Chipa!

So we went to “El Cerro de Rey Cristo” with Don Bernadino. There are little mountains here in Paraguay that you can climb/hike. Don Bernadino is the man that backs the artisans ñanduti lace work with leather. We work with him. I have mentioned him in other blogs. I absolutely love him and his raspy voice. He is genuinely so so kind and he is all about the fair trade program/justice and empowering womyn, which is another reason why I love him. We have spent time outside of work with him and his family which has been a lot of fun. His is for sure a “family man.” All he ever talks about is either leather or about family and love and how important it is to love people no matter what and love life. He is just too cool. Anyways, we did a real early morning hike with him, his son and nephew and then spent the day at his house afterwards.

A hike with the boys.

A view from the top

Me and Donnnnnyyy B!

Me Monetti Donny B and his son

These boys have a good man role model to look up to! So cute.

After the hike we were off to Don Ber’s  house where his wife was home cooking a delicious lunch for all of us! Including some home-made chipa. Yum!

Don Ber spent a whole hour or so showing us all his leather-making books! Like I said, he loves it so much; its just fun to watch him talk about because he get soo happy and excited. Here he is explaining to me how to make a leather saddle. Hows that for ya Dad? You would love this man!

So, what can I share besides quality time with Don Bernadino.  It’s starting to rain here more. April and May are the supposedly the more rainy months, which Ive mentioned in other blogs- I absolutely LOVE!!! The leaves on some of the trees here are so big they literally serve as rain drop hammocks!

This day- we moved our beds (well, 1^st because the rain was leaking through the ceiling onto us ha) but also because its just beyond peaceful here when it rains. No one is outside. It is completely silent- all around. All you hear is rain, loud loud rain.

This day we watched the rain for no joke a good 3-4 hours, just laid there looking out the window. Amazingnesssssss.

Speaking of beautiful things, we continue to spend time at Lake Ypacari in San Bernadino.

Playground fun.

Monetti chillen sand-side at Lake Ypacari in San Bernadino.

Me chillen tree-side at Lake Ypacari.

Has anyone read this book? It’s a good one!

What can I say…we made some friends! Haha

What else? We went to this big Expo in Caacupe to support Don Bernadino! Look at all this comfy furniture he made BY HAND-everything by hand!

So this time, like I’ve mentioned- is totally baby kitty boom! SOO many kittens! Fabi’s cat Michi Kaka had some kittens!! SO CUTE!

Oh man I wish this one came out clearer!!

YUMMMMMY! Empanadas de choclo! (filled with cheese and corn)

Monetti, Fabi, her mom and I having empanada funnnn

OHHH WAIT! We cant forget about Sister Modesta’s 94^th Birthday Party bash!!

She is toooo preshhhh

Oh,  how about Pascua! Pascua= Easter. The Paraguay tradition for Easter is to spend 3 days before Good Friday making Chipa. You eat Chipa all week here leading up until Easter. You spend two days- Wednesday and Thursday making kilos and kilos of Chipa and then you eat it up- that’s all you eat, literally- up until Friday. It is really hard to explain what chipa tastes like because it is so different from everything I’ve ever tasted. But, I guess its like this bread type thing with lots of butter and cheese. Anyways, the Wednesday before Easter we spent the morning making kilos and kilos of Chipa with the girls from Escuela Taller.

There Lorena in the back- the token class clown/ athlete of the group. Sometimes I laugh when she tries to distract the class when Im trying to teach English or do group work with the psychologist because I feel like its such Karma for me being like that as a kid.

Lets doooo this! Hands deep-corn starch, butter, flour, salt, cheese…mixxxxinn

Gladis, what is with the face? Tough??

So you have to pat and roll...

PAZ

This is Maria Hortencia. She is the main psychologist for everyone in town. Her and I do group work with the Escuela Taller girls together every Thursday for two hours. She is awesome.

Next comes the rolling and then forming!

Mariaaaaaaa!

The braid shape!

You can make them into any shape you want.

Maria Lorena and Andrea bringing the chipa out to the tata qua (which means "oven" in the indigenous language guarani)

You break branches off the trees and burn them (plus charcoal) inside this brick/cement oven. You leave this burning/fire going for 15 minutes then remove the charcoal and the sticks out a small hole that is on the side of the tata qua.

The chipa is put in through that hole

And see this little broom thing I am holding- that is what you use to pull out the branches/coal (that is what is on the floor) after 15 minutes of the fire going.

Then once this is done, the tata qua is heated and you put the chipa right in!

Then you cover the holes to keep the heat in so it can bake.

Crocodile Chipa!

PEACE Chipa!

This was my attempt at a Girl-Power Chipa

Evelynnnnnn

First batch came out a little burnt. Lorenaaaaa

Making Chipa was such a blast. Chipa is soooo Paraguayan, so traditional. The streets, any street in Paraguay, is filled with men and womyn carrying big baskets on their heads yelling “Chipa, Chippaaa Chhippaa!” You are on a bus and there’s people trying to sell chipa. Basically you cant go anywhere in Paraguay without there being Chipa right next to you. So, it was really fun to be able to use the tata qua with the girls and see how the whole chipa making process is done! Good memories