New home

I'm writing from my bedroom at my host family's house! I met my Bolivian parents last night at a welcome dinner with all of our host families and they are absolutely amazing. They are so sweet and soft spoken and my dad kept making jokes and we were conversing without feeling like it was an interview. There was a Bolivian band playing traditional music at the restaurant and we all got up and danced and my father was trying to teach me how to do one of the dances and it was just so lively and beautiful. It was the best night I've had so far (though I know it's only been three days). Then today they came to the hostal at noon to pick us up and my mom and younger brother Bruno (19) and younger sister Lucia (15) came and brought me back to the house, which is incredible. It's beautiful and most of the rooms are on one floor but my parents' bedroom is on the second floor, and the house is in a U shape so that it wraps around a yard in the middle, and there is a ton of natural light everywhere inside and it's just so delightful. Once we got here, Lucia and I went to get Lucia's older sister, Carmen, and her six year old son, Matias. On the door to their house was a sign Matias had made that said "SAITAM" and I asked Lucia what that meant and she said that he's left handed so he writes from right to left. Mati is adorable and his friend Samantha was there too and they were running around and screaming and climbing on everything of course, and it made me so excited that in addition to my wonderful brothers and sisters around my age, there will be a little kid running around too.

When we got back, we all ate lunch together, including my other host brother, Sergio, who is 20 and who I thought I wouldn't get to meet because he's traveling to Mexico soon but he's here for now. We had something that I think they called "simpancho" which was beef with tomatoes and onions on it, and an egg on top of rice, and fried plantains, all of which were delicious. They are all so kind and we were chatting and I can tell they are all slowing down their speech for me, which I really appreciate because I'm realizing I have a lot more to learn. Afterward, I gave them the little souvenirs that I brought from Boston and talked to my dad and Sergio about the pictures in the book. I'm so happy here; I think the homestay coordinators really made a good match. Either that or Bolivians are terrific in general. I think both things might be true.

Tonight I'm going with Lucia and Carmen to las danzas (dances) in the plaza, and then Carmen and I are going out to listen to a jazz band I think but Lucia will have to come home (I couldn't tell if that was because she's not 18 and therefore can't get in to the place where we're going, or just because her mom won't let her stay out so late). They are making me feel so at home and I'm so grateful I'll get to spend several months here in such a wonderful home.