Peace Corps: The only dating service that pays YOU!

For those of you who are already jumping to conclusions, let me first say no, I’m not dating, this is just another reflection on the culture. Before I left, many of my friends told me I would find someone in Paraguay and never come back to the United States and I laughed every time I was told that. I also thought that once I left the states I would be freed from people teasing me about finding a boyfriend. Again, like so many other things in this country, I was dead wrong. In one of the first few days of training, our trainers told us they would be shocked (yes, they said shocked) if at least 5 or 6 of us out of our training group of 49 weren’t married by the end of our two years of service. Of course we all started laughing, but after they emphatically insisted it was just short of being a scientific fact, we all started looking around the room trying to figure out which one of us would be the first to go. The jokes and suggestions are not solely exclusive to Americans and I think most of us have gotten more questions from Paraguayans about significant others in the last month and a half than any other thing in our past lives. My host mom and dad have asked me at least three times if I have a boyfriend at home because apparently twice wasn’t enough, and they have told me probably over 7 times that I will find a boyfriend here. It’s almost like they think I’m worried about not having one although I’m not sure how that was ever communicated.

Apparently though, it’s not just my family that wants to see me and every other volunteer find a Paraguayan boyfriend or girlfriend while we are here. Everyone wants to know if you are dating and if you aren’t, they immediately tell you that you will find someone here and they begin “helping” you by suggesting cousins, sisters, brothers, neighbors, and anyone else they think might be suitable for you. Sometimes it doesn’t even matter if you do have a significant other because they will tell you it doesn’t matter anyway and continue suggesting other family members for you to consider. While my dad no longer asks if I have a boyfriend, he continually asks me if I’ve found someone or seen any “churros” which basically translates cute boys. While I think part of him just likes to joke with me particularly because he likes to hear my sarcastic responses, I’m pretty sure he’s partly serious.

While I’m sure my host family would be more than happy to marry me off to a Paraguayan, I’m not really sure who they are considering as viable options. There is of course the 14 year old who yells out “I lohv yuu Aleesohn!” every time he sees me and his wonderful friends have made it their personal mission in life to convince me that he is indeed my boyfriend simply because he says he’s in love with me. Although I continue telling them there is a major age difference, his apparently undying love is affirmed every time I see him or his friends. There is also the hyperactive 5 year old across the street, who also happens to be my cousin, who is friends with me because I play a little soccer with him and don’t get freaked out by his hyperactivity. When I was still new in my community and would pass him on the street, he would usually either yell out an obscenity at me or yell “Adios mi amor!” My sister of course thought that was hilarious and started calling him my boyfriend. Now when my dad teases me about boys, I laugh and tell him that the 5 year old, his nephew, is my novito, or little boyfriend. He always thinks it’s funny and while I think it gives him a further sense of pride of his nephew, he also lays off on insisting that I become interested in a Paraguayan… We’ll see how long that tactic lasts.