Do and don't in Paraguay

Obviously many Paraguayan customs are similar to those in the rest of Latin America. If you have had experiences in other Latin American cultures you should have no problem adapting. your Paraguayan experience will vary greatly depending on whether you are in the countryside ("campo")or larger cities and what crowd you run with (volunteers, missionaries, diplomats, locals).


DoŽs:

Make sure to specify whether you will be running on "American time" or "Paraguay time" when making a date with  with other expats. This will save confusion since some may have already adapted to the Paraguayan custom of arriving between 1 to 2 hours after the announced start time. Or they may not be sure whether you have adapted already and show up uncomfortably early. 

Get used to giving two kisses.

Get used to sharing máte and tereré with people. If you do not want to participate or have had your fill the correct way  to express that is to say "Gracias" (not "no gracias").

Make an effort to learn some Guarani words. Since most people speak "jopará" (a mix of Spanish and Guaraní) this  will come in handy even in the capital. As with most countries, a sincere effort to learn the local language is appreciated and will get you surprisingly far.

Remember this is a very traditional society, especially in the countryside. If you are a female your interactions with men (even innocent ones that would, back home, be part of a normal platonic relationship) will be scrutinized and subject to the rumor mill. 

Prepare to go "blue," or in this case "green." Paraguayans are very fond of telling dirty jokes (also known as "chistes verdes"). Maybe itŽs the heat. Fortunately this can be a great way to learn hilariously colorful phrases in Guaraní.

DonŽts

DonŽt hold yourself to high productivity standards during siesta time. It gets hot during siesta here and the sun can be blindingly strong. People stay inside for a reason. Disrespecting siesta can lead to exhaustion and a massive headache.

This is a weird custom that Paraguayans have for some reason: DonŽt eat watermelon and then: take a shower or drink tereré.

Is there still a Guarani culture that is different than the Spanish culture?

Or has it all melded into a Paraguayan culture?

Hello Mike - your question is a good one. I am going to post a reply as a new topic since it's complex and interesting enough to merit it's own thread.

how hot gets there , what months and how cold and what months?
Jorge

Jorge,

I'm in the US (Oregon), and have never been to Paraguay.  So don't trust me on this!

In the US, rain falls mostly in the winter.  In Paraguay it falls in the summer.

As I understand it, Paraguay gets rainy and really hot in their summer, which must begin in November.  The humidity must really compound the heat.

[url=http://www.wunderground.com/global/PY.html]http:

wunderground.com/global/PY

It gets hot! The winter is cold (in my opinion) mainly because there isn't (much) indoor heating and it's a humid cold, which means everything feels a bit damp. Another important point is that it might be very cold one day, and in the 70s the next. It makes it difficult for the body to "adjust" to the cold. However, we're on the end of winter, and it has been decently hot for a week or so now. Someone was telling me yesterday that there is usually one last cold spell around August 30th. It's 8:30 AM and 75 degrees now. That's warmer than back home in Wisconsin where it's summer (though granted, it's only 7:30 AM there yet, and it's in the high 60s)...