El Primer Día

I arrived on Saturday and didn't wake up until 10:30 on Sunday morning. I dressed, brushed my teeth and went downstairs and found the family all in the kitchen. I had colacao (chocolate milk) heated in the microwave. And then after Mayra cleaned the kitchen (which the whole house is already always clean.) we went to Cuenca, We live in Las Arcas, which is just outside of Cuenca. But it's basically part of Cuenca how I understand it.

Inside Ibana's store

         In the city, I stayed in the car with Cayetana while Mayra went into a small store and bought a loaf of pan.Mayra drove by a store with baby clothes in the window and told me it is her sister, Ibana's store. Next, on our way home, she drove passed some apartments right near the center of the city and said that she used to love there before she bought her house in las Arcas.

Ibana and Carol at Ibana's store

         Then, we went home for just a while and ate a small snack before we went out to Ibana's house for lunch. Ibana has a daughter, Carol, who is eight years old and a son, Juan, who is only one. Her husbands name is also Juan. Mayra's mom and dad were also eating lunch with us. I honestly have no idea what I ate, but it was very tasty. It looked like really runny refried beans, but it didn't taste like it. We ate it with pan (they eat pan with everything) and ham and pulpo. Pulpo is, as I learned on Sunday, Octopus. I only tried a small piece or two. It wasn't too bad! But I do like most seafood.
          For the most part, I just sat and observed and listened to them talk amongst themselves. Occasionally Juan (the adult Juan) or the abuelo, would ask me a question. They would make little jokes about english like saying "Hello," but they would over-emphasize the 'H.' They also tried to say octopus. "Oak-toe-poose" They seem to think that Pres. Obama is my neighbor. I tried to explain that I don't live anywhere near Washington DC. It was hopeless. I don't think they have any idea how big the USA is.
         After lunch we went home, watched a little TV and ate a small snack again. They eat, like, 5 times a day. I like it because it helps keep me full so that I don't go all day without eating and then binge. I have a problem with that. So, here, I just eat a little at a time.

         They eat dinner really late; on Sunday, it was almost nine before we had dinner. Julian was still at work so we started without him. I watched as Mayra made tortilla española, which is absolutely nothing like a tortilla.

          First, she cut potatoes in small slices and fried them in oil. Then, she mixed it with and egg and some onion and salt and maybe some other spices. She fried the mixture almost like a really really think omelet. But not really. She used a plate to flip it over, pouring the uncooked ingredients into the pan, and laid the cooked portion back in the pan. It was soooo good. She also made a piece of chicken for me but I couldn't eat everything. So I only ate a little chicken. I didn't take a picture of the tortilla de patatas, so I googled one. FYI.

          Not much else happened on Sunday, except, before bed I set up my Gmail account so that I can send SMS messages to people's cell phones in the States, FOR FREE! It was good to talk to my family and friends. I went to bed late but slept well.
          It was a good Sunday, I just wish I could have gone to church. Hopefully, I'll be able to go soon.

Words I learned: costillas (ribs) tragar (to swallow) Bocadilla (a small bite)
Some of the words I put on here I knew a long time ago, so, I'm putting them here again so that I won't forget them again. It helps me remember if I write things down.

Besos! Chau!