Culture Clash

What do you see when you picture Paraguay?

Millions of people here are still without running water and use latrines or simply squat behind a 'curtain' that blows in the wind and you're lucky if there is toilet paper even in the public restrooms in schools, hospitals and restaurants. Yet, my neighbor has wi-fi and a pair of Converse All-Stars. That's Paraguay.

How did it happen?

25 years ago, the average citizen in PY was still without electricity, running water and shoes: In 1986. The infiltration of the developed world happened quickly and within a few years most of the population had lights, televisions, and landline phones but the technology- and fashion-forward cultures of the US and Europe bombarded Paraguay too quickly to provide supplemental education. This is common in third-world countries: We bring the goods but not the knowledge. As a result, the latest generation in Paraguay wants everything the US has because they've seen in in movies. They know exactly what they want: Gucci handbags, Bluetooth cell phones, bottle-blond hair. However, most of them do not know where the US is on a map, let alone that New York City has a greater population than their entire country (a lot Paraguayns think this is total bullshit, by the way: Norte liars!). They have MP3 players but do not know how to work their computers to download the music. Why? Their computer programs are all in English, including the instructions.

My host Mom has a washing machine and a Dell but had no idea that sugar caused her son's cavities.

So, here I am preaching dental health and nutrition to a generation of people who consider themselves well-educated and not in need of assistance. Their parents before them would have (and probably did in 1975) happily admit that they were falling behind globally and needed a lot of help. However, I run into people here that don't believe there is anything wrong with their health or education systems and are resistant to foreign aid, Peace Corps included. This comes in part from being located in a semi-affluent area by local standards. I was told a week or so ago that I couldn't change anything here because I didn't have any more knowledge than the people I was working with. Just to clarify, here's what I'm working with.

The team at my health post doesn't put any stock in the 'Germ Theory.'
95% of the country has multiple cavities........ 95.
Commonly-held beliefs of.... pretty much everyone:
-Taking a shower after you've worked out will make you sick.
-Wearing a wet shirt will give you a stomach ache.
-Eating citrus then milk will kill you.
-Leaving your upper chest uncovered will give you a headache.
-Men can do whatever they want.
-If God doesn't want it, it won't happen.

It's rough trying to be a health-worker in a country full of people who don't believe in your witch-doctor science theories, like coughing on people spreads bacteria and sneezing into your hand is generally a bad idea. I wanted to tell that nice man who told me I didn't have any more knowledge than him that I in fact had a BS and a Master's but I didn't. Instead I just kept saying, Jahechata. We'll see. And when he asked me what was so bad about Paraguayan I spit some statistics at him about diabetes, obesity and giardia.

Well, I'll do what I can and leave the rest to TV.

Speaking of TV- Paraguayans love the Simpsons!

At least I can feel useful when, while watching Los Simpsons, random English words pop across the screen and everyone screams, "What is that?!" "And that?!" "That?!" Who's smart now? I speak English, suckers!