mi familia

I just have to take some time to rave about my host family. My host mother, Marta, is a fabulous cook! Last night she made us Nacatamal, a typial Nicaraguan dish. It is similar to a Mexican tamale but is wraped in a banana leaf and stuffed with pork, rice and vegetables; very tasty! My host father, Roberto, scolds us for trying to clean our own room and enjoys giving out marriage advice. The oldest sister took us shoping yesterday at the market; she made me buy some shorts because my, "legs are too white." When she asked me this morning why I was putting on sunblock I replied that it was because I didn't want to get skin cancer, at which she was very surprised to learn that one could get cancer from the sun. Our host brother Christian has been a wonderful guide and taken us all over the city. The next brother is Lesli who is 17 and attends university; I was happy to discover that he likes to play cards, but a little dismayed when he beat me at E.R.S. The youngest sibling is Roberto Carlos who is 7 years old; we've been enjoying drawing all over floor with chalk and reading stories. Finally, there is my host sister's baby who is 1 and a half. He gets really excited when ever there is music on TV and loves to dance. I feel so lucky to have ended up in with them!!! Here are some pictures, in order of appearence: Christian, Jenn my travel buddy and Marta, Roberto Carlos and Lesli. I'll have to post pictures of the rest of the family next time.