I usually start thinking about what I’ll write with a picture, but tonight I don’t have one. I still haven’t taken one. [ah, I found my image after all] I’m determined to live this experience, good and bad, in the present. We moved in with our hosts two days ago. I’ve been fortunate to be placed with a family that has hosted volunteers for 24 years, and they have wifi. I’m the first Spanish-speaking volunteer she’s hosted. They told me that every time, even though it’s only three months, they are sad to see their volunteer leave. It’s an incredible gesture for them to open their home to strangers, let alone to stick with it for a quarter of a century. They receive minimal compensation for everything they offer to us. I will give and get, and I’ll have to work hard to keep things equal.
After four days of training and time with my host family, I’m convinced that this is the right place for me. I will be living on five dollars a day for the foreseeable future and, for now, I’m content.
Firsts:
Cheese in my hot coco
Chicken liver in my soup
Cooking with my Senora
Cold shower in Ecuador
Coleslaw with sugar and yogurt
They found the idea of guinea pigs as pets to be utterly disgusting.
melody
January 21, 2013 at 7:48 am
[Neice], I told you to stop playing with your food!!
UCDkiliclimb
January 21, 2013 at 7:31 pm
No, these are firmly rooted in my mind as pets, cute, cuddly cuy. Actually, you told me not to get floaties in your drink.
vagabondurges
January 21, 2013 at 10:21 am
Cheese in hot coco? That’s…remarkable. And I love the guinea pig contrast! Gringos raros.
UCDkiliclimb
January 21, 2013 at 7:32 pm
Yeah, remarkable…Dijo ella, “Sale como un chiclet.” Then, of course, I had to try it.
Feather on God's Wind
January 21, 2013 at 9:12 pm
Do you have a recipe for the cheese hot cocoa thing? Up to now (except for Que) the most different practice I’d heard of was sprinkling potato chips over hotdogs in buns, but never cheese in cocoa. Hmmmm.
UCDkiliclimb
January 23, 2013 at 5:32 pm
Recipe: Hot coco + cheese. I pretty sure any cheese will do, and she may have made that one up on the spot. Now this gringa is running around telling everybody it’s a thing here.