Early on in training it became apparent that I have a knack for getting myself into some pretty complex conversations with Paraguayans. This isn’t really something that surprises me much – I like to have complicated conversations with Americans and anyone I can find, so naturally it would apply here as well. But the part that makes any of this funny, noteworthy or even worth writing down (which I guess we call noteworthy…) is that all of these conversations took place – at least partly – in an indigenous language I can barely speak. Don’t get me wrong I do just as much, if not more, talking about the weather, farm animals, crops, food and if we have fish or cell phones in the US, as the next volunteer, but in between, these are a few of the topics we’ve breached that leave me both laughing and amazed. (Keep in mind, while maybe I help steer the conversation once we arrive there, I did not set out to discuss any of these). Maybe you have to be here to appreciate the comedy of such “complexities” but I’m sure you all have good enough imaginations. I’ll add to the list as new stuff comes up, but for now, consider consider talking about these things in jopara (a mix of Guarani and Spanish) with your shirtless neighbor and how in the hell such topics could possibly pop up, like:

• Energy transmission technology and resulting summertime brownouts
• Polar ice cap shrinking (mind you Paraguay sits on the Tropic of Capricorn)
• The declining habitat of the polar bear (see above about the T. of C.)
• The global economy
• Capital Punishment (additional March ’10 post on this one)
• Deforestation on the Island of Hispanola
• Swine flu media hype
• The acceptance/discrimination of homosexuals in America
• Marijuana legalization
• Plate tectonics (my personal favorite)
• Sugar cane subsidies
• The quality (or lack there of) of Chinese goods
• Australian immigration policy and the treatment of Aborigines
• The Ideology of Texas (it’s a state of mind, right)
• Cassius Clay
• Taxation without Representation
• Japanese reconstruction after WWII (note, that “World War Two” is the funniest phrase to have spanish speakers attempt in English – I was told this a while ago, but since have confirmed it).