The night is in diapers! Let´s play fireball!

The nightlife in Kansas pales in comparison to that of Asuncion. They are serious about the fun, and they never seem to need sleep. People generally stay out until 5am and then eat breakfast. There is a common expression for their late night tendancies, which translates to, "The night is in diapers." I am totally going to start saying that when I come home. At the first week or so I was tired from my trip and adjusting to the schedule here, so I didn´t really feel like ebracing the youthful incontinence of the night. But now it´s a different story...Here are some of my recent adventures:

Last night I went to a club called Cafe Bohemia to hear live jazz music and meet with some new friends. Last week we met two American musicians traveling through Paraguay. I know, I know... it seems strange that my activities in South America involve jazz and other Americans. It is shockingly easy to meet other Americans. So far I have randomly met three guys from Kansas, a guy from Boston, and a girl from Jersey. When people find out that you are an American they say, "I know an American! You should meet him!" Or "I met an American on the bus. Here´s his number. You should call him." That was one of my professors, and it turns out the American is actually from Pittsburgh, Kansas. It is nice to find familiar-ish people in this place, even if they are strangers at first. Anyways, the music was wonderful, and I got to meet some of Sofi´s friends. Sofi is my 23-year-old sister, and she is wonderful. She hangs out with me all the time and constantly makes an effort to talk to me. She naturally uses a lot of gestures and expressions, so she is easier for me to understand. She is considering coming to Kansas to study English, so you may even get to meet her.

On Sunday night I went to karaoke. That´s right. Karaoke. It´s really popular here, as are all forms of dancing. (I haven´t gone dancing yet, but I think we are going salsa dancing on Thursday.) Anyways, karaoke. We sang "Can you feel the love tonight" and the Spice Girl´s "Wanna be." Again, not what I expected in South America, but it is what they do. It was actually really fun, so I´ll be taking all of you to karaoke when I come back.

On Saturday night I went to a San Juan Festival at the church of Marlene´s family. I had read a bit about it, but it was still a very surreal experience. It started out just as I had expected it: traditional food, traditional dancing, a piñata, carnival style games for the kids...typical church function activities in the gymnasium area of the Catholic church. Marle´s family had graciously bought food for us to try, and we were all sitting eating when suddenly people began to shout and scatter. I turned around to see "El Toro en Fuego" heading right for us. This is pretty much exactly what it sounds like. A giant bull´s skull with balls of fire on both horns. Two men stand underneath it and run through the crowd, while the crowd runs away and stomps out the dozens of small fires left in its wake. It was honestly terrifying, especially since a couple of guys next to us kept pointing at us and shouting, "Gringas! Gringas!"

After the bull had left the building, things calmed down quickly. I happened to notice a small clump of young men with what looked like a giant ball of cotton socks. They put the ball on the ground and started to pour liquid on it. I pointed this out to Fran (Marlene´s brother), and he nonchalantly noted, "Oh, it must be time for fireball." Again, this is exactly what it sounds like: a ball of fire being kicked through a crowded auditorium. It was awesome, and something I can safely say would never happen at a church function in the states.

When the fireball fun came to an end, it was time for a giant dance party for all the young folks. Loud rap, latin, regatone, and dance music to rival any club in town. The night came to an end with the traditional burning of the effigy of Judas Iscariot. This is a scarecrow, filled with straw and fireworks, that they light up at the end of the evening. It is truly a vision to behold, although it kind of made me have an asthma attack. Even so, overall the evening was a biarre and wonderful cultural experience that I will attempt to replicate for you all when I return.