Dear Reader, I haven’t added a new feature to World Adventurers for a long, long time (mainly because I haven’t written much at all!). Tonight I introduce you to "Moments." No, I’m not referring to some sappy Korean drama; I’m talking about sharing snippets of those unique moments that truly define a culture. Think of an "American moment." What’s an American moment…a moment in time that it uniquely American? I really can’t think of any at this moment because I am down here in Paraguay.
So here is a Paraguayan moment for your to contemplate; a moment to ponder whether your own culture should adopt this habit or custom that is unique to Paraguay. Tonight, as I drove home from work, I saw a couple riding on a motorcycle. The man drove the bike; the women was seated behind him. The man, displaying a courageous act of chivalry, gave his helmet to her and drove helmetless. They stopped at a stoplight next to me, and what did my bewildered eyes behold? I saw the woman pulling out her mate tea jug and pouring some mate tea into the mate cup and hand it to the man. The man drank his mate tea quickly at the stoplight and then handed the cup back to the woman. The woman lovingly put away the cup and the jug, and then they sped away when the light turned green. An intimate Paraguayan moment of sharing mate on a motorcycle at a stoplight. Only in Paraguay.
