La Primera Semana

I have only been in Chile since Wednesday, but it feels like I've been here much longer. We had three days of orientation in Providencia (a section of Santiago). It consisted mostly of meetings and logistics and food, Chilenos eat like you wouldn't believe. We then moved in with our host families. Mine lives in Las Condes, a lovely section of Santiago. My family consists of my mama, Maria who is so kind and funny, she just keeps feeding me and trying to make me feel so welcome. She doesn't know how to cook and she says everything nice and slow for me. My papa, Marco, Maria's second husband who maybe my favorite member of the family. I had this idea in my head that my host father would be reserved and not terribly involved with my stay, but boy was I wrong. He and I talk a great deal. Here are some facts about Marco, he loves MAD Magazine, he hates cats, and he works with some sort of french cheese export company. There is so much cheese in this house its nuts. I have two sisters Valeria and Natalia. Vale is 27 and engaged to Tomas. I like her a lot, she's very friendly and knows a little English which she practices with me sometimes. Nati is 18 and is starting her senior year of high school next week. She is so funny and tells her mama to calm down while she attemps to feed me into a coma. There is also a son, Sergio but he is in Andora, Spain working as an international Chef. Marco also has 3 kids who I am yet to meet because they live with their mother most of the time. Oh, and the most important members of the family, Dali and Gala, the two begals who run the house. They are crazy, especially Gala who keeps stealing my socks, my note book, my phone, nothing is safe. Overall I really like my family and I feel very comfortable here. Oh I almost forgot, I also have a pool at my house which is very cool.