A five liter bottle of water will cost about 7,500 Guaraní, which is just a little bit more than one US dollar. Since most people do not drink water from the sink, most everyone buys bottled water from the store. Therefore, it is a very good thing that water is not too expensive.
At the New Year's Eve dinner, someone brought a delicious dish called 'eggplant milanesa.' Milanesa is a traditional Paraguayan dish. Like chicken parmesan from the United States, milanesa is generally a breaded slice of meat. The most common type is with beef or steak. However, there are sometimes varietes with chicken. This week was my first time seeing eggplant milanesa. It was very delicious and reminded me of eggplant parmesan from back at home! I loved eating this food and would like to eat more during my stay in Paraguay.
Many Paraguayans listen to popular music from the United States! It is funny to walk past malls and other stores and hear song lyrics in English. Some of the songs that I heard this week when out in the city were John Legend's 'All of Me' and Justin Bieber's 'Cold Water.' However, Paraguay is also very well known for the Paraguayan Harp! It is a beatiful instrument generally made from tropical wood. It is also the national instrument.
I really enjoyed my New Year's Eve celebration! One of my friends who lives in the United States is Paraguyan-American and lived in Paraguay until she was eight years old. She still has family that live in the country; therefore, she came back to visit them for Christmas and New Years.
