as a ringtone. Luckily everyone knew all the words so I didn't look completely ridiculous when I started screaming them out loud. Old habits die hard right?
