PARAGUAY: WITH CARLOS SCHAUMAN AT RADIO ABC CARDINAL
Yesterday I was invited to give a radio interview for ABC Cardinal 730AM in Asunción, Paraguay. This was due to the Honorary Consulate of Finland in Paraguay, Carlos Schauman, who was happy about finally having a Finn in town to take care of (believe me, this does not happen all that often!). After our first meeting some days ago, Mr. Schauman contacted the local newspaper which then spontaneously contacted the radio to get me on air. So, there I was in the studio of the most important broadcasting company in the country to speak about my experiences on cycling. Fun and absurd! The program, hosted daily from 2 to 4PM by Diego Marini and Ana Rivas, is called “Sin Anestesia”. And here the full interview (in Spanish).
If you want to listen to what’s going on on ABC Cardinal right now, click here. Radio is a great way to get in touch with the local culture!
On September 21st, the digital newspaper ABC Color also published a written article about my trip. To read it, click here.
Who is Carlos Schauman?
Carlos Schauman is the Honorary Consulate of Finland in Paraguay. An architect by profession, Mr. Schauman also takes care of the six Finns living in Paraguay on a permanent basis (there may be more, but these are the ones that have gotten in contact with the Honorary Consulate). As his surname suggests, his ancestors were Finns who came to Paraguay and Argentina most probably because of political insecurity in their home country (to the non-Finns: a man named Eugen Schauman is perhaps the most well-known assassinator in the history of Finland. He was a Finnish nationalist who, in the year of 1904, shot the Russian Governor-General Nikolai Bobrikov). Mr. Schauman himself has been to Finland twice and is already looking forward to his next visit on the 100th Independence Day on the 6th of December 2017. I hope Finns will treat him as well in Finland as he treats us Finns in Paraguay! And to all Finns visiting Asunción: don’t hesitate to get in contact with Mr. Schauman. He is delighted about all Finns he can meet and help!
Carlos Schauman recommends: Lido Bar
Lido Bar is a historic restaurant located right opposite to the Panteón de los Héroes (the most important sight in Asunción. This is where national hero Mariscal Lopez’s relics are kept, among others), in the corner of the streets Palma and Chile. This and Bolsi are the two most emblematic restaurants in town serving traditional Paraguayan dishes. In Lido Bar, Mr. Schauman recommends to try the sopa de surubí (soup) or the milanesa de surubí (Schnitzel). The Guaraní word surubí stands for a type catfish typical to South America.
