mi familia peruana

Today I met my host family. Like any American placed in a situation which forces conversation with strangers, I was uncomfortable. Now add a language barrier to that equation and you have one uncomfortable and extremely nervous American. Of course, however, I had nothing to worry about. I mean after all, we are talking about "Peruanas" (not Peruvians as I learned tonight at dinner)-- the people who come home for two hours to eat lunch, the people who walk around in the city after dinner with family and friends, and the people who are most friendly.

Upon my arrival to where I will be living for the next month, I met my host mom, Ida. Her husband works in the medical field and travels a lot for his profession, so I will not meet him until the weekend. Ida and her husband have four children--two who are my age or older and have already moved out. They have two younger children Claudia, 13, and Jorge, 11.

Ida showed us around her house and let us unpack while she finished lunch--rice, chicken, potatoes, tomatoes, and jello for dessert. In Peru it is common to have a large lunch and then only milk and crackers for dinner. Lunch lasted from one in the afternoon until three. Fortunately enough, my spanish came back to me instantly. I was so excited that I could sit with my host mom for two hours and not have a moment of silence. I even translated a few times for my roommate who is not as comfortable with spanish. Of course I presume most of my spanish was incorrect or fragmented, but it was empowering to be able to communicate.

After lunch, I took a nap. When I woke up, my roommate and I walked downtown with our host family. Most Peruanas walk around the city of Cuzco at night, and I enjoyed it a lot. We stopped for some fresh liminoda and then returned a casa. For dinner I had crackers and cocoa de te, which is a tea that is supposed to help with the altitude. Suprisingly, I am not hungry and completely satisfied. I don't even have a sweet tooth, which is a rare occassion.

Overall, I had a very enjoyable day. I am happy I am staying with a host family. It forces me to speak spanish and I am certain I will learn more by living with a host family. After today, I am extremely excited to learn spanish, and I am determined to be fluent in Spanish by the end of my trip.