My Quito Family

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After a week of learning Spanish, I decided to take the plunge and live with an Ecuadorian Family. So after my Monday morning class, I was picked up after school by my "new sister", as my teacher called her.

So, introducing my family:

1. Gisella, 28 years old and the head of the household. She is married, and her husband is a lawyer currently working in Cuba. Drives a bright green VW Beetle, which I have christened "El Diablo Verde" (the green devil)
2. Stefania, 21 years old, her younger sister. Great salsa dancer!
3. Samantha and little Gisella, aged 4 and 5. Gisella's daughters
4. Fernanda, 20, the family maid, nanny and cook

Right from the start they all made me feel very welcome, and treated me as part of the family. In fact, I have been astonished by Ecuadorian hospitality since I came to this country. I ate three meals a day with them, and the food was truly fantastic. I'd get home from school in the morning to a typical Ecuadorian lunch. Then in the evening we'd have another hot meal of something non-Ecuadorian, such as Spaghetti Bolognese, or homemade Pizza. With each meal we would also have some spectacular fruit juice, freshly squeezed. I didn´t have the same fruit twice in the week i was there! And of course, we'd be speaking Spanish at the dinner table. Stefania spoke a little English, but Gisella spoke none, which made it a bit difficult sometimes with my limited Spanish, but really it was ideal. It forced me to practice, and they were very patient and helpful. Although I invariably made mistakes. Such as when I was speaking about my family, I meant to say

"Yo tengo dos hermanos" (I have two brothers)

What I actually said was

"Yo tengo dos hambros" (I have two shoulders)

Both of the sisters were great fun, and even with the language barrier, i can tell they have a great sense of humour. They took me out drinking and dancing one night at "The Bungalow," and managed to get me salsa dancing in public! (well, kind of. I´m not very good yet)

At the weekend, I was really blown away by their generosity and trust. They decided to go away to the coast for a long weekend, so I said I would move into a hostal. They wouldn't hear of it, and said those immortal words

"Mi casa es tu casa"

and gave me the run of the house for the whole weekend! Very good of them considering they had known me for less than a week

I still have the house keys now, and will be calling back for a final night before I head off to Colombia.

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Photos

my new sisters
Stefania, myself and Gisella at 2:30am, after a hard night of drinking and salsa dancing

El Diablo Verde
or (in English) The Green Devil, which I christened Gisella´s car