There is officially competition for my favorite family.
Sorry, guys! I have a grandmother and grandfather named Maria and Hector who
run the house. They have 5 kids and 2 who live with them named Jose, and Pelar,
and Pelar has a daughter named Illari(that’s a roug phonetic translation).
Illari is a Quechuan name and I have yet
to pronounce it correctly. There is a little boy named Emiliano who is also
Maria and Hector’s child, but he is so much younger than his siblings that I
couldn’t figure out the relation. Their house is small but they generously gave
me a room of my own. There is a shower and very nice bathroom for all of us to
share. Maria is an amazing cook, so I’m definitely not going to lose weight
over here. They always hug me and Illari clings to me wherever I go. Jose loves
American music, so I’m helping translate the lyrics of Ben Joyi and Incubus for
him. I really couldn’t ask for much more. Did I mention the house has a bakery
in it? Hector is a baker, so I get piping hot bread every morning. Tomorrow I’m
going to wake up early(they start baking at 2 am) and see how they do it. Hasta
Luego, my famllia segunda
Johnny
It’s been two days with my homestay and they’ve been nothing
short of amazing. I have four sisters, two brothers, and two nieces. My tayba
(father) and mantay (mother) runs a restaurant out of what used to be a hostel
and what now constitutes a huge house.
We have meals and watch TV in the open courtyard outdoors. I really love
the color blocking and how open and airy the house is. I am the youngest of my
siblings: Fernando, Nancy, Griselda, Eddie, Isaula, and Estefani. Griselda is
the mother of my two nieces Melanie and Mafe. My oldest brother is 30 and my
youngest sister turned 18 last May. My nieces are 8 and 7 respectively. My
nieces are angels. Melanie even went on the hike that lasted 9 hours.. She
behaved better than I did as you can imagine.
So far I’ve picked up some Quechua (the Inca language), I’ve learned to
peal potatoes with a safety knife, eaten
onions, and gone hiking. We’ve done two
hikes and we have the overnight hike and the trek to Machu Pichu to look
forward to. Hope all is well.
Brittani
Hey mom and dad,
My family is great. My dad is called Valentine and my mom is
Reja. I have 5 siblings – 3 older sisters that go to college in Cusco and come
home on the weekends, a 10 year old sister and a little 3 year old brother who
has been very hard to take care of. I don’t think he likes me very much he
always tries to fight me. I really like them, they’ve taken me in so warmly. I
spend hours playing cards with two of my sisters and soccer with my dad. In
addition to this big family, I also have four uncles. So my dad is the first of
four brothers and all of them crowded into the kitchen this morning for
breakfast, it was pretty funny. My host parents are also right about the same
age as you guys, which is nice.
The food has been awesome. I’ve gotten over my bad
eating/sleeping habits and I’m eating a lot. My dad works as a cook, so I keep
telling him how lucky I am to have been selected for his house. My room is
simple and clean. Everything has been great so don’t worry. Hope you guys are
doing well too!
Michael
I have lived with my homestay family for two days now, and
they have been very welcoming. My madre and padre already have helped improve
my Spanish and I really enjoy having conversations with them. They have a nine
year old boy named Pierro as well. We have had a lot of fun playing card games,
and on the playground as well as watching Spanish-language television.
Yesterday we went to a wedding of my parent’s friends. Peruvian weddings are
somewhat different from American ones. There are many children that run around
even during the ceremony. Also dancing was a large part of the festivities. The
wedding was very and interesting.
Overall, I have very much enjoyed being with my hosts and am looking forward to
spending more time here.
Ryan
I am
having a good time settling in here with my host family. Not only is my Spanish improving but I am
also learning some Quechan, the native Incan language. My host mother, Rosa, is really nice and has
accepted me as her own. The father is a
little difficult to understand, but he is also very kind. I have four adorable “hermanos.” Two boys and
two girls. The two oldest are boys,
Christiano, 11, and Gonzalo, 10.
Christiano seems smart, but he has been a little sick and tired lately. Gonzalo has the most adorable face and good
energy. I have a feeling you guys would like him, though he walks a little slow
and I find myself saying “Gonzalo ven aqui” often. Then there is Dora, 5. She is absolutely adorable. She doesn’t talk much, but she loves to joke
around with by hiding from me and tickling me.
The first thing I thought of when I met her was a ninety your old women,
Dora, I met in Cuba. However, they are
nothing alike. Then there is a baby, I
forget her name. She is adorable, and
her eyes follow me wherever I go. All in
all my family is awesome, it’s a little difficult to break the language
barrier, but they are fun, nice, and make great food. Keep Reading/Commenting on the blog.
I’m having so much fun in Peru. So far my favorite thing
we’ve done is hike to the top of a mountain where the Incan quarries used to
be. The sights here are absolutely stunning and the culture is so intriguing.
In my homestay I have a mother and a little sister who refers to herself as
“Princessa” which means princess. Although nothing would hit the spot more than
a Pb&J, my mother makes me amazing Peruvian dishes. I can’t wait to tell
you all about my experiences here. Hugs and kisses to my mom, dad, and brother.
xoxox Jenna
Hi Mom, Dad, and Danielle! You were right, I probably should
have gotten in shape before I left! Today we went on an 8 hour hike to a quarry
at 5 A.M. The combination of the altitude and my lack of physical fitness made
for a painful hike, but I made it (and am very proud of myself)!!! The views are incredible, and I wish I could
have taken my own pictures of the valley! We went to our homestays yesterday,
and it’s been a very interesting experience so far. They are all really nice to
me, but it’s hard to communicate with my family, as their English is as good as
my Spanish. Hand signals have worked for some things but it’s still a bit of a
struggle. Luckily, Stefano lives down the street and has told them things I
don’t eat, and other things of that nature. He’s also written down useful
Spanish phrases for me. I’m living with the grandparents of a family (Susanna
and Antonio), their son Jesus, and granddaughter Micaela. The house is nice; they have a store out front
which sells candy, soda, and different toiletries. They also have a hot shower,
which is very exciting for me. Micaela has been trying to teach me Spanish, so
things are looking up! The house is located near the bull fighting arena, which
is about 5 minutes from the project site and 15 minutes from the center of
town. I miss you all and hope all is well at home! love you xoxo,
Becca. PS.
I’m really craving some skittles!
Hola Mom, Dad and Ara! So far my trip to Peru is great. My
homestay family consists of four members. Filo is my mom, and she is amazingly
nice. She is also a great cook, and she has great pride about it. The other
day, I asked her “Where are some good restaurants in Ollantaytambo?” and she
answered “None, I’m the better cook than all of them.” She deserves her pride.
Leonardo, my pap, is very similar to Unchul except he doesn’t like Piscosour,
which is the Peruvian drink. He is a very strong man able to walk 10 kilometers
of mountains in the mornings. Even I can’t do that because of the altitude (RESPECT!).
He’s a great guy. He used to be a professional footballer so I ask lots of questions
about football. He says it’s such an easy game to play, but I told him that I
severely disagree. We made a deal that he’ll teach me some skills if I teach him
some basic guitar. They have two sons, but they both work in Urubamba and
Cusco, bigger towns near Ollantaytambo. I don’t get to talk to them often because
they only come during the weekends. They sometimes come home during the
weekdays but that’s way after ten, and by then I’d be knocked asleep. I really
like this country. I like it here because everybody loves to play football,
there are lots of football fields (almost every street has one), and the food
is very similar to Korean food with rice, meat and the sauce is very similar.
Los Maises and los papas (Corns and potatos) here are the best in the world, so
I’m going to chug them as much as I can before I go back to the states. I hope
you have a good time, because I’m definitely having one!
Matt
When my
host mother arrived at the hostel with a baby slung over her shoulder and
speaking in fluid Spanish, I great nervous.
As we exited the gates and I struggled to pull my suitcase over the
cobblestone streets of Ollantaytambo in the direction of my new home, my fear
deepened. But when my host mother,
Anita, offered to take my bag even though she had a baby strapped to her back,
I felt my self soften towards her and the new home that I was about to enter
and some of my nerves evaporated. During
dinner that night, the family's quick conversations in Spanish were
interspersed with slow, loud questions in basic English directed at me. I answered in Spanish as best as I could, but
it became clear that communication was going to be difficult. However, things changed dramatically the
following night when my host sister, Shura, arrived from college. Since my host mother, father, and younger
brother were away at a wedding, Shura and I had dinner together. All throughout dinner, she played American
music on her phone and we spoke (in simple Spanish) about la musica. The
highlight of the night was when she played a Taylor Swift song and encouraged
me to bailar. So far, things have been
going really well. I love Ollantaytambo
and the feeling of living in a small town.
I miss you both lots and when I come home I'm looking forward to
relaxing in weather that is warm for the entire day. Love, Sam
So far,
I'm having a great time with my homestay.
My mama, Silvia, is very nice, and she makes me feel very welcome. Today she helped me wash my clothes. The water was cold but I was pretty proud
when I was done. My younger sister,
Sandra, is 14 and she's really nice. She
showed me a couple of music videos from some K-Pop groups that she really
likes. My older sister, Lucero, is 19
and she goes to school far away but she's at home for the weekend. Lucero doesn't like K-Pop, but she prefers to
listen to pop like Lady Gaga. I don't
live with anyone my age at home so having sisters is a welcome change. My two brothers, Daniel (12) and Lisandro (6), are also fun to
hang out with. Last night we watched
Taken 2, pero the words were in Spanish and the subtitles were in English. But still, it was a good time and I had so
much fun bonding wiht mi familia. --
Desiree
My
homestay is past the market, where all of the locals shop for their food before
every meal. My homestay mother is
Balbina, my father is Pancho. I have two
older brothers, Jonathan and Jack, an older sister, Hilary, and a younger
sister, Jessica. I have yet to get
together with all of my family, but all of the people have been very nice and
loving. I washed my clothes by hand
today for the first time! It was hard
but it sure made me appreciate my washing machine back home.
Our nights have consisted of eating dinner while watching TV, and
playing UNO. Mi familia has a store, so
I have helped them at the store and can't wait to buy something from them. Yesterday I helped them roll up a ball of
yarn, which was really nice. Even
thought there isn't a language barrier, I still have yet to connect completely
with my family, but I know I will get there soon. My father loves soccer and I can't wait to
get closer to him. Estoy bien mama y
papa, los quiero mucho y la estoy pasando bien.
Besos y abrazos para todos. -- Danny
My host
family is awesome. As soon as I entered,
I was met with open arms and delicious food.
I have three sisters, ages 14, 20 and 28. Chaumi (?) is fourteen and we get along very
well. The first night we danced to a
choreography DVD. Gabriella is twenty
and works at the plazoleta which is a market that sells sneakers, hats,
etc. I met Helen, 28, and she works at
the train station. My host mom is the
oldest of 10 sisters and two brothers which means I have a lot of aunts, uncles,
and cousins in Ollantaytambo. Today, my
mom Irma taught me how to eat banana pancakes which tasted delicious. The house is very nice and cool. My room has beautiful hard wood floors and a
comfortable bed. Overall I am having a
very great time and am excited for what is in store. -- Ade
Dear
family,
Well mom
you're here so I guess you already know about this but you get to read this
anyways. I've been having a wonderful
time here. My host family is amazing and
they love to play soccer. Every family
member plays, even the mom.
Communicating with them isn't very hard because I speak Spanish
fluently, but I have been learning a bit of Quechua. Today I was the photographer of the day and I
took many artsy pictures. I have been
playing a lot of soccer so now the people on the street recognize me as a
soccer player which is really sweet. The
house that I'm staying at is very nice and big.
The dog's name is Lucas like the name of my dog at home in Groton! Hiking today was great and a really nice workout,
specially when Johnny, Max, Ryan and I sprinted a 200 meter distance to a big
rock. The altitude is really increasing
our VO2 max and preparing us for pre-season.
The food is amazing! So much
better than the U.S. no offense mom, but the food in Peru is just always
better. I hope everyone back home is
fine. Love you all, Stefano
In my
host family there is my mother, father, two sisters, two brothers, and a
grandmother. Sister Gabby came to pick
me up and welcomed me with open arms.
The house is lovely, my family have been so warm and kind to me, more so
than I ever imagined. They have tried so
hard to make me feel comfortable and at home, and they have done a marvelous
job. Yesterday I told them my favorite
food is spaghetti, and today that's what we had for dinner. Even though I don't speak Spanish, it is
possible to communicate which we are all slowly figuring out. They treat me like family, which is
incredible having just met them. They
are so kind to me, and I truly appreciate it, considering how nervous I was
going into it not knowing Spanish. --
Lily
Nosotros tambien te queremos mucho y nos da mucho gusto Que te la Estes pasandola bien I love you
ReplyDeleteReading the blog is the highlight of my day! I love seeing all the amazing things you are doing and seeing. It was interesting to see how organized the photos of the girls looked on the day you hauled logs and how the boys managed to find a new way to poke at each other with sticks!
ReplyDeleteMax, we miss you terribly but are so happy for the wonderful adventure you are having. We are thrilled to know you have been so warmly embraced by your family there. Please thank them for us for making you feel so at home. Our French homestay student, Jeremy has arrived so we are practicing French while you improve your Spanish and learn some Quecha. Dad seems to think he is the most fluent.