Age of Steam and Turmoil

Penn's alumnae magazine (which like my current employer, is named The Gazette,) is finally out. The latest  issue is for November and December. I wrote the "Elsewhere" essay, which you can read here. It's a modified version of a story I first wrote for this blog while I was in-country. That story was originally called Sapucai and the Bones of the Trains.

I have since found a couple of stories online published two weeks ago (after my piece had already been turned in) which suggest that the trains might be starting back up again!

I really wish I could be on the ground down there right now to see them actually plying the rails...

Potrero/Pirayuvu update

It's amazing how time flies. It's been six months since I left Paraguay and Amy Heimberger, my follow-up, arrived in Potrero Pucu ready to save the day. She's been doing a fantastic job, working in a couple of communities closer to Caballero and taking on completely different projects than the ones I tackled.
 I got to speak to her yesterday a little bit and found out she just updated her blog. It's the "What I've Learned" post, and it is much more comprehensive than mine was.

My favorite, and a potential motto for Peace Corps:

"That I’m always busy doing something that never gets done" To which I can only say, "Amen."

Fun reading, take a look: http://aheimberger.blogspot.com/2012/10/what-ive-learned-part-1.html

Another one

As you know, I've been posting the pieces I've written in other publications here as well. A new story/piece of mine just got published in the Washington Post. You can read it here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/travel/in-hampi-india-the-remains-of-a-great-but-forgotten-empire/2012/09/13/1ca0c3fe-f3b8-11e1-adc6-87dfa8eff430_story.html

Followers of the blog will recognize the pics.

FYI, I have a few more pieces coming out - in my alumnae magazine, and a few other places. After that, I'll be writing a few more essays for this blog, and then turning it into a more general blog about Paraguay.

Stay tuned!

My India travel article is out

http://www.philly.com/philly/travel/20120826_Schooled_by_India_s_surf.html?page=1&c=y

Enjoy!!

Because you don't have enough work to do anyways -

I wrote a post about my Peace Corps service and slog through Nepal and India for my favorite blog, Phawker.com. If you would like some fast, light reading, check it out: http://www.phawker.com/2012/08/22/always-drink-the-water-the-ten-most-valuable-lessons-i-learned-bumming-around-south-america-central-asia/

Hey Gang.

I'm traveling through different parts of the Eastern Seaboard. Right now I'm Washington DC. Sorry I've been quiet for a while, I will post something about returning to the US in a few days. In the meantime, Amy has a new blogpost out: http://aheimberger.blogspot.com/ so you can all see what's happening in my old site.

For those who haven't been up on the events in Paraguay, its president Fernando Lugo was ousted in a parliamentary coup.

Here's an article about his take on what happened: http://upsidedownworld.org/main/paraguay-archives-44/3766-post-coup-paraguay-an-interview-with-fernando-lugo

UNASUR (the Union of South American States) and MercoSur (South America's trade bloc) both suspended Paraguay for a year. You can read a little about their reaction here: http://www.upi.com/Top_News/Special/2012/08/16/Paraguay-plays-down-suspension-by-Unasur/UPI-25501345113933/

In the meantime, Lugo's successor, a man named Federico Franco, is apparently working out as the new president, albeit with weekly protests (which is kind of encouraging, given that Stroessner would probably just turned on some polka and fired up the chainsaws). Read about that here: http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_21154738/paraguays-new-president-proving-effective

Thanks, Nepal!

Last week, after two and a half years, I finally returned home to the land of freedom. I'll probably write a longer essay in a few days as culture shock sets in, but I just thought I'd post a public thank you note to Team Nepal, that is, Yashas and his wife Dhriti, and his wonderful parents and grandparents who opened their homes to me and taught me so much about Nepal (and India too).

Dhriti, learning how to cook like a Newar

Go to Nepal, eat Newari food.

Team Nepal. And yours truly, the goofball gringo in the background.