Having your life turned upside-down is part of the package deal for almost every AFS student. We pay however much money to leave our homeland for a year, and jump head-first into the real world. This is awesome, in my opinion. I get to experience first-hand the amazing culture of Paraguay, and how it differs from my life back home, in the U.S.

Some of the differences between Asunción and my hometown, Burlington, are obvious. Burlington is a small town of 10,000 people, while Asunción is the capital of Paraguay, houseing over a million. But there are smaller, more defined differences than this.

For example, there's no speed limit here. Drivers are welcome to go any speed they wish, or rather any speed they wish to drive over the frequent speed bumps. These can be quite a surprize when the driver isn't paying much attention. I've cracked my skull on the ceiling of the car many, many times when my host brother is driving.

Another driving difference is the lack of respect for the pedestrians. If you cross the road, it's your job to make it to the other side unscathed. If you're in the way, you'll get hit. It's as simple as that.

A more serious difference is social class. This is especially prominent in my case, since my family seems to have lots of money. However, it is common to see a maid, or a housekeeper working in a middle-class home. In my case, we have a driver, a night-guard, a cook, and several maids at our disposal. My family is very reliant on these people; on sunday, when the help is off, we are basically helpless. Nobody (except for me) knows how to cook, and we always order in, or go out for meals. But the social class goes beyond unskilled upper classmen. If they are cleaning, or cooking, or whatever their job is, the help is expected to not mingle with their employers, and to leave them alone. This has been the hardest on me - for most of the time that I've been here, when I'm bored, I've gone down to the kitchens to hang out with Lucy, our cook. She's a very nice lady, and I enjoy spending time with her. Only recently did I discover that I shouldn't be spending time with her, as it is not my place to do so. It may sound rude, but it's just different, not bad, or anything.

It took me a bitto realize that this is just how things go in Paraguay. Sweet, right?