Guess it's about time I put something up on here in case any of you unfortunate souls are still following. What I realized, as I wracked my brains for a profound and inspiring topic, was that I have yet to post an entry regarding my wonderful host family here in Urubamba. This, I consider to be a great oversight on my part, considering the incredible part they have played in my experience so far. So here's to the Davalos Ibarras.
Lourdes, my host mom: My favorite thing about Lourdes is her openness and willingness to share. We have a lot of heart-to-heart discussions, often about things like values and philosophies, and we've found that we have a lot in common. Her parenting style often reminds me of my real mother: firm and insistent but willing to jump into whatever silly games the kids come up with. Which, I think, is due to another thing I love about Lourdes: she has a "go-with-the-flow," spur-of-the-moment attitude. One day, when I was eating lunch with my family, my sister started whistling along to a song on the radio. When I started whistling along too, Lourdes decided to join in. "Haber, que cancion es esta?" she asked and began whistling herself (Listen, which song is this?). And from there, Lourdes began a little contest, and we all had a great time playing Name That Tune.
Amilcar, my host dad: My dad has a quiet, but forceful leadership style. He doesn't talk too much, but when he does, it's to contribute something insightful or to share an experience or to make a witty comment. Unlike some dads, Amilcar sees no gender specifications when it comes to housework, and he does a beautiful job of sharing the cooking, cleaning, and clothes-washing with my host mom. (As it should be.) My host parents are a great team, which reminds me fondly of my real parents, who are living temporarily on different continents but Skype probably at least twice a day.
Lucero, my host sister: My 12-year-old sister is the daughter my real mom always wanted. She helps out a ton around the house, including taking care of Charito, our four-year-old sister, and my host parents really count on her responsibility. What I really love about Luce is how when she decides she wants to do something, she commits wholeheartedly. In December, the Bridge Year group hosted a talent show for the families. As I think I already blogged about, our family was a bit guilty of procrastination and thus we had to choreograph our dance on the morning of the show. As both of our parents were working and our other two siblings were more interested in playing than practicing, Lucero and I were left to figure out our act alone. I was impressed by the conviction with which Lucero took the lead and repeated, drilled, and modified various steps as we learned the dance from a music video. In the same way, when we celebrated Carnavales (HUGE town-wide water fight this past Sunday), Lucero spent the morning planning out a detailed agenda of games and activities for our family + cousins, complete with assigned teams.
Angelo, my host brother: Angelo is 9 and lives for music. He and I love rocking out to Michael Jackson, Chino y Nacho, and of course, the Jonas Brothers. I think being the middle child makes Angelo an adorable combination of ripening maturity and childish innocence. One day, when I came home from work in the afternoon, only Angelo and Lucero were home, but Luce was off watching TV. As I walked into the kitchen to get some water, Angelo followed me, asking "Div, quieres helado?" (Do you want ice cream?) "Of course," I replied in Spanish, and went over to the freezer to get it. But Angelo wouldn't have it. He insisted I sit down so he could serve me, and he did, garnishing the scoop with a strawberry wafer. And of course, when I finished, and tried to wash my bowl in the sink, I was unsuccessful; Angelo wanted to do it. He also has endless ideas for fun activities, which have ranged from multiple variations on hide-and-go-seek, to a matchbox car racetrack of his own making, to chess, to the Best of the Jackson Five.
Charito, my host sister: My four year-old sister Charo is something else. It's been many, many years since I've lived with someone that young, and Charito's boundless energy is definitely transferable. It's also so cool to see how much of an influence you can have on a child of that age. When I went to Machu Picchu with my host family, there was an area with ancient Incan steps that consisted of staggered rocks jutting out horizontally from walls. Therefore, there were large gaps in between the steps (no railings, of course), making them a little scary, at least for a little kid. Charito and I went to climb the steps, and she raced ahead of me. At first, I lent her a hand, expecting her to be a little nervous. "Yo solita!" she exclaimed, meaning that she could do it all by herself. But before even leaving the first step, she changed her mind. "Tengo miedo!" she said. "I'm scared." At first, I offered some encouraging words, reminding her that not only did I think she could do it but that I would catch her if anything happened. But she had already made up her mind, so we left the steps and went to sit in the grass. Only a few moments later, Charo got up again, determined to conquer the wall. I held her hand as she climbed, coaxing her up step by step. As we climbed the next wall, and then the next, I helped her less and less, eventually only watching from behind as she climbed by herself. When we were both at the bottom again, and I realized how much she'd done on her own, I was so proud of my sister. For me, it's fascinating to watch how quickly children change and develop at that age. And of course, four year-olds are just so lovable!
So anyway, that's a tiny glimpse of my fabulous host family for you. I hope you get to meet them one day.
Peace.
