Casa de Claudia

I have moved from the observatory recinto, up the hill a few kilometers, into what seems like a more Chilean life. I'm living in a nice suburb of La Serena, still within walking distance of the university and downtown, and also connected by buses and taxis. I live with a host family, in what's considered "pensión parcial;" this means that I rent a room in the house, but I'm responsible for my food and have some liberty to keep my own schedule. Three more students - from Chile, Australia, and USA - rent rooms upstairs. We're a very international household!! Also, my host mom runs a beauty salon, or "peluquería," on the first floor of her house, so there are usually people coming and going, to have their hair cut and sometimes just to chat.

My room is situated directly off of the living/dining area, near the kitchen and bathroom, and it's always cheerful - the walls are painted bright blue and reddish-pink!! I have a nice window which looks towards the front of the house, and during the day invites a nice breeze through my room. My room is adequately furnished with a desk, bed, night stand, and closet, plenty of shelves for my treasures, some stuffed animals and wall hangings, and a magnificent pink light covering which hangs from the ceiling and is circled by decorative butterflies. Yes, I feel like I'm in paradise.

The best part about my house is my host-family. My mother, Claudia, runs the beauty salon and rents rooms to students with an innate business sense. She took me to the "fería" (market) to buy fruits and vegetables, and then taught me to cook a tasty lentil soup. We sometimes have lunch together while watching the news, or chat about our days. Claudia seems to enjoy knowing students from all over the world. She'll take good care of me!

My youngest sister, Isidora, is 6-years-old, and knocks on my door every day to play. I've learned my numbers, animals, and colors very well by playing card cames, making origami crafts, and coloring with Isi and her friends. She sometimes practices her english, especially her most complete sentence, "I love you." My other sister, Valeria, is way beyond her 12-years. She does very well in school, and wants to be an orthodontist when she grows up. In her free time, Vale chats on the computer or watches tv; she'll show me how to be a hip, young chilena!!

I can't believe I've only been in this house for one week, my family makes me feel so much at home that I think I've been here much longer. I love to share a meal or play a game with my new family, and I know they'll be teaching me a lot about real-life Chilean culture.