Paraguay 🇵🇾

Jorge, 39

Born in Asuncion, Paraguay

Came to Australia in October 2014

What is your occupation?

I work as a Fire Safety engineer at a fire engineering consulting company. One of the main duties that we do is provide consulting on fire engineering and risk management requirements. We also do inspections and audits, as well as Egress modelling. Back in Paraguay, I worked for a family business that specialised in fire extinguishers and emergency lighting. I studied a Bachelor of Industrial Engineering at the Catholic University of Asuncion and an International Master of Science in Fire Safety Engineering (IMFSE) at Lund University and Ghent University.

Why did you come to Australia?

After graduating from the International Master of Science in Fire Safety Engineering, I struggled to find a job in Europe mainly due to visa restrictions. I was offered a position in New Zealand but I was unavailable because I couldn’t fit it into my schedule. Eventually, I secured a position in Sydney, Australia at a now-defunct fire engineering business.

What do you like about Sydney?

I like the climate here in Sydney as it is more temperate than Paraguay, where it is usually hot and humid. I appreciate how much nature and beautiful scenery there is in Australian cities; in Paraguay, there aren’t as many parks in major cities.

I appreciate the diversity and multiculturalism in Sydney, especially compared to other Australian cities. Paraguay is also a multicultural country according to the Constitution, with Spanish and Guarani both official languages. However, overall you don’t see as many different ethnicities as in Sydney.

It is also very safe in Sydney. You can walk at night without any worries. In Paraguay, I never got robbed but it wouldn’t be recommended for you to walk at night.

What don’t you like about Sydney?

Everything closes very early in Sydney, whereas in Paraguay, we are used to going out at midnight. Then again, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing and I quickly became accustomed to the earlier closing hours.

Something I don’t like is how far Australia is from everywhere. If I want to go back home, I have to go from Sydney to Santiago and then Asuncion. Right now, because of COVID-19 restrictions, there are no direct flights to Santiago and therefore, it would take me around 40 hours to go from Sydney to Asuncion via Dubai and Brazil.

What would you like to say to Sydneysiders?

I feel like sometimes Sydneysiders don’t realise how lucky they are to be living here.

What languages do you speak?

English and Spanish

I can understand Guarani, the other official language in Paraguay, as you often hear it being spoken in the streets. However, I wouldn’t say I am fluent. There is a significant rural population in Paraguay that is monolingual in Guarani.

I went on exchange in the Netherlands back in 2000. I learnt a bit of Dutch there but I’ve almost forgotten it entirely.

Teach us one word/phrase from your native language.

Rohayhu Paraguay

This is a Guarani phrase that simply means ‘I love Paraguay.’

It is a common phrase that people use and I love my country very much.

What is one thing you want us to know about your native country?

Paraguay is the country with the highest Positive Experience index in the world; Paraguayans reported experiencing the most positive emotions on a daily basis.

Paraguay is an underrated tourist destination: Paraguayan people are friendly and the food is delicious. I recommend people to visit the countryside and relax at an estancia (ranch). Paraguay is a rural country and common rural activities include swimming, hiking, boating and horseback riding. Tourists can experience the real Paraguay there.

I believe that Paraguay is a country for experienced travellers as there aren’t many tourists (it’s the third least visited country in South America after Guyana and Suriname) and thus, there isn’t a lot of tourism infrastructure.

Who is the most famous person in your native country?

Mangore

His full name was Agustin Barrios and he was a virtuoso classical guitarist and composer. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest performers and composers of the guitar. A contemporary guitarist who is very famous is Berta Rojas.

Another famous Paraguayan is Jose Luis Chilavert, a famous Paraguayan football goalkeeper. He was very famous during the 1990s and the 2000s.

What is the best dish in your native country?.

Sopa Paraguaya

Literally translates as Paraguayan soup although it isn’t liquid but solid! It’s a cheese and onion cornbread that is made of cornflour, eggs, milk, cheese and onion. When I make it here in Australia, I use a mixture of semolina, polenta and cream corn as the Australian cornflour doesn’t give me the desired consistency.

The Paraguayan president of the mid-19th century, Don Carlos Antonio López, named this dish sopa paraguaya after his cook made a mistake by adding too much cornflour to the tykuetï soup.

Normally people eat this as a side dish for barbecues (asados).

Another common food is chipa, which is a small, baked, cheese-flavoured roll normally eaten for breakfast. It is inexpensive and often sold from streetside stands and on buses by vendors carrying a large basket with the warm chipa wrapped in a cloth.

Disclaimer: All posts are personal opinions and perspectives of the interviewees and are not a perfect representation of the whole country/experience.