I always wanted a little brother...

Now I have three! I met with my host mother, Maribel, this afternoon. It was really nervewracking, but wonderful. She's sooo beautiful, and nice, and incredibly affectionate! I was just thinking earlier today about how much I missed hugging and physical contact with people, then I end up with a very huggy host mother!!
We all had lunch together with our host mothers after visiting La Casa de la Cultura (a cultural museum, which was amazing!). At the museum, we looked at artifacts from various native peoples of Ecuador. Then we looked at art from after the Spanish conquest, and I found more connections for my project! There were several altars with mirrors, which the Incas valued as magical (like I said in the last post). There was also a small statue of Jesus as a baby wrapped up the way an Inca child would be. Finally, there was a painting depicting Jesus, Mary, and Joseph in a very European family type setting, but the angel depicted in the painting were cooking around an Inca fire! The museum as a whole was incredible, and the amount of time we spent there definitely did not do it justice. I really want to go back.
Back to my Ecuadorian family. They are amazing. My mother doesn't speak any English, and you all know how good (or bad rather) my Spanish is. But she is very outgoing, and wants to communicate, and is helping me overcome my shyness. Lunch was a little frustrating, but mostly overwhelming. The dish I ordered was Seco de Chiva (a lamb stew) and it reminded me SO much of Puerto Rican food. The meat with the rice, potatoes, and avacado just made me feel like I was at home or on the island. It made me so happy and sad at the same time! When we finally came home, I met my host father, Fernando, and my three little brothers! Fernandito, who is 11, Jaime who is 8 (and his birthday is Feb. 24th!), and Jose, a VERY talkative 3 year old. They are so wonderful and helpful. I feel so much more at ease with them than the adults because, especially with Jose, they will just keep talking, and it's ok if Yo no entiendo (I don't understand). It took me forever to unpack because of Jose's curiousity and wanting to show me EVERYTHING. Jaime was very shy at first and didn't even greet me like everyone else. He eventually started talking to me though! (I think bringing Binky has helped a lot actually!) I learned a new word "pelucha" (though I'm not sure that's spelled right). It means "stuffed animal" and that was my starting point with the boys. They all showed me their toys, and things just went from there. Ferni, the eldest, knows some English, though he doesn't use it with me unless absolutely necessary. I'm really appreciating all of this, but it is so difficult, especially when trying to relate to the adults! I think what makes it harder is when I try to understand instead of just listening, or the fact that I still have that little narrating voice in English in my head. I'm trying...
Oh, and I can't forget the house. Their house is SO GORGEOUS. I can't express the beauty of it, and how amazing it is. I have my own bedroom and bathroom here (I don't even have that at home!) Maribel gave me a grand tour, which included her beautiful bedroom and gigantic walk in closet, Ferni's bedroom, the room that Jose and Jaime share, the family room, a living room, dining room, kitchen, laundry room, and a computer room that I'm in now. They have internet, and Maribel is so kind! She told me that this is my house too, so I can do whatever I want. Their hospitality has absolutely floored me, and I wish I would express to them how grateful I am and how amazing they are. Hopefully before long I'll have the words.
Meeting my host family definitely made me miss my family back home a LOT. That coupled with the language barrier almost made me cry at the restuarant. I haven't had a moment's rest since coming home, and I'm glad. Having the boys constantly talking to me when I'm not in class is what I think will make all the difference.
Oh, and a note that I know Roger will appreciate. I saw my first hummingbird here today!! I have no idea what kind, because Ecuador has the greatest variety of hummingbirds in the world, and I don't have a bird book for the country yet. I also saw a sparrow type bird that I also couldn't identify, haha!
Tomorrow, classes start. I'm nervous and relieved at the same time. I'll be glad to finally be learning things I can use with my family. We're also registering our visas in the morning, then having 4 hours of language class, lunch at home, then community service orientation. It will be a very full day.