Arriving August 22, 2009

I made it!  I am here in one piece, which is more than I can say about my luggage which is probably still hanging out in Miami, but that aside, everything is cool.  After I waited in vain for my bags, I passed through customs into the room where my host mother Sonia was waiting, holding a sign with my name.  As soon as I met her, and the rest of my family, any anxieties of living in such a foreign place were assuaged.  My mother gave me a big kiss on the cheek, which apparently is customary in Ecuador because I give and receive kisses on the cheek to every Ecuadorian female I meet.

 

Sonia lives alone on the second floor of her house, but her parents Fanny and Victor live on the first floor of the house.  Her sister Veronica lives around the corner and her other sister Paquita lives another block from Vernonica.  All of these families are hosting a student as well, which makes four of us Americans, or Gringos as Latin Americans call us, part of the family.  The family is even more extensive.  Sonia has many siblings: Julio, Mauricio, Paquita, Veronica, Richard, Jose and many others I can’t remember.  All have children, from five years old to marrying age.  A cousin is actually about to be married in a few weeks and we Gringos are going to the wedding!  It should be a very interesting cultural experience.

 

When I arrived at the house, two of my fellow gringos in the family were already settling in.  We all sat down to our first dinner with our new host family.  We were served a delicious soup and then a course of chicken with coleslaw (which actually turned out to be KFC.  Our family wanted the gringitos to have an easy first meal I suppose).  During dinner, various children and other family members passed in and out the house.  Our host parents taught us important phrases and words that will come in handy here in Ecuador.  For instance, the Quecha phrase “¡Ay yi yi!” is “what a pain” or “this can’t be serious.”  “¡Ay chi chi!” is “cold!” and “¡Ay ri ri!” is hot! 

 

I can’t wait to experience the adventures that are to come.