A long day

I thought I would sleep in until my host abuelita knocked on my metal door well before I planned to wake up. Breakfast! Today I found out my hunger is back, strong as ever. I finished my 'grilled cheese' sandwich, was offered another bit, and then another half.

The first most important part of the day was going to the grocery store (SuperMaxi... I have an urge to add 'pad' after that) with my host family to buy a few things for the house and a pile of spices I needed to make chana masala, my all-time favorite Indian dish and basically what I survive on in the United States. $9 later, I had what I needed. I also spent way too much on a book of Neruda poems at 'Mr. Books' adjacent to the Supermaxi.

Back home, I started settling into my homework for tomorrow (yes... trainees get plenty of homework) when my host mom came up to ask me when I'd be started lunch. I guess it's lunch I'm making, not dinner! Got all the ingredients together, started my usual routine, and made it. It turned out a bit different - not as spicy and the chickpeas a bit too soft. But in my opinion, it was fabulous. Unfortunately, there wasn't enough. Especially in a culture where lunch is the big meal of the day. My host family seemed to like it at least...

And next, laundry. Without a washing machine, laundry is done on a piedra... a rock. But it's more like a cement table with a faucet. My host mom showed me how it was done, and it takes ages of muscle work to get clothes cleaned. Apparently I didn't do a good enough job getting the suds out, so when abuelita came home, my clothes went into her washing machine.

In between doing the laundry, it was already dinner time so I helped Paola and Mateo make pizza from scratch inspired by my left over tomato paste. While it was cooking, I tried doing my homework - reading Made to Stick and my Spanish book. I have so little time to get Peace Corps homework done, it's ridiculous. The pizza was amazing though a bit heavy on the oregano. I finished my first piece and Paola asked if I wanted a second. Oh, yes. I gobbled the second piece down faster than the rest of the family could ever start their second pieces, which had to be the first time I wasn't the last one done. Carlos looked from me to my plate and to me again, shocked. Mmmm, American-like food.

The laundry was finally done so it's hanging outside now. With all the constant rain, I wonder how long it'll take them to dry?